Little kids don't wear real jewelry anymore? - YouLookFab Forum

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Little kids don't wear real jewelry anymore?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

When I was little (in the 70's), I wore gold studs and a very fine gold necklace. Sometimes a fine gold bracelet too. I also wore dainty gold hoop earrings (I was very young when I had my ears pieced). I don't see small kids wearing real jewelry anymore. I guess its no longer in fashion.

Not that it's at all important! It just struck me today as I was writing a future blog post. Perhaps it was a cultural thing for my Mum to add real jewelry to her daughter's style. But I do remember many little friends wearing real jewelry too.

Make no mistake. I wore LOTS of gaudy costume jewelry as a child as well. The more hideous it was, the more I liked it. Any thoughts?

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50 replies

Latest reply was from Dusty

Maya

Veteran

The earrings I wore when I got my ears pierced as an infant were little gold ball studs. I think getting them at such a young age and then wearing those earrings continuously for years is why my holes never close. I never took them off. Not even to bed or in the shower. It never occurred to me. I didn't even know they were there most of the time.

I did not wear real jewelry otherwise though, unless it was a special occasion. I was a shopping addict since my childhood though. Every time we went to the mall I had to go to Claires and find some hideous gaudy bauble. As you say, the more gaudy and hideous, the more I wanted it.

kellygirl

Veteran

I grew up with real jewelry as well and tried to pass some of the gold chains/pendants and earrings on to DD's. They much prefer the fun, costume jewelry with the brighter colors and whimsical designs. In contrast, my old jewelry looks so plain. When I think back, I wore the same necklaces day in and out--changing a pendant every once in awhile. I don't think I thought about jewelry as an accessory--it was just something I always wore. It was gold--I thought it went with everything. My DD's are way more fashion forward --they like to coordinate their jewelry with their outfits.

Steffie

I had 2 pairs of tiny stud earrings and a little ring with my birthstone. I wore them most of the time. I also loved, when i hit about 12 years old, to buy hideous gaudy jewelry, all plastic and colorful.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I do think part of that is cultural. I see many more Asian and Latina little girls in real jewelery than the Caucasian ones. My daughter has a gold chain with a heart on it that was given to her by her great grandmother when she was in infant that she occasionally wears. For her last birthday I got her a necklace from Urban Outfitters that is a long chain with a bunch of different charms with her first initial on them. It was relatively inexpensive, but it's the closest to real jewelery that I have ever bought her. I just think it's kind of a waste to adorn little girls who are likely to loose things with precious metals and gemstones.

Steph

Veteran

I always wore real gold earrings as a girl. I got my ears pierced at three years old and my mother felt strongly that putting high-quality metal in my ears was important (she was afraid my ears might get infections if I didn't wear gold--I have no idea if that is rooted in reality or an old wives' tale). Like Maya, I suspect this is why my ears have never closed up.

I think that earrings are easiest/safest for little girls to wear because there isn't much chance they lose them. My guess is some parents may be reluctant to put a real gold bracelet or necklace on their daughters because they fear it getting damaged during play. Since most girls in the US seem to get their ears pierced later in life (as we learned from the other thread!), maybe that's why we don't see a lot of real jewelry?

Debbie

Veteran

Growing up my parents gave us real jewelry for special occasions. I have also done that with my girls. I do not think it is as common anymore.

My sisters and I also liked the Fun stuff too.

Boof

My mother-in-law started add-a-pearl necklaces for each granddaughter when they were born. She adds pearls at Christmas, birthdays, etc. Both of my girls have received real jewelry as gifts to mark important occasions from various family members. They wear the real stuff occasionally, but they do tend to go more for the fun costume jewelry.

taylor

Veteran

I honestly don't see too many adults in real jewelry either. Aside from wedding rings, most people wear costume these days.

Kate

Veteran

I don't wear any of the real jewelry I own... not that I have much, but it seems to have too much value (both monetary and sentimental, since it's all been from my mom) to risk wearing it. Which doesn't make much sense, I know. It's also all gold and I prefer to wear silver.

I think it might be part of our disposable society, and partly practical. I get upset enough if I lose an earring that cost me $5-20, and so the idea of losing a really expensive earring is overwhelming!

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

I didn't wear jewelry as a young child. Mostly I suspect it was monetary. As I got a little older (12ish) I do remember buying slim silver stacking rings and such. They were fairly inexpensive and made me feel so grown up!

Mac

Veteran

I think it's a cultural thing. Little WASP children I grew up with never EVER wore real jewellery. And none of us had pierced ears.

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

hmmm I don't recall ever wearing/owning real jewellery when I was a child - even my earrings were just the piercing ones. I did have a real gold signet ring that I used to wear every day though...

BUT, both my girls received a lovely gold bangle from me for their 1st birthdays, and Em used to wear hers, but kept falling over and badly dented it, so G never wore hers and they are both in a special little box... They also have little gold brooches that are never worn.

However, Em had her ears pierced last year and she has quite a collection of costume and real earrings. (I had a few pairs of gold earrings that had been doubled up, so gave a set to her). So, whenever she is going out somewhere really nicely, she does wear her real gold earrings. And her every day earrings are real gold sleepers.

Em also received a silver charm bracelet from her gran for this birthday, so she tends to wear it when she's not at school as well.

I've not paid much attention to other kids though so I'll have to be on the lookout now!!

marianna

Veteran

Interesting. I do think it's a cultural thing. As a child I wore small gold earrings that my mom brought from Russia. I had two different pairs that I alternated between. I also had some gold chains with little pendants. I don't remember if the other kids wore real jewelry, but I always did. (And this was only 15ish years ago for me!)

Scarlet

Veteran

I also wore real jewelry as a child. Actually I think it was very sweet that my father often gave my mother some adult real jewelry for Christmas, but picked out something small and sweet for his little girls. We really treasured those things and I still have most of it. My sister and I also inherited great granny's wonderful collection of BINGO jewelry, but we used that to play dress up. We thought the stuff was beautiful but somehow understood it not to be for "real life".

I never stopped to think whether this was "normal" or not. I was at a christening last week and I had picked out a little gold locket as a present for the child in question. I assumed that when she is a little older (maybe 5 or so) that her parents would let her have it and wear it, and she would know it was a gift from her christening that she won't otherwise remember.

Rebecca

I didn't have real jewellery until I was about 13 when my grandparents gave me an amethyst ring for my birthday. My 10yr old has a beautiful fine gold chain with a finely detailed dragonfly pendant that my mum gave her for christmas a few years ago - I was a little horrified when she told me how much it cost and it is most definitely only something that is worn for very special occassions. She is a bit forgetful and vague - the usual 10 yr old I guess! So she takes very good care of this and my old rings and is happy with costume jewellery day to day.

bj1111

Veteran

mac,

that is so funny about wasp kids...in my culture, you came home from the hospital with real jewelry that you grew into. never taken off for any reason. my mother still recalls with shame how my sister had to come home with threads in her ears because she didn't bring the earrings with her to the hospital.

Iris

I see nothing wrong with giving children real jewelry, as I think it teaches them the value of well-produced items that are not disposable. I also think it's very sweet, as precious metals do represent good luck and fortune in Asian culture.

When I was much younger, my mom would give me a small gold chain necklace to wear, and would occasionally attach pendants. I never had my ears pierced, and I didn't wear rings, as they would get lost on the playground! Never had any issues with breakage. I still prefer real jewelry, although my costume jewelry collection is quite fun (owls!)

RoseandJoan

Veteran

This is interesting, I have bought my friends and Sisters children fine jewellery but Teah only wears simple costume jewellery. I wonder if it is because my girls are yet to be christened?

My Niece wears this bracelet with the charms that spell her name which I bought as a christening gift. Although the pieces are sterling silver they are very fun
http://www.childrensjewellerys.....6ac5f0040a

I'm considering buying this for Teah for Christmas
http://www.childrensjewellerys.....t-594.html

I wore a small crucifix and a bangle as a child which were both christening gifts.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing your stories.

Khris, the practical question did not come to mind when my Mum purchased jewelry for me. It was just not part of the decision. Surprisingly, nothing ever got lost! I stopped wearing the pieces as I got older - which I still have by the way.

I did not grow up in WASP land. I was surrounded by all cultures in HK - Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews and Buddhists made up our schools. Little kids wore really jewelry quite a lot. More often than not actually. Along with oversized plastic pink Barbie bangles and Snoopy pendants.

Taylor, you're right. Fewer and fewer adults wear real jewelry today - let alone the kids!

Cookie

I am a WASP and both of my children (a girl and a boy) wore tiny gold rings as infants. My daughter also had a gold cross on a chain and several pair of gold earrings. When she graduated from 5th grade my mother gave her a gold and aquamarine ring. An aunt gave her pearl studs. I have saved all of these pieces and cherish them. I hope to one day see my grandchildren wear them. They are sweet and charming.

crazyone

Veteran

I wore real jewelry as a child, actually much more than I do these days. Real gold earrings all the time, and usually a gold necklace. I did lose a few earrings by accidentally sending them down a sink, but usually these things are manufactured a little better and don't fall off or break easily (for example, the earrings were designed so that you screwed them into their posts--I actually found them difficult to remove by myself, so there was very little likelihood of them falling off. My mom would check every so often to see if they were tight.), so I don't think that comes into consideration as much as you think.

The reason why I don't wear as much now is that I prefer the outfit coordination that I get with costume jewelry...I have fewer outfits with which the Indian 22K jewelry meshes well, though I often just wear the gold chain necklace I have anyway, since it's rather fine and doesn't clash.

Beth

Veteran

We didn't wear real jewelry as children and I don't recall many who did. When I was allowed to pierce my ears (at age 12, I think) I then wore small gold studs but it was soon the 80s and I turned to fashion jewelry instead.

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

Going slightly OT here...

Just reading the thread I found the distinction between "real" jewelry and costume, interesting. I understand what people mean: paste versus actual stones, base metal vs precious.

But what is "real jewelry" actually? Isn't any adornment real jewelry? Is leather, bone, brass or copper jewelry "real"? What about handmade glass beads? I'm curious as I've mentioned in another thread I actually have a BFA in metalsmithing, concentrating on jewelry fabrication. I haven't made any fabricated work in a few years because I've moved several times and have not had the opportunity to create a studio (though very soon I hope to!) but this sort of made me wonder: do I make "real" jewelry? After all, my preferred medium is sterling silver and semi-precious cabochons. Gold and faceted stones not so much. But I also work with beads, leather, horsehair, etc. as well as found objects.

Just thinking aloud. What do you consider real jewelry?

Maya

Veteran

I think it just means precious metals and gemstones, RT. I never even thought about it any other way.

I honestly don't even like real jewelry and can understand why kids wouldn't. Costume jewelry is so much more colorful and has so much more interest to it. When I walk through the diamond district every single shop window looks the same.

I get a lot of real jewelry from my relatives in India and I never wear it and never look forward to wearing it. I appreciate it as a gift but the design is not my aesthetic at all and it is often quite heavy and uncomfortable.

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

But Maya, "real jewelry" can be colorful and fun and needn't be Diamond District wear. Case in point, with precious and semi-precious stones and precious metal:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessitaylor

I love her work!

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

PS - My work is very similar to this and my feelings would be hurt if someone told me that I don't make "real jewelry".

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I think it is probably of benefit for a child to learn to look after possessions because they are of more worth. I remember crying when I cracked the plastic jewellery case I kept my necklace in. I loved opening the mother of pearl effect box and moving aside the padding to see the necklace. I still get goose bumps by the sound of a velvet jewellery box snapping shut.

shana

Veteran

As do most children in my culture , I wore real gold jewelry even as an infant. It is not uncommon to see little girls with their ears pierced and boys & girls wearing gold bracelets & necklaces.

I definitely felt the culture clash when my son was born. My uncle had gifted him a small gold chain on which I had strung the same gold cross that I wore when I was a child. After much resistance on my husband's part, my son started wearing his chain when he was about 1. He wore it with no issues until the summer he turned 4 when all of a sudden, I noticed that it was missing. I was sad that he lost it and don't plan to let him or his brother wear any more real jewelry until they are a bit older or for special occasions only. Especially with the price of gold what it is today, it's not worth the risk. My son will have to stick to silly bands for now!

Inge

(website)

I think you're right Angie, I don't see it so much anymore over here either. I, and all my friends, wore small gold earrings, bracelets and necklaces when we were young, it was not unusual at all. And yes, surprisingly things never got lost or broke, I still have many of these pieces now.

Taylor has a good point: many adults don't wear "real" jewellery anymore either, so maybe it was a generation thing/maybe nowadays the custome jewellery selection is much bigger and better?

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