On my wedding day, these pearls served as my “something old.” They originally belonged to my grandmother, who received them as a gift from my uncle in the 1960s, and she passed them down to my mother.

I knew I wanted to wear simple, elegant pearls on my wedding day, so my mother loaned me these. I absolutely fell in love with them from the moment I put them on. I’m not a big jewelry person (I typically don’t wear any except for my wedding rings), but I loved the ways these pearls made me feel — classy and elegant and old fashioned.

The day after my wedding, I tried to return the necklace to my mother before we left town for our honeymoon. When she told me they were mine to keep, I was absolutely thrilled. They mean so much more to me because they are a family heirloom.

I wear them now for every special occasion, and they make even the most simple dresses seem instantly elegant and refined. These pearls make me feel like Jackie Kennedy even when I’m wearing just a simple black dress. I can’t wait to someday pass them on to my daughter (or my niece if I don’t have a little girl).

This is one of four favorite things I’ll be posting about this week. If you’d like to share your favorite things, leave a comment or send me a link to your blog post.

Photo by Zach Dobson Photography