Three golden plates about jewelry
Three Golden Records About Jewelry
I was wondering recently why so many songs are about jewelry, while almost no one writes a song about a jacket or a pair of shoes. Jewelry keeps coming back: as a symbol of self-worth, as a contrast to poverty, as a sign of someone who gets to shine again.
That is no coincidence. A piece of jewelry is small, personal, and lasting, and that makes it one of the easiest images in music to summarize a feeling in a single word. In this blog, I show three songs that do this strikingly, and what they have in common with the reason why I make jewelry myself.
What a piece of jewelry usually means in a song
A ring, a pearl, or a gold chain rarely appears in song lyrics as an accessory. Usually, it stands for something bigger: self-worth, origin, or the difference between what someone has and what someone deserves. While a piece of clothing often remains functional in a song, a piece of jewelry almost always becomes a symbol. It is small enough to feel intimate, and valuable enough to stand for something.
Three songs that show it strikingly
Golden, Harry Styles
"You're so golden, I'm out of my head and I know it." Less about a piece of jewelry, more about the color itself. Golden is about someone who radiates light, simply by being who they are.
Coincidentally, exactly the feeling I recently described in my blog about why gold does not have the same color everywhere. Not because something was added to it, but because it already has all that shine itself.
24K Magic, Bruno Mars
"Tonight I just want to celebrate." Bruno Mars uses 24 karat not as a material description, but as an image for an evening that feels just right: pure, without frills, full of self-confidence. Coincidentally also the gold content I work with myself, the purest form that exists.
It is the least introspective song of the three, and that is allowed too. Not every piece of jewelry has to tell a deep story. Sometimes it is just a reason to shine.
Black Pearl, Margriet Eshuijs
A completely different kind of song, and a lot closer to home. Black Pearl was a Dutch hit in 1982, about two people who live far apart, but do not let go of each other. "Black pearl" is not a piece of jewelry in this, but the beloved themselves: something rare and precious that you do not forget.
It is the only song of the three in which the image is not about the singer herself, but about someone else. That also fits how I look at jewelry. Not every piece you buy is for yourself, some are a way to show who is just as precious to you as a pearl.
Why jewelry works so well as an image
A piece of jewelry has three properties that make it suitable as a metaphor. It is small and personal, you wear it on your skin, not around it. It is lasting, a stone or precious metal does not just change. And it is visible without saying anything, a piece of jewelry does not speak, but it does stand out. That combination makes it easier to attach a feeling to it than to, for example, clothing, which changes faster and feels less personal.
A common misconception
People often think that songs about jewelry are always about wealth or showing off. That is true for some of the songs, but not for these three. Golden is about your own shine, not about possessions. 24K Magic is about celebrating together, not about showing money. And Black Pearl is not about an object at all, but about a person you do not forget. So jewelry in music says more about feelings than about monetary value.
What you recognize from this in your own jewelry choice
I see that same distinction in customers. One chooses a piece of jewelry because it confirms something they already know about themselves, like with Golden. The other buys something for a festive moment, purely for the fun, like with 24K Magic. And another deliberately chooses a gift for someone else, like the thought behind Black Pearl.
Do you recognize that confident, shine-to-shine feeling from Golden? Then take a look at a gold chain in 24-karat gold-plated gold. Are you looking for something festive for an evening like in 24K Magic? The Zaya double drop earrings are exactly that little bit extra. And for those who think of Black Pearl, as a gift for someone dear to you, the Uma pearl drop earrings or the Devi pearl earrings fit well.
Why jewelry works so well as an image
A piece of jewelry has three properties that make it suitable as a metaphor. It is small and personal, you wear it on your skin, not around it. It is lasting, a stone or precious metal does not just change. And it is visible without saying anything, a piece of jewelry does not speak, but it does stand out. That combination makes it easier to attach a feeling to it than to, for example, clothing, which changes faster and feels less personal.
A common misconception
People often think that songs about jewelry are always about wealth or showing off. That is true for some of the songs, but not for these three. Golden is about your own shine, not about possessions. 24K Magic is about celebrating together, not about showing money. And Black Pearl is not about an object at all, but about a person you do not forget. So jewelry in music says more about feelings than about monetary value.
What you recognize from this in your own jewelry choice
I see that same distinction in customers. One chooses a piece of jewelry because it confirms something they already know about themselves, like with Golden. The other buys something for a festive moment, purely for the fun, like with 24K Magic. And another deliberately chooses a gift for someone else, like the thought behind Black Pearl.
Do you recognize that confident, shine-to-shine feeling from Golden? Then take a look at a gold chain in 24-karat gold-plated gold. Are you looking for something festive for an evening like in 24K Magic? The Zaya double drop earrings are exactly that little bit extra. And for those who think of Black Pearl, as a gift for someone dear to you, the Uma pearl drop earrings or the Devi pearl earrings fit well.
Frequently asked questions about jewelry in music
Why do artists sing so often about jewelry? Because a piece of jewelry is small, personal, and lasting. That makes it easy to attach a feeling like self-worth, festive joy, or affection to it, without having to explain it.
Is 24K Magic really about gold? Not literally. Bruno Mars uses 24 karat as an image for an evening full of glamour and self-confidence, exactly the purest form of celebrating, just as 24 karat is the purest form of gold.
Are songs about pearls always about luxury? No. Black Pearl by Margriet Eshuijs shows that a pearl can also stand for a beloved at a distance, not for wealth or status.
Why does gold appear so often in songs about radiance? Gold does not change color and does not oxidize. That steadfastness makes it a logical image for someone who stays true to themselves, even under pressure. I wrote about it earlier in my blog about why gold does not have the same color everywhere.
The piece of jewelry is never the real subject
What strikes me: in each of these songs, the piece of jewelry, the color gold, the pearl, is never the real subject. It is always about who or what is behind it. Sometimes the singer herself, sometimes an evening she wants to hold onto, sometimes a beloved far away.
That is exactly why I also prefer to wear gemstones and pearls than something that only shines. Because of the character, the unique color, the unique story per stone, just like the people who wear or give them.
Which song about jewelry do you play most often? I am curious.
Love, Imme
