Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box

Today I had a very special day.   I went to see Madeleine Albright's pin collection at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.   It is an awe inspiring exhibit that I would highly recommend to people.   The pins will be in Indianapolis till the end of the month and then be moving on to other locations.   It is amazing to me when I think about the things women have accomplished in my life time.   I am glad to have lived during the time period  that I have.   I am very glad for the strong role models that are available for women today.
     It is interesting that I became attracted to brooches this past spring.  As the weather became nicer and I purchased some peasant tops I found that a brooch to help gather the top a bit closer kept the tops  from showing too much cleavage.   I had a few pins in my jewelry box already and I picked up a few more over the summer and fall.  So when I heard about Madeleine Albright's pins exhibit being that near by I wanted to go see them.    Find a slide show of the pins HERE and her book  HERE. 
    There was a special feeling at the exhibit.  As I was hovered over one of the cases with two other women ,  an older woman was telling about one of her own pins that had been  her grandmother's.  She said it was red, white and blue and  had two stones in it because two of her sons served in WWII.   She said that the mothers of soldiers then wore such pins and the color of the stone in the brooch was determined by the status of the son who was serving.  One color stone meant the son was killed in the war while another indicated he was wounded and another color meant he was currently active duty.    While I was very aware that there was meaning to some rings,  such as engagement and wedding rings,  I had never really considered how much meaning is attached to various pieces of jewelry.

Two excellent videos to watch can be found HERE and HERE.