My grandfather was a Christian minister. In the early years of the last century he went to China as a missionary, leaving his wife behind in Seattle. Having just returned from a week in Beijing, I can’t begin to imagine what a culture shock that was for a young man originally from Nebraska. Named after a former president—and a good one—Cleveland bought a small piece of jade and two pearls. I’m not quite sure whether or not the actual ring was made in China or the United States, but I think it is the latter. The jade and pearls became a ring for my grandmother. They formed a gift for his much loved wife who would die in 1929, leaving a twelve year old daughter and nineteen year old son. They were wrapped in gold and a tiny gold flower—a cherry blossom-- sat next to the jade.
After her mother’s death, the ring passed to my mother. I don’t recall ever seeing her without the jade ring. My mother wore the ring daily and took it off daily. She had little dishes by her sinks to hold the ring while she washed dishes and pots and pans.
My mother was not a big jewelry person. She had a few special and meaningful pieces. One was the jade ring and one was her wedding ring. The wedding ring was a re-mixed creation of the stones from her first marriage and her second. Her first marriage ended when her husband, stationed in Long Beach during World War Two, died suddenly of polio. In the late 1960’s my mother combined the sapphires and diamonds of both her engagement rings into one ring.
When my mother was in her 80’s she decided to “put her house in order.” She wanted to ensure that her things went where she wanted them to go. One day my sister and I were presented with two small boxes. She said, “I hope I’ve made the right choice.”
I took a deep breath and hoped that she had as well. I had always felt that the rings were a little too much for my taste. But, I had always loved the tiny cherry blossom on the jade ring and history that the ring represented.
Mom made the right choice. I was given the jade ring.
Last week I was packing for a trip to Beijing and for some reason I felt compelled to put on the jade ring. I don’t wear it often. I thought it would nice to return the ring to its origin. So I put on the ring and wore it through the many time zones and airports to China.
The ring did not go un-noticed. Sitting at one of the large, round dinner tables on the campus of Peking University, someone asked about my ring. I was proud to tell them the story. The jade and pearls had returned home.
I tend to be rather cavalier about jewelry and figure if I’m wearing it, it better stay the course. I don’t feel that about the jade ring. I take it off when I shower or wash dishes. The former is much more frequent than the latter.
