+
“A balm for the soul”
  review on Goodreads
GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy
Family

20 'worthy' jewelry gift ideas from artisans around the world

20 'worthy' jewelry gift ideas from artisans around the world

As we approach this holiday season, you may be on the look-out for some great gifts for the loved ones in your life. To help you with your search, we've handpicked a list of "worthy" jewelry gift ideas. What makes them worthy? First, they are from our very own Upworthy Market, a place to shop for great hand-crafted artisan gifts. At the Upworthy Market, every purchase you make directly supports artisans from around the world. It's a great place to buy interesting items and support the people who created them in the process—a win-win!

These gift ideas are also worthy because each one is a unique, beautiful piece of jewelry—like the Balinese cocktail pearl ring, or the stylish anklet or the millefiori blossom watch made of Murano glass from Venice. Whether you're looking for the perfect pair of earrings for your mom or cannot seem to figure out a quality gift for a friend, this list will help you find the right present for the jewelry lover in your life.

1. Oval Jade Ring

Evoking the ancient Maya, this beautiful and simple solitaire ring is crowned by an oval of apple green Guatemalan jade. This stunning accessory is designed by Zandra Lorena Sajbin, who crafts the ring with a band of sterling silver.

cdn11.bigcommerce.com

2. Paradise Palms Necklace

A dreamy tropical paradise with untouched white sand beaches and crystalline lagoons is perfectly symbolized by the twin palms of this pendant necklace from Aoy of Thailand. Artisan crafted from sterling silver, the pendant shines with a high polish finish while the hints of dark oxidation enhance the palms' details. A ball chain with a spring-ring clasp completes the necklace.

cdn11.bigcommerce.com

3. Elephant Hook Earrings

Petite elephants are carefully carved of smooth white cow bone by artisan Made Wardika of Bali. The pachyderms swing from sterling silver hooks.

cdn11.bigcommerce.com

4. Wave Motif Band Ring

Featuring curving wave patterns, this nautical band ring is designed by Balinese artisan Asmara Putra. He crafts the ring of sterling silver bathed in 18 karat gold, given a high-polish finish.

cdn11.bigcommerce.com

5. Twin Dolphin Necklaces

Sleek and agile, twin dolphins leap and play on this pendant necklace presented by Andi Rachmansyah in Bali. The pendant is hand-carved from smooth cow bone and centered on a black cotton cord of adjustable length.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    6.Pearl Cocktail Ring

    Crowned by an orb of cultured pearl with soft, dyed-pink hues, this Balinese cocktail ring brings a sweet beauty wherever it goes. Designed by Buana, the band is handcrafted of sterling silver with jepun, or frangipani flowers that flank the pearl.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    7. Flower Stud Earrings

    Hand-carved from bone, two jepun, otherwise known as frangipani flowers, adorn the ears. Balinese artisan Made Wardika creates these stud earrings, adorning the wearer on posts of sterling silver.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    8. White Turtle Necklace

    A young turtle swims peacefully in cool waters in this unique hand-carved white pendant. Made Wardika of Bali presents this pendant carefully crafted from bone and hung on a dark brown leather cord. This pendant necklace features a sliding knot for adjustable length.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    9. Kanji Sterling Silver Necklace

    Hanzi are characters used in Chinese writing. As early as the sixth century A.D., many of these characters began to be simplified and adopted into Japanese writing, where they're known as kanji, a term that is more widely used in the West. Artisans in Yiwu, China, create these pendants by using sterling silver and the lost-wax casting method. Each character emulates the sweeping brushstrokes of traditional calligraphy. Choose based on birth month, favorite color, or simply the symbol that resonates with you most.


    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    10. Lotus Band Ring

    Realized in darkly oxidized relief, the image of a single lotus flower is featured on this band ring from Bali. Asmara Putra designed the ring, crafted of sterling silver.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    11.Music Note Stud Earrings

    The sol key, also known as the G-clef, is masterfully designed into button earrings by Thai artisan Wadarat Supasirisuk. Perfect for the music aficionado, these clever post earrings are crafted in sterling silver with polished and oxidized finishes for contrast.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    12. Toe Ring

    Depicted in low relief, three sterling elephants march around a silver band. Wadarat Supasirisuk presents this toe ring that shows the purposeful pachyderms in silhouette.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    13. Infinity Stud Earrings

    Highly polished sterling silver takes the shape of the infinity symbol in these stud earrings from Wadarat Supasirisuk of Thailand. The petite earrings rest on sterling posts.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    14. Lizard Totem Necklace

    Realistically carved by hand, a small lizard graces this unique artisan-crafted necklace. Made Wardika displays the Balinese reptile on a cord of dark brown leather.

    cdn11.bigcommerce.com

    15. Fish Stud Earrings

    Commemorating the Age of Aquarius as well as the return of Christ, these symbolic stud earrings are presented by Wadarat Supasirisuk. Thai artisans craft the earrings from sterling silver, featuring the simple and iconic image of a fish.

      cdn11.bigcommerce.com

      16. Dragon Pendant Necklace

      Framed by the image of a dragon biting its tail, the iconic symbol for the meditative mantra om is realized in high-polish sterling silver. Shivani Choudhary designed this bold and meditative Indian pendant necklace, which is crafted by local artisans.

      cdn11.bigcommerce.com

      17. Celestial Necklace

      Designed by Vivek Nathany in India, this necklace adds a celestial beauty to any wardrobe. This fantastic necklace circles the neck with two lengths of 22 karat gold-plated sterling silver cable chain; one chain is decorated with star charms while the other is centered by a majestic crescent moon pendant.

      cdn11.bigcommerce.com

      18. Elephant Charm Anklet

      Tiraphan Hasub crafts a stylish anklet, centering bright brass beads with colorful agate. Symbol of old Siam, an elephant graces this original design. Jingling bells form the clasp, and the anklet is adjustable in length.

      cdn11.bigcommerce.com

      19. Black Braid Bracelet

      Braided by hand, strands of black leather encircle the wrist in a bracelet for men. Chaloemphon adds ivory and dark brown beads carved of bone to this design. The length can be adjusted by sliding the knot along the cord.

      cdn11.bigcommerce.com

      20. Blossom Watch

      More than a dozen delicate slivers of Murano millefiori decorate the face of this gold-plated watch. Made in Murano, an island within Venice, Italy, that has been home to master glassmakers since the 13th century, millefiori are created by fusing multicolored glass canes, stretching them to the thinnest possible diameter, and then slicing them to reveal cross-sections that look like flower blossoms. The watch features a snakeskin-textured leather band.

      cdn11.bigcommerce.com

      From Your Site Articles
      Related Articles Around the Web
      upworthy market
      Education

      Why didn't people smile in old photographs? It wasn't just about the long exposure times.

      People blame these serious expressions on how long they had to sit for a photo, but that's not the whole picture.

      Public domain images

      Photos from the 1800s were so serious.

      If you've ever perused photographs from the 19th and early 20th century, you've likely noticed how serious everyone looked. If there's a hint of a smile at all, it's oh-so-slight, but more often than not, our ancestors looked like they were sitting for a sepia-toned mug shot or being held for ransom or something. Why didn't people smile in photographs? Was life just so hard back then that nobody smiled? Were dour, sour expressions just the norm?

      Most often, people's serious faces in old photographs are blamed on the long exposure time of early cameras, and that's true. Taking a photo was not an instant event like it is now; people had to sit still for many minutes in the 1800s to have their photo taken.

      Ever try holding a smile for only one full minute? It's surprisingly difficult and very quickly becomes unnatural. A smile is a quick reaction, not a constant state of expression. Even people we think of as "smiley" aren't toting around full-toothed smiles for minutes on end. When you had to be still for several minutes to get your photo taken, there was just no way you were going to hold a smile for that long.

      But there are other reasons besides long exposure times that people didn't smile in early photographs.

      1800s photographsWhy so serious? Public domain

      The non-smiling precedent had already been set by centuries of painted portraits

      The long exposure times for early photos may have contributed to serious facial expressions, but so did the painted portraits that came before them. Look at all of the portraits of famous people throughout history prior to cameras. Sitting to be painted took hours, so smiling was out of the question. Other than the smallest of lip curls like the Mona Lisa, people didn't smile for painted portraits, so why would people suddenly think it normal to flash their pearly whites (which were not at all pearly white back then) for a photographed one? It simply wasn't how it was done.

      A smirk? Sometimes. A full-on smile? Practically never.

      "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci, painted in 1503Public domain

      Smiling usually indicated that you were a fool or a drunkard

      Our perceptions of smiling have changed dramatically since the 1800s. In explaining why smiling was considered taboo in portraits and early photos, art historian Nicholas Jeeves wrote in Public Domain Review:

      "Smiling also has a large number of discrete cultural and historical significances, few of them in line with our modern perceptions of it being a physical signal of warmth, enjoyment, or indeed of happiness. By the 17th century in Europe it was a well-established fact that the only people who smiled broadly, in life and in art, were the poor, the lewd, the drunk, the innocent, and the entertainment […] Showing the teeth was for the upper classes a more-or-less formal breach of etiquette."

      "Malle Babbe" by Frans Hals, sometime between 1640 and 1646Public domain

      In other words, to the Western sensibility, smiling was seen as undignified. If a painter did put a smile on the subject of a portrait, it was a notable departure from the norm, a deliberate stylistic choice that conveyed something about the artist or the subject.

      Even the artists who attempted it had less-than-ideal results. It turns out that smiling is such a lively, fleeting expression that the artistically static nature of painted portraits didn't lend itself well to showcasing it. Paintings that did have subjects smiling made them look weird or disturbing or drunk. Simply put, painting a genuine, natural smile didn't work well in portraits of old.

      As a result, the perception that smiling was an indication of lewdness or impropriety stuck for quite a while, even after Kodak created snapshot cameras that didn't have the long exposure time problem. Even happy occasions had people nary a hint of joy in the photographs that documented them.

      wedding party photoEven wedding party photos didn't appear to be joyful occasions.Wikimedia Commons

      Then along came movies, which may have changed the whole picture

      So how did we end up coming around to grinning ear to ear for photos? Interestingly enough, it may have been the advent of motion pictures that pushed us towards smiling being the norm.

      Photos could have captured people's natural smiles earlier—we had the technology for taking instant photos—but culturally, smiling wasn't widely favored for photos until the 1920s. One theory about that timing is that the explosion of movies enabled us to see emotions of all kinds playing out on screen, documenting the fleeting expressions that portraits had failed to capture. Culturally, it became normalized to capture, display and see all kind of emotions on people's faces. As we got more used to that, photo portraits began portraying people in a range of expression rather than trying to create a neutral image of a person's face.

      Changing our own perceptions of old photo portraits to view them as neutral rather than grumpy or serious can help us remember that people back then were not a bunch of sourpusses, but people who experienced as wide a range of emotion as we do, including joy and mirth. Unfortunately, we just rarely get to see them in that state before the 1920s.

      From Your Site Articles
      history
      Joy

      Veterinarian has perfect response after being told it's 'disgusting' to let cats on furniture

      It has cat people everywhere rejoicing.

      @dr.mattmcglasson/Instagram

      Pretty sure every cat person feel the same way.

      No one would get a dog expecting it to not bark, try to eat human food or need daily walks. And yet people regularly get flummoxed when their just-as-loveable cat exhibits completely natural behaviors like climbing tabletops or scratching at furniture.

      Of course, cat people, who delight in adapting their life to make it as enriching as possible for their feline fur babies, know the flaws of this logic. After all, most cats spend more time in the house than their human counterparts. So shouldn’t the house belong just as much to them?

      If you answered yes—then this clapback video (from a vet, no less), should have you feeling pretty vindicated. And if you answered no—prepare to see the error of your ways.

      Dr. Matt McGlasson is a veterinarian in Kentucky, who also happens to be the proud dad of a 5-year-old special needs cat named Rupaul.

      McGlasson recently was told by a viewer that it’s "disgusting" that he allows Rupaul on his furniture (as opposed to human butts only, which are okay, I guess?).

      McGlasson’s response to this comment recently racked up over 11.8 million views, with good reason.

      In a clip posted to his Instagram, McGlasson holds up Rupaul, who can’t use her hind legs, and shamelessly lists off all the other things he would allow for his kitty, including:

      -Cosigning a loan for Rupaul

      -Letting Rupaul do his taxes

      -Giving Rupaul the passwords to all of his accounts.

      -Capital Punishment, which he’s not normally a support of. But if someone hurts Rupaul, “that’s another story."

      -Going into a business with Rupaul

      -Giving Rupaul $20,000 for bringing him a dead mouse

      -Making Rupaul the beneficiary on my life insurance policy.

      And last, but certainly not least…letting Rupaul on the furniture.

      Put simply: “My cat can do whatever she wants. It's her world. I'm just living in it.”

      Down in the comments, fellow cat owners couldn’t agree more with McGlasson’s sentiment.

      “My husband picked his new chair based on the cat , the arm had to be wide enough for her to sit whenever she chooses to have quality time with him.”

      “I would donate my kidneys to Square if she needed them. Yes… I mean both 😂”

      “‘You let your cat sleep with you?’ Ma’am, I’d let him represent me in court.”

      “I bought my house for my senior kitties. I wanted to get out of our apartment so they could feel grass beneath their paws again before their time was up.”

      Others reiterated how it’s a gift to be able to create a healthy, happy life for a pet, and freaking out about furniture is kind of missing the joint.

      “Like I don't understand ppl who r so against cats on furniture. If ur against pets on furniture probably don't have them. Treat your pets with love and respect. When you take an animal into ur home it becomes their home and safe place. All of the things in ur house become a part of their world and cats like to naturally be elevated. My cats do what they want because they aren't pets they are family. They own the place I just live here. Lol,” wrote one person.

      Bottom line: climbing is part of a cat’s inherent programming. And if cat owners truly want their home to be a safe space for their kitty, then this should be taken into consideration.

      The good news is, there are plenty of cat-friendly ways you can coax them off of furniture, like making sure there are plenty of dedicated cat trees to climb and scratching posts to sink their claws into, or opting for furniture with fabrics that cats don’t love as much, like microfiber.

      And as a general rule, cats respond to positive reinforcement, rather than punishment. Contrary to outdated, yet still popular belief, cats don’t “know” when they're being bad. And they will learn to associate their own with negative attention. That’s not fun for anyone.

      As McGlasson, or any other pet owner can attest, having their presence in our homes provides so much fulfillment and connection, that small compromises—or large bank loans—are well worth it.

      By the way, McGlasson’s TikTok and Instagram are full of hilarious cat content, so be sure to give him a follow.

      From Your Site Articles
      humor
      Music

      5-year-old Italian piano prodigy rocks Mozart at international competition and holy cow

      Alberto has already won multiple international competitions.

      Pianoforte/Facebook

      Alberto Cartuccia Cingolani wows audiences with his amazing musical talents.

      Mozart was known for his musical talent at a young age, playing the harpsichord at age 4 and writing original compositions at age 5. So perhaps it's fitting that a video of 5-year-old piano prodigy Alberto Cartuccia Cingolani playing Mozart has gone viral as people marvel at his musical abilities.

      Alberto's legs couldn't even reach the pedals, but that didn't stop his little hands from flying expertly over the keys as incredible music pours out of the piano at the 10th International Musical Competition "Città di Penne" in Italy in 2022. Even if you've seen young musicians play impressively, it's hard not to have your jaw drop at this one. Sometimes a kid comes along who just clearly has a gift.

      Of course, that gift has been helped along by two professional musician parents. But no amount of teaching can create an ability like this.

      Alberto first started playing in 2020 in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Italy was one of the first countries to experience a serious lockdown, and Alberto's mother used the opportunity to start teaching her son to play piano. Alessia Cingolani and her husband Simone Cartuccia are both music conservatory graduates, and mom Alessia told Italian entertainment website Contrataque that she and her husband recognized Alberto's talent immediately.

      She said that although Alberto spends a lot of time at the piano, he also has plenty of time for school and play and television, like a normal kid.

      There's genuinely nothing "normal" about this kid's piano playing, though. Watch:

      Wow, right? There are countless adults who took years of piano lessons and never got to that level of playing. It's like he's channeling Amadeus himself.

      According to Corriere Adriatico, by the time he was 4 1/2 years old, Alberto had participated in seven national and international online competitions and won first place in all of them. His mother told the outlet that he started out practicing for about 10 minutes a day and gradually increased to three hours.

      "He has a remarkable flair for the piano," she said. Um, yeah. Clearly.

      Some commenters expressed some concern for the boy based on his seriousness and what looks like dark circles under his eyes in the video, but if you check out other videos of Alberto playing at home, he is more relaxed. Most of his playing and competition entries have been done online, so performing for a crowd is probably new for him. And in interviews, his mother has made it clear that they prioritize normal childhood activities.

      Some children are just genuine prodigies, and Alberto certainly seems to fit that bill. Can't wait to see what kind of musical future awaits this kid.


      This article originally appeared on 5.4.22

      From Your Site Articles
      Humor

      Guy turns dating advice on its head with 34 heartfelt 'playa moves' for single men

      Excellent advice for men that actually works.

      BlanksheetPlaya/TikTok

      A relatively unknown creator on TikTok has been making waves recently.

      Known as "Blanksheet Playa," the creator from Vancouver has been dishing out tips for men for the past couple of months: Tips for dating, self-confidence, health, fitness, you name it.

      He recently went mega viral in an untagged post on X, so I had to track him down and see his videos for myself.

      I was not disappointed by what I found.

      The advice is — what he calls "Playa Moves" — is not what you'd expect.

      In one of Blanksheet Playa's most popular videos, he gives words of encouragement for guys who are nervous when talking to girls.

      "Playa move. If you are nervous when speaking to a female, communicate that to her. By saying this out loud, it will automatically calm your nerves. And if she is a good person, she will provide comfort. This will, in turn, relax you even further and allow the best of your personality to shine through."

      And then he hits his signature sign off. "Real playa shit."

      @blanksheet.playa

      Playa move number seventeen.

      Here's another 'playa move' from the man himself. "Respect women at all times."

      Respect is, according to Blanksheet, the key distinction between a player and a playa.

      "Players deceive, undermine and lie to women to get into bed with them. Playas use our ability in a positive way, to have mutually respecting and honest relationships with women."


      @blanksheet.playa

      Playa move number six.

      Here are a few other certified 'Playa Moves' to improve your dating life and self-confidence:

      To date, he's offered 34 Playa Moves. Here are a few of my favorites.

      • Get serious about wearing condoms (good advice for Gen Z men who refuse to do this)
      • Go down on your women (the oral sex gap is real, and due for a shakeup)
      • Receive all hate with love (just a good way to make the world a better place)

      (Not all the tips are a homerun. Like "Never read," and "Hide your emotions" — come on, playa.)

      The Playa Moves are resonating with guys and girls everywhere.

      "so many men don't realize that just being authentic and kind will take you further than any kind of bravado ever will," one commenter wrote.

      "i was waiting for a punchline,' wrote another about the bait-and-switch set up to the videos, "and then by the end i didn’t want a punchline"

      "Wow, I expected a joke but that was solid advice," added another.

      I've come across enough terrible Gen Z dating advice on TikTok to know the good stuff when I see it.

      Most of it has to do with trying to become someone you're not, whether it's reshaping your mouth and eyebrows with creams and daily stretches, or talking less to appear more mysterious.

      Here's a dude advocating for people to be the best version of their authentic selves, and to be open and honest in their communications. If people don't like you as you are? Blanksheet says that's cool, there are plenty of fish in the sea.

      Even better, he's doing it in a funny way, which helps the message spread even farther.

      Keep it up, playa. This is the advice guys really need right now.

      From Your Site Articles
      dating
      Joy

      Single mom and domestic violence survivor passes bar exam. Her kids' reactions are contagious.

      "Explain to me why I’m crying when I don’t even know what a CA Bar Exam is."

      Photo credit: Canva

      Single mom passes bar exam, kids' reaction is contagious

      Editor's Note: This story contains mention and/or embedded images of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and need help call 1-800-799-SAFE or text “START” to 88788 to reach The National Domestic Violence Hotline.

      Going back to school is a big endeavor to take on as an adult already in the workforce, but it becomes even more challenging when you're a parent and especially when you're parenting solo. There's a lot that goes into earning a post graduate degree and it usually involves long hours of studying, completing assignments and more. But when you're a parent, you're juggling all of that on top of your parental and work responsibilities which can sometimes feel impossible.

      In order to create a better future for themselves and their children, some parents happily accept the challenges that come with being a non-traditional student. There are some post graduate degrees that require either a licensure exam or another type of professional exam in order to legally practice your new occupation upon completion of school. These exams can be brutal, taking many recent graduates multiple tries to reach a passing score.

      Those exams are the last hurdle between a graduate and the rest of their professional life. It's a big deal. A single mom and domestic violence survivor recently finished school to become an attorney but before she can practice law, she needs to pass the California bar exam. The mom of two completed the exam and uploaded a video to TikTok of her and her two children awaiting the results. Immediately it seems one child is overwhelmed with emotion before the results even populate.


      @yougonloverhi You are loved. You are valuable. Your past doesnt define your future 💜 #dv #dvawareness #dvsurvivor #survivor #thrive #trigger #growth #graduate #graduated #lawyerbae #lawyer #blackwomen #blackwoman #love #relationship #relationships #abuse #abuseawareness #singlemom #singlemomlife #possibility #blacklawyer #blackgirlmagic #growth #growthmindset #jurisdoctor #jd #storytime #story #change #transformation #reallife #strong #strongwomen #independent ♬ Love Of My Life - Metrow Ar

      The woman sits nervously smiling alternating her gaze from the camera to her computer screen while the two children rock and pace behind her. One of the kids is anxiously crying while the other has their hood and shirt pulled up nearly covering their entire face. This is a big moment and the children appear keenly aware. In just a few clicks of the keyboard the woman says, "oh my God," in disbelief before the reality instantly sinks in causing her to scream, "oh my God. I passed!"

      The kids fill with so much emotion as the run to their mom but mere seconds pass before all three of them are shrieking blubbering messes overflowing with excitement. "Oh my God, yes, I passed. We did it," she sobs while pulling the crying kids close. The joyful moment is certainly contagious because the comments are filled with people admitting to crying along with the family's beautiful moment.

      @yougonloverhi I PASSED!!!! #barexam #barexam2024 #attorney #blackattorney #singlemom #singlemomlife #singlemomsoftiktok #lawyer #blacklawyer #blacklawyers #blacklawyersoftiktok #joy #blackgirlmagic #blackmoms #blackmomsoftiktok #lawyerbae #shedidit #ididit #tearsofjoy #happytears #cabar #cabarexam #california ♬ original sound - Ya BabyDaddy Favorite Attorney

      One person writes, "Loook here!!!!! You got the babies crying, strangers crying………we all just crying!!!!!!!CONGRATS!!!!!!"

      Another shares, "You ladies don't even know... the CA bar exam is tough, and on the first try too! This is unstoppable excellence right here, no joke! Congratulations. Got me jumping up and down and crying over here."

      Someone else chimes in, "Not me, over here in the UK, not knowing you, or what the hell this CA Bar Exam is but having a good ol’ cry with you anyway."

      Happy Black Girl GIFGiphy

      A commenter jokes about all the tears flowing, "Girl I ain’t wake up to do all this crying today. I feel like I passed too. Congrats."

      "Every sacrifice you had to make, every time you stayed up late studying, EV VER REE thing you did to get TO THIS moment, you showed your babies to stay the course & NEVER give up. Congratulations," another person says.

      This is a moment that these kids will likely remember forever and the example she set of hard work and dedication is a lesson they'll take with them into adulthood. Congratulations are certainly in order for this family.

      From Your Site Articles
      bar exam reaction
      Trending Stories