Custom Pendant Crafted from Deceased Husband’s Beloved Drawing

A beloved drawing becomes a custom pendant made by Hartley Jewelers in Olympia.
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Submitted by Hartley Jewelers

Hartley Jewelers
Ted drew this heart and hid it in Jolene’s jewelry box.

Jolene Bellows has wonderful memories of her 34-year marriage to Ted, who died in 2012. Throughout their relationship, Ted had the habit of drawing hearts for his wife: simple sketches in greeting cards and on notes he left for her.  Several months after Ted passed, Jolene rediscovered one of the hearts that he had drawn and hidden in her jewelry box several years before his passing.

“I opened up my jewelry box one time, and I found this drawing on a small box. He had drawn a heart with the arrow on there and our initials, TB + JB.  It’s a real togetherness thing.  It just touched me whenever I saw it.” After Ted’s death, it meant so much more.

Jolene describes the importance of the drawing. “We got married in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Valentine’s Day. So, the heart shape was really significant to us. He always gave me so many nice things, and many of the pieces of jewelry have hearts on them. He seemed to like hearts, and it was his way of telling me he loved me.”

“He also liked our initials, which appeared in all his heart sketches. He would often call me at work announcing, ‘JB this is TB,'” she remembers.

Jolene describes how she was so taken with this remembrance of Ted’s love, that she was inspired to try to make it into a visible, lasting art form through jewelry. She explains, “He meant a lot to me, and I just felt like I wanted to capture this memory he created.  It was his heartfelt design.  So, I took it to Hartley Jewelers and they did far more than I could have imagined.  It was kind of quirky really, but they captured it perfectly.”

Uniquely Designed

Hartley Jewelers has a talented team of goldsmiths, designers and jewelers. Both Ted and Jolene have visited them numerous times in the past.  “They have a reputation for really good designs and really quality work.

The beloved drawing becomes a custom pendant made by Hartley Jewelers in Olympia.
The beloved drawing becomes a custom pendant made by Hartley Jewelers in Olympia.

And since I’ve gone there I’ve realized how involved they are.  They get really personally involved in making the creation and they are very emphatic about getting your feedback and changing it if needed.  And honestly, I just don’t know if anyone else would have been able to do this,” says Jolene.

Hartley Jewelers spent time getting to know her story, listening to her requests and offering suggestions to reach a design that she was delighted with.  “Hilary really gave me some good ideas, and paid a lot of

attention to how it will lay, so that the arrow and whole look is true to the design.  It lays straight or just a bit over, just like his drawing.  To me, that was the real talent – to get something that isn’t perfectly designed, like this, to lay right.”

A Marriage Remembered and Loved

Jolene has so many wonderful memories of Ted and their life together, raising children, exploring the outdoors, traveling the world and spoiling each other.  Jolene laughs, “He wasn’t a real romantic guy, you know, he was more the hunter and fisherman type. But he loved me and he had a quiet, but quirky, way about him.  He really enjoyed life.”

This highly personal pendant was uniquely designed by Ted for her.  It represents his memory and the life they shared.   She explains, “I feel like this is the ultimate gift to me from him.”

Click here to watch a video about Jolene and Ted’s special bond and keepsake necklace.   To see more custom projects on the Hartley Jewelers website.

 

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