Unlike most girls, I’m not crazy about bling.
Yes, jewellery is a beautiful accessory but I tend to wear very little and my style is more sleek and minimalist.

So, for one very special birthday, I asked my parents to give me jewellery as a gift. They were clueless as to what to get me and asked if there was anything I wanted in particular. I just said they should get me something personal.

My most treasured possession is the necklace that arrived on the evening of my birthday. It took three weeks, four people and numerous design changes but the end result was a beautiful, custom white gold necklace with my name as the pendant.

That poor necklace isn’t that old but it sure has endured some interesting adventures. The necklace has broken twice and I finally had an entirely new one fitted last year. I almost lost it one night because it wasn’t properly fastened and thankfully a friend walking behind me saw it lying on the ground. It’s flown around most of the country with me and can be spotted in a number of pictures with local celebs I’ve met over the years. In fact, I wore it so often at one stage that it became a bit of trademark of mine.

The upside of wearing a necklace that has my name on it is that people tend to remember my name easily or, if they’ve forgotten it, they simply look down and its right there. My dad jokingly refers to it as my dog tag.

Above the practical uses, the necklace has a lot of sentimental value. It’s the only piece of jewellery I’ve received from my parents and they both had a hand in designing it. Most girls would adore a gift like that from a boyfriend but I reckon it’s way cooler that it came from my parents. It means that it was made with a lot of love, a lot of thought and, best of all, from the people who know me best. That is what makes it a true treasure.