Golden Girls

Photo by Flickr user Jesssss

God only knows where I first saw the gold beaded necklaces worn by indigenous women in Ecuador. I fixated on them immediately, and even now, when I see these, my throat clenches and my tongue swells and yes, wanting jewelry can cause physical reactions.

Photo by Flickr user llhuicamina

I'm not much of a gold jewelry person, but the casual, everyday way that the indigenous women wear these necklaces reminds me that it's possible to wear gold and not look like a Dynasty castoff. Oh, the delicate beads worn in layers that descend from the neck to the chest in sweeping little arcs, sometimes tangling and overlapping—the casual look of it, combined with the preciousness of the material, just sends me into drooling greed.

Image from ecuador365.com

I would wear them constantly. Or, at least enough to justify the cost of a trip to Ecuador, right?