A Love of Jewelry, Reading and Literacy

My last blog post of the year is normally a roundup of my picks for most impactful stories of the past 365 days. But this time, I’m doing something a little different.

As many of you know, National Jeweler launched a webinar series this year called “My Next Question.”

The last episode of 2020 will air this coming Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m., and will feature three out of our four editors doing a best-of rundown—the best stories they wrote, the best stories other editors wrote, the articles that surprised them, the ones that disappointed them, etc.

You can just listen to that instead of reading it here; registration is available on our website.

Also, to be completely honest, I’m exhausted and would like to end this heavy year on a lighter note with one of my favorite subjects—books.

Each year, I set a goal to read at least two books a month, with an eye on finishing between 24 and 30 every year. I write down the title and author of every book I read so I can keep track.

Right now, I am about halfway through “Fleishman Is in Trouble” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.

If I can finish it soon and squeeze in another book before the new year—which should be easy, since I am off next week—I’ll have read 24 books this year. Not bad, but certainly not my best.

People who know me know I like reading, which is how I end up with book-themed socks (my favorite are a pair that say, “F*ck off, I’m reading”), magnets, masks and now, a pendant from Dubin’s Fine Jewelry.

My friend, jewelry designer-turned marketer-turned tarot goddess Jacqueline Stone, works as the store’s marketing coordinator and directed Jordan Dubin my way after the store launched the Book for a Book initiative this fall.

Described as the store’s “first design for a greater purpose,” the jewelry at the center of Book for a Book is simple—an engravable book pendant in sterling silver ($95) or 14-karat white, rose or yellow gold ($575) on a cable chain. 

The concept is simple, yes, but the effect could be profound, particularly for disadvantaged children in low-income neighborhoods, who are undoubtedly the ones most severely impacted by the disruptions to in-person learning caused by COVID-19. 

Books, Jordan told me during a recent phone interview, have always been important in the Dubin family, as has literacy.