Jewelry

Not Your Grandfather's Dog Tag

San Francisco, CA USA

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Pagoda

$24.99

Color	Multi and Gold
Size	N/A
Quantity
	no returns accepted
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My dog tags are the result of a “challenge” I encountered while collecting vintage jewelry. It never failed that my purchases of vintage jewelry lots included many single earrings. I insisted these earrings could not be thrown away. Someone had held onto these single pieces for years, and sometimes even generations, before they came to me as an unwanted piece in a lot of jewelry. I became fascinated by the history of these pieces that had survived, and the people who had kept them. To have held onto them, knowing they would likely never find the mate again, tells us that these single earrings had some sort of importance.

My pursuit of dog chains was not only an attempt to keep these lovely vintage components out of the landfill, but it also seemed a fitting use since dog tags have always contained information of importance. As I make these dog tags, I try to imagine the romantic stories behind the components I am using. They could have been a gift from a close friend, what a woman wore on the day she met her future husband, or the first present her child ever bought for her. Though I will never know most of the stories from yesteryear, I do know that some of my dog tags contain parts from as many as seven vintage earrings, so they may contain stories from as many as seven different people’s lives.

Even the chains themselves are reuse, when available. Therefore, my selection of chain weights and lengths varies all the time. I will try to accommodate special requests if the chain pictured in the photo is not your preferred chain style or length. The gold tone ball chain, as shown in this photograph, is approximately 29.75” long.

This product is not a toy. Not intended for children.

Tags: army, Asian, ball chain, bead, charm, dog tag, forces, gift, gold, gold tone, goldtone, identification, Japan, Japanese, Japantown, military, necklace, pagoda, pendant, re-use, recycle, retro, reuse, unique, upcycle, vintage