Value, in context
I had an interesting experience today when I brought a few pieces of antique jewelry to a lovely shop in Rochester, New York. These tiny treasures had been hidden in a shoebox only to glimpse the light of day when I passed them over in favor of another piece to wear.
One of the items is a small gold broach in the shape of a tied bow, dotted with pearls with center cluster of a mine cut diamond, ruby, and sapphire in the center. A charming piece, for sure but not something I would wear.
This tiny gem brought great joy to the jeweler. On the back of the broach is a dainty little screw which, when unscrewed, releases one of the bow loops and detaches it from the rest. The jeweler told me it is a victorian piece that served as a broach that attached to a woman’s pocket watch, which would rest in her breast pocket safely secured to the broach.
Suddenly, this piece that has been hidden in a shoe box for decades (it was my mother’s before it became mine) had great value to me. An immediate emotional connection arose because now I associate this item with a successful business woman in a time when it was nearly impossible to be one. She was important and had places to go and was obviously well healed, most certainly strong and independent. That is who my imagination drew up anyway.
This lovely little item, as charming as it is, had no value in my life other than it was passed down from my mother’s shoebox of jewelry to my own. But, when put into context, its value increased significantly.
Value requires context in addition to purpose and intention. Monetary value is separate from that.
The value behind this piece of jewelry is in its story, not in the gems and stones. It is, in truth, an odd little item that somehow now I really want to wear not because of its aesthetics but because of the value it created in my mind.
When a business is asked to lower their prices to give a better “deal”, they should instead consider better ways to articulate the value they are providing to their customer. This takes some practice, but it is a worthy skill to work on.
Some will get it, and most won’t. In business, as in life, the people who don’t see your value are not your people. And that is OK. Keep creating unique pieces of value until you find them.
