I have been given many necklaces as gifts for birthdays, Christmas and Valentine's Day, but some of them stand out with a deeper meaning as they hold a precious memory that I never want to let go of. Here are seven necklaces that carry one such meaning:

This is a sterling silver necklace, as most of these are, with an oval sapphire, my birthstone. This necklace was given to me for a birthday by my mother in my early teenage years. My mother has a similar necklace, in gold, with an opal (her birthstone) that she received from her mother.

The act of giving me this felt very much like a tradition that could go on for generations if we let it. To this day, this is my favorite necklaces and, as much as I try to wear all of my necklaces for equal amounts of time, I wear it the most.

This a necklace that was given to me as a sixteenth birthday present by my aunt. The necklace was in reference to the cats that live on my family's porch, a story we had told them while visiting. My aunt means a lot to me and I don't know what I would do without her presence, so this is quite a comforting object for me to have when I miss her.

This necklace is one that was given to me by one of my high school best friends for Christmas, I believe. It means a lot to me as it is a memento from a time long past, as I no longer really speak with this friend, but she made a huge impact on my life.

This necklace may seem a bit cheap, but it is a good luck charm of mine. My older sister and I spent a good portion of a day at an arcade and won enough tickets to get this little trinket. It is one of the more fond moments I have had with my sister and I hold it near and dear to me.

This necklace is from an ex of mine whom I still consider a great friend. This ex got help picking this out from another good friend of mine and it represents one of my favorite hobbies along with a couple of my favorite people. I used to get a sort of bittersweet feeling when I wore this, but now it warms my heart and reminds me of my old theatre family, all of whom I miss dearly.

These last two go hand in hand. The one on the left is the first Christmas present I received from my best friend around almost five years ago. That was before we really decided we were best friends and reminds me of what life was like before everything changed and I went off to college.

The one on the right is the most recent addition to my collection, also from my best friend. She gave it to me this last Saturday as a birthday gift and I accepted it as an item I will wear and reminisce on our friendship with. It will serve as a reminder that no matter how long we go without seeing each other, we will always be close and be there for each other. This necklace really makes me smile.

No one necklace is more or less important than the other and there are many more that all hold a special place in my heart. These continually serve as nostalgic items that bring my mind back to both amazing and miserable days. I treasure these more than I treasure any other physical object and wouldn't ever dispose of any of them. They hold my life in them and bring me hope when I need it most.