Most young girls like jewelry, not many have an obsession as intense as Afsar’s
By Aleksandra Arandelovic
Whenever Arbish Afsar purchases a new item of jewelry, she places it in a box if it’s earrings or rings. If it’s bangles, she simply throws it into a bag.
Most collectors are nitpicking when it comes to their object of interest, but this is not the case with Afsar.
“It’s not a collection, it’s not about the love I have for my jewelry,” said Afsar. “It’s about the obsession.”
This all started when she was a child, still living in Pakistan. She was incredibly fascinated by sumptuous jewelry and clothes, and even more by the people wearing them. Her parents were not able to afford to get her everything she longed for.
So, when she arrived in the US and began receiving her allowance, she already knew how she was going to spend it. Her collection was about to start.
This meant a lot to her, it was not simply about buying enchanting jewelry, it was about owning it. For Afsar, it all comes down to possession: it means fulfilling that childhood memory of having what other people have.
“To me, these bangles, earrings, anklets are my prized possessions,” said Afsar. “Even though they’re not all gold and diamonds.”
The problem is that she can’t throw any of it out. Even if it’s broken. Or rusty. Or both.
Many of them have got ruined through the course of the years, they were able to be worn in public. Still, Afsar would never throw them out, she physically can’t bring herself to do it. She does not care about organizing them well, but it’s essential that none is unaccounted for.
She still keeps old, tarnished jewels because the important thing is having them. In fact, even the new sparkling ones she does not wear so much, since she feels like there is no right occasion. Just knowing that she has them and can take them out to admire from time to time is enough for her.
Her favorite pieces are a wide silver cuff bracelet with a textured design, featuring small metallic beads at the top and bottom edges and large silver hoop earrings ending with a dome-shaped jhumka, deriving from “little bell” in Urdu.
In fact, throughout the years, Afsar has collected jewels from all around the world. Some are from Pakistan, some from India or Bangladesh and others from several US States. And she keeps buying more.
Surprisingly, she hates going shopping and makes almost all of her purchases online, lying in bed. Her favorite shops include H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Mango, Zara and Shein, which deliver straight to her door.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s not branded,” said Afsar. “It matters if you know how to style it.”
