Diamond Stories: Giselle and Gytha Bijlsma

Every jewel and diamond carries a special story. Growing up in the GASSAN Diamonds family business, Giselle Bijlsma received a pinky ring with profound meaning at nineteen. Gytha Bijlsma received a bracelet as a gift from her boyfriend more than 30 years ago. That boyfriend has now been her husband for 25 years. Both women say...

There is a special story behind every jewel or diamond. Growing up in the GASSAN Diamonds family business, Giselle Bijlsma received a pinky ring with a valuable meaning when she was nineteen. Gytha Bijlsma received a bracelet as a gift from her boyfriend more than 30 years ago. That boyfriend has now been her husband for 25 years. Both women say…

”Actually it only goes off at night. I'm constantly fiddling with it during the day. Every now and then I forget to put it on and then I feel incomplete. When I look at it I still get a special feeling.

I had turned 19, had just graduated and we were having a big party. It was a special year and that naturally deserves a nice gift, my parents thought. When I got the diamond pinky ring, my father told me that he had bought the ring for my mother when I was born. The thought was that my mother would pass the ring on to me later. That's an incredibly beautiful idea, isn't it? I think it is very special that it once belonged to mom and that she received it because I came into her life. Now I get to wear it for the rest of my life.

It is not a classic ring as you might expect from such a beautiful stone, but very cool. My parents could never have known that at the time, but that suits me very well. They have always given me the option to change the setting, or have it made into something completely new, for example a necklace. That is of course very sweet, but I think it is very nice to keep it in its original form.

I wear the ring on my left pinky, so if there is ever an engagement ring in the future, well... Laughing: Maybe it's time for a necklace after all! To wear two such rings next to each other might be a bit too much. Either way, he will stay with me forever.”

“When I look at it, I still get a special feeling”

Symbol for career and love  

Gytha Bijlsma's boyfriend has now been her husband and Chief Commercial Officer at GASSAN Diamonds for 25 years, David Bijlsma: “David has always known very clearly what he wanted in life. He knew from an early age that he wanted to work in the family business. Benno (Leeser ed.) has given him the opportunity to do an internship abroad with various watch and jewelry suppliers to learn the trade. During his internship at jewelry manufacturer Kienhöfer in Germany, he learned the tricks of the goldsmith's trade. There he made a bracelet himself for the first time.

Benno gave David the chance. You can hardly imagine it, but at that time you did not have a mobile phone or email. We had to arrange phone calls in advance. I then stayed home in the evening and didn't want to go out with friends, because David could call. Very annoying, but that's how it was back then. We were both 19 years old.

“Now it symbolizes the start of his career, but also for our relationship”

When David was back in the Netherlands he gave me the bracelet for my birthday. We had been together for maybe just a year. I can still see the moment. I was completely taken aback. Now it symbolizes the start of his career, but also our relationship.

I had not seen it for a number of years, but when I recently had the bracelet in my hands again, it was exactly as I remembered it. He's still in my head. The older I get, the more I appreciate the bracelet. I'll have to put it on again. It is still a beautiful piece and especially the idea behind it makes it special.

If I were to wear it again now, it would be accompanied by a proud feeling for David. I really like his drive and his passion for the profession. I like a man with drive and he certainly has that.”

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