There is a special story behind every piece of jewelry or diamond. For example, as a young girl, Debora Huisman - Leeser received a bracelet that belonged to her deceased grandmother. Kitty Leeser also received a special gift twelve years ago: a necklace with a smile and a tear. Both women talk candidly about their memories of this jewelry.

When Debora, Chief Creative Officer at GASSAN Diamonds, looks at the bracelet that belonged to her late grandmother and hears it tinkle, her memories come back to life: "Around the age of nine, my mother gave me a bracelet that had belonged to her mother, my grandmother. A gold gourmet chain bracelet with dangling gules attached to it. My mother knew how special I thought this bracelet was. I get comments about my jewelry more often, of course, but when I have this bracelet on, it is really remarkable how often people say something about it. I have also sometimes been asked if we could have it replicated, but yes, it has old-fashioned guilders hanging from it and they no longer exist.

I had a very good relationship with my grandmother, Sophia was her name, I was very fond of her. She often picked me up from school, together with my mother, and then she always took Long Johns for me in her bag. I remember very well that she used to come to our house every Thursday and Sunday and always sat on the same chair in the living room. I would always sit next to her on the floor and watch her bracelet dance around her wrist. That image, that sound, it totally radiated who she was. 

"That image, that sound, it totally radiated who she was

At one point she became very sick, but she absolutely did not want to see a doctor. My mother tried to get her into the hospital, but she refused. She then said, "If you take me to a doctor now, I'll be dead in two weeks. But when she fell down deathly ill, she had to. Two weeks later, she died. Bowel cancer. In hindsight, if she had gone to a doctor on time, they might have been able to do something. But she knew it was wrong. She felt that too. Now all I have left is her bracelet, but that way she is still a little bit with me."

Laughter and a tear 

Kitty Leeser, vice president of GASSAN Diamonds, received a special gift 12 years ago: a necklace that reminds her of an intense period in her life: "I actually got all my jewelry. I often get a beautiful piece of jewelry at Christmas. Then there is often something new and then Benno comes with something beautiful for under the Christmas tree. It is of course the ultimate gift to get at Christmas. I didn't get the smiley collier from Benno, but from friends of ours from France in 2010; the year I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

''I think it's beautiful, but at the same time there's a piece of fraughtness in it.''

Alain Roure used to be a business associate of ours, but over the years a dear friendship has developed. Benno and I had invited Alain and his wife to join us for dinner. They were aware that I had been ill and had brought the necklace for me that particular evening. A kind of heart in my heart, because I had had such a nasty year. On one side of the pendant you see a happy smiley face and on the other side a sad face. They alternate all the time, because the necklace constantly rotates when you have it on. I think it is beautiful, but at the same time there is also a piece of emotion in it. The disease brings uncertainty, and you can see that in the necklace.

When I see the necklace, for example when I look in the mirror, I still always feel a little fear that the cancer might come back. That fear unfortunately became reality when I got the disease again in 2018. Then I had to take medication for 5 years and now I am in the last year. It is not a superstition, but it does make me feel good to have it around.

Fortunately, the emotion I felt when I received the necklace always prevails: Gratitude. It was so well thought out and that is also what struck me so much at that moment. That doesn't happen very often, that people think about these things very carefully. I still find that very special."