Hi folks! So, crafting our GPS Collection has been an exciting journey, filled with a few giggles and tears along the way! One of the best parts? Hearing the stories behind why a certain spot on this planet holds such significance for someone.
But let's clear up some confusion about how we use GPS coordinates, shall we?
It’s definitely not to track wayward partners, for starters!
I'll never forget the time a guy called me up after receiving one of our GPS rings. He was very confused, wondering how he could use it to keep tabs on his fiancée. Now, that's a tricky question! I gently explained that our GPS rings are more about style than surveillance—they're not trackers. I almost wanted to say that if you need to track your partner, maybe they're not the one, but decided to keep that to myself! Despite his initial grumble, he still thought it was a cool piece and decided to give it to her anyway.
Funny thing is, he's not the only one who's asked if our jewelry doubles as a GPS tracker! My cheeky advice? If you find yourself needing to track someone, it might be time to let them wander off completely! 😉
But for every funny story there are dozens of heartwarming stories I get to hear!
My favourite was a mom who made three GPS spinner rings for each of her daughters who now live overseas. The GPS Coordinates – the little table under the tree at the bottom of the garden. The reason why – they were a farming family, and the girls all went to boarding school. When they would come home their mom would have long talks with them at the bottom of the garden over tea and solutions to their problems would be found. So now that they live overseas, Mom wanted them to know that even though they are far apart she is always there to hear their problems and brainstorm solutions, just like they used to under the tree at the bottom of the garden.
Sometimes the stories are sad, but I like them just the same as I know that our work brings that person the peace that they need or the connection that helps them to bear some of life’s harder moments.
The saddest one was during Covid, a request was made for a GPS necklace for a mom who had lost her adult daughter and couldn’t get overseas to be there for the funeral. The GPS coordinates were of the daughter’s grave. I can only imagine it helped her to feel closer to her daughter. We’ve also done quite a few for infants who have passed. My heart breaks every time we make these ones.
Then on the lighter side, we have done quite a few wedding rings with either the GPS coordinates of where the couple first met or the location of their wedding.
I’ve also done a few pieces for safari folks with the GPS coordinates of a significant sighting or trip.
Now, let's talk about the GPS coordinates themselves! They're like little breadcrumbs that can pinpoint a specific location on Earth. They're everywhere, with a touch of "Big Brother" vibes these days. GPS trackers are in your phone, some cars and many electronic devices.
I've got a cousin who's very serious about rhino conservation—before anyone snaps pics of rhinos, he makes sure to turn off GPS on their phones. Hopefully it is enough to keep them all safe! He says that poachers can go on-line and find the GPS coordinates of where some photos are taken and then use that to track and kill the animals. The world is a crazy place!
Originally, GPS was a brainchild of the US Department of Defense in the '70s, all to keep tabs on submarines carrying nuclear missiles. Kind of gives you the chill, doesn’t it? But now we've got non-military GPS satellites orbiting up there, beaming down coordinates for us to use, free of charge. Some folks might call it surveillance, but man, if it helps me find my lost phone, they can track me to Tsholotsho and back if they are truly that bored!
So how do GPS coordinates work? Imagine Earth is a giant game board, and those coordinates are your cheat codes to find exactly where you want to go. You've got latitude, like the rungs of a ladder, telling you how far north or south you are. Then there's longitude, like lines on a globe, showing your east-west position.
Hope that clears up the mystery behind those numbers and letters on our Take Me Home jewelry! And if you haven't checked out our GPS Collection yet, what are you waiting for? Dive in and explore the magic:
https://thezuricollectionzim.com/collections/take-me-home-gps-range