Gold and Silver Treasures -- 1860-1935
None of this is of any great value, although anything good lives in my lock box at the bank... But, they're from my family, and they mean a great deal to me.
The family jewelry has been spread out among every little jewelry box there at Mama's house. The women of the family have always had a penchant for jewelry, and I haven't gotten rid of any of it, naturally. I have worn my Grandma's costume stuff and my Aunt Lois' costume stuff for years-- because, as you know, things come in and out of style.
I wish I had been able to find my black velvet to better frame these, but I can't get to where I think it is right now. I know that y'all must think I'm a pig, BUT, Mama's stuff superimposed on my stuff, and I haven't even started on the furniture! Holy Cow! I'm buried!
Anyway, I'm doing my best... So, before I put all this in the lock box, I took pictures of the jewelry. I'll add dates where I can be reasonably sure of them.
This is a mix of very old, old, and not so old. First, the chain and far left pocket watch was my great-great-grandmother Sophronia's circa 1850s-1860s. Women wore pocket watches on a long chain around their waist. This is 18 carat gold, and the watch still works. Next to it is my great-grandmother Mary Francis' pocket watch-- the chain is long gone. Next in line, left to right, is Mama's Shirley Temple button, and below that is my great-grandfather's dressy pocket knife-- sterling. Then next to that is the watch that the army gave Uncle Louie, when he went off to WWI, and the compass they gave him.
More very old, old, and not so old. First upper left corner, this isn't a pin, it is a clip. It clips on your collar, and is 18 carat gold with seed pearls-- 1850s-1860s, Sophronia's. Directly below is a small pin, 18 carat gold, and below that is a ruby and pearl pin, all of them are Sophronia's. Next row over, up to down, the mourning pin worn by Mary Francis, that contains her mother's hair. Below that is a little gold pin, and below that is a small coral doo-lolly that I think is a pendant. 3rd row, Mary Francis' pin, 18 carat gold, they called her Fannie, which was her nick name. The pin below is gold, but I don't think those are diamonds-- although they are still bright, for being so old, 1880s, I think, and below that is a bar pin that could be considered a "key to my heart" pin, I think. I haven't had time to test the diamonds, but they cut glass... So I don't know what they are. The gold is marked.
Cameos. The far left is a cameo ring that was Mrs. Basham's, Aunt Lois' mother. It pops open so one could put "powders" in it. Then, a matching cameo pin, 18 carat, Mrs. Basham's, same age. Then a coral cameo ring, Aunt Lois', and I want to say 1920s. This ring was Grace's, and Grace was Aunt Lois' half sister. Next, an Aunt Lois cameo ring, from early 1900s, and then a cat's eye cameo ring, a child's ring, 1890s, also Aunt Lois'.
This little pendant has a story, of course. When the 1937 flood came, everything was mud up to their eyeballs. Anyway, Mama found this is Grandma Scherer's back yard. It's not fine, but it sure is beautiful, and I still love it! Grandma Scherer gave it to Mama, because she didn't like "fancy" jewelry.
We have always called it, The Bomball. I have no idea what it is.
Silver Indian bracelets, and I believe that the top one was my great-great Grandma Trumbo's. Bottom left, Mama's from 1940s, and then a little pin that Uncle Louie brought back from France for Aunt Lois, from WWI. Right on the bottom row, a nice silver pin that my parents bought when they went to Austria, back in the 1970s.
Mourning pins, made of Jet. Jet is a form of coal, (anthracitic, if anyone cares). It is hard enough to hold together, but soft enough to easily carve. Seed pearls on the top right pin, 18 carat gold on the bottom one. These were Mary Francis' from the 1880s.
Both of these were Grandma Scherer's pins. The one on the left is turquoise, and the one on the right is a cardinal type bird, but I think it looks like a mocking jay... I think these were from the 1920s. Both are sterling silver.
The left one is actually a powder puff and a little locket for powder. Aunt Lois' from the 1920s. The powder puff is made of goose down... Center is one of 4 medals that Uncle Louis brought home from France. He brought one to his mother, one to Jane, (his 1st cousin who had been reared as his sister), one to Aunt Lois, one to Grandma, and they have all come home to live with me. The one on the right is glass, amber colored glass-- worth nothing, but I love it, because when I was a kid, I could look through it, and it made lots of everything... I know, but sentiment always wins, for me!
Sophronia's wishbone pin--18 carat. Another little doodad for a necklace, Sophronia's. Top right is an amethyst pin that was Mary Francis', 1880s, bottom right another necklace doodad. Then, the little ring was my Grandma's baby ring-- 1890s.
Unimportant junk that I still treasure. Upper left, Eliza Francis' good gold bracelet-- she was my mother's sister. Then 3 little costume bracelets, the red coil is a snake with an "emerald" eye. A button hook. Bottom marbles were Grandpa's from when he was a boy, I want to say early 1900s.
More unimportant junk that no one cares about but me. These were Grandma's little things from her doll house. A chamber pot, a bust for the mantle, a little silver plate dog, and then a little scoop.
Lastly, a closeup of the mourning pin-- I am pretty sure this is my great-great grandmother Sophronia's hair. It has been woven, for gosh sakes.
Woven... Just the thought of doing that makes me go cross-eyed.
Unset stones: When Daddy got bored, he made jewelry. Thankfully, I might add. So, we have a bunch of unset stones. Starting on the upper row: Opal, black opal, smokey topaz, watermelon tourmaline, synthetic sapphire. Next row, citrine topaz, amethyst, cat's eye tourmaline, cat's eye tourmaline, ruby.
Well, that's that for this bunch. I still have lots of pictures to try to size and adjust. A very macabre box of porcelain doll parts. Candy box from the 1890s. Oh! and this! I don't think I've put this here before....
A little wooden box that is just about disintegrated. It is a box with a little drawer-- I have no idea of the date-- would anyone care to hazard a guess?
Thanks for coming by!
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I hope you aren't bored with these-- The good stuff, including the loose semi-precious stones, are in the lock box at the bank. Sigh! I may have to get another lock box, if the box of costume jewelry is anything like the stuff in the house...
Much love to all of you! Thank you for going with me through all this!
Dowser, dear lady....
Thank you for sharing, once again, some of the treasures and stuff you find. And again, it interests me, because when my mother died several years ago, she hadjewelry, etc.very similar to what you are now finding. Lots of gold and silver necklaces, pendants, brooches, and lots of cameo pins and rings. Of course none were of any value, other than sentimental, but some were 150 yrs. old. Kind of like looking at all this 'old' stuff myself.
Thanks for sharing!
Great photos of your ''things''.
Thanks for posting Dowser.
dd, it may be worth more than you think! I hope you have someone to leave them to, in time, and I'm hoping it is no time soon!
I love the cameos and have worn them many times. They come in and out of style, but I truly enjoy wearing them!
Take care, dear friend!
Kavika, I think that silver bracelet was Nancy's... I'm not sure, but it is much older than the others. If not, then it was her daughters, Grandma Scherer's.
Thanks so much for coming by-- it helps to be able to share this!
Wow! Those are beautiful and I'm sure that some of them could be cut! What fun! The two that are cut are gorgeous! I love the blue color! It's hard to find really blue sapphires, any more!
What a wonderful collection!
Thanks, LR, for coming by-- it is lonely going through this stuff alone...
Beautiful pictures Dowser and the dates from 1930's, that's good to have been kept so long, thanks for posting...
LR, those stones are beautiful, I am some sort of collector, nothing like yours, but I really enjoyed your display...
Some of this stuff is from the 1860s, dear CM-- amazing that they have been kept up with!
I have my job cut out for me!
Its wonderful you have such treasures Dowser..that's great..
Dowser,
the sapphires in the pic are going to be heat treated so they will turn a dark blue then they will be cut and put into a collar for one of my cats.
Cm
I really do like gem stones and the collecting of them. I will sit out in the sun light with the gems and my loupe just admiring their beauty. I've sent one year a tray of gems to Icelandic woman for her birthday and I've shared some of my favorite gems with Upity.....no sense in hogging all the beauty for myself....lol
BTW Dowser,..I love the pics of the pocket watches...I'm trying to start a collection of those too. I like going to garage sales and actions just to look for pocket watches....
You sound like a Romantic LR, I also enjoy looking at beauty of all sorts, my dad was an artist, that's how I learned some things, but, I didn't fully appreciate until I got older, now I do...
Wow! My childhood kitty, Faybian, had a giant pearl on a collar-- she was so pretty and loved her pearl. You could tell she was proud of it!
I think it is a marvelous idea!
We have quite a few loose stones, these are just some of the larger ones. I want to get some of them mounted, if I can.
I love the pocket watches, too! My great-great grandmother's watch ticks away when wound... It's so pretty! I can't imagine walking around with a watch dangling from your waist. I also think the chain is gorgeous, and have worn it, by itself.
Uncle Louis' watch loses 12 minutes a day, no matter what you do... Considering it's great age, I'm not surprised.
(1917)