Featured Finds Thread

Wiki says of Green:

In the 1790s, however, several of his international speculations failed and in 1798 he was declared bankrupt.

The painting is from 1787, which seems to be a little before his fortunes began to decline. Not sure whether the jacket has frayed or gold leaf has come off the painting:

 

@cxgirl, my initial thought was some kind of 'talisman' that maybe could be worn, but when I just saw you said the hole doesn't go all the way through......there goes my idea.......UHHHH, how do we know it's a "him", BTW????? Inquiring minds want to know........

 

I don’t think the jacket is frayed. It is a ribbon trim — JMHO.

 

lol, he just seems like a him

 

@evelyb30
It looks like the ring with the amethyst and butterflies may actually be a lab Alexandrite. I'm seeing some green in the stone in your pics! With great luck it may be a real alexandrite. Check it to see.

 

Synthetic alexandrite, lab grown color change chrysoberyl, was not on the market until the 1970s, so think that can be ruled out. A lot of the stones in jewellery being sold as alexandrite are actually color change sapphires. I got fascinated with these & did as much research as I could without being able to read Russian. I can't find any evidence they were available on the wider market any earlier than 1940. It would be lovely if the stone turned out to be a genuine alexandrite, but think I'm seeing the reflection of something blue (what evelyb30 was wearing?) in an otherwise purple stone.

 

Definitely purple. The ring was purchased in 1919, so I highly doubt it's a lab alex, and Grandma wouldn't have gone for a synthetic stone anyway. (and you can bet she picked the ring)

 

I love that ring. I vote amethyst. Did you test it on a Presidium yet?

 

This little hobo carving caught my eye - he's about 4" tall:

 

This is the honking big brooch I bought:

 

Wow, Glorious!

 

It’s a World Title Belt.

 

Vodoo?? ;-)

 

Monkey skull?

 

Ifugao gatering basket from the Philippines .....& simian skull....
if memory serves......
more' monkey business' than voodoo !!

 

Full. I can't quite place the scent.

 

I believe the whale ambergris was used to set expensive perfumes. Not sure if they still use it now. Saw an episode of Storage Hunters, they found a stinky lump and they were told they couldn’t sell it in its raw form. Your Harness dressing is an interesting find, I wonder what is actually in the ingredients.

 

I'll bet a whaling museum might take a 'shine' to that !!!

 

Seems to be a ancestral ritual ...