Featured Finds Thread

wow, that is quite the load of jewels you picked up Barn Owl

 

To Coin a phrase !!!!

 

Genie was in my lap as it scrolled up and says she approves of the purse. I approve of the beads. That pile would keep me busy for a while!

 

A couple more of my recent finds I bought the spinner fob in the Czech Republic, so it may have come from there. The other two were purchased in Germany. Amethyst pieces in the shamrock. I think the locket is WWI sweetheart jewelry; in style, it matches Victorian lockets I've found.

 

Nice! I'd bet the spinner was supposed to be carved or engraved and never was.
Today I went hunting and found ways to waste time and gasoline. Nada. I did score $120 on scrap metal bits at the pawn shop though, so not a total loss.(LOL) It was all bits and pieces of modern mass-produced junk whose only redeeming feature was its metal content. That said, yesterday was another matter. Pearls for messing with, a Sarah Coventry owl bracelet, a sterling mens bracelet (heavy) and a not as heavy one made of hollow 14k links. It's headed to the scrap pile, but the total outlay was $9. That made up for today!

 

There was a Hallmark movie years (many, many!!!) ago about the Borrowers, and VERY well done...I LOVED it!!!!!!!

 

NICE, Terry!!!! I wouldn't have put my $$ on sterling until I saw it either written &/or polished!!!!!

 

SO NICE, DAVEY!!!!! And you can BET there's a bunch checking out everything else all eyes can take IN!!!

 

YEAH!!!!!! UNLESS it was something of MINE they were selling for ME!!!!!!!!!!

 

WOW!!!! Bet that cats purse has you feline purrfectly happy you found it!!!!!!

 

Daguerreotype pic;

 

A few new additions! Paid a bit too much for the large cent but got nice deals on the stoneware.

 

No, the bail is not for the bar pin, it is for something suspended from it.

Think it only looks like it might be something that way because the ring is not soldered closed, or even quite closed all the way.

Exactly.

Two possibilities, but it is hinged, something to use when wanted & be out of sight when not. Anything suspended from it would have to be fitted with its own findings that would allow it to be detached. Not clear to me how you would use it for a watch & be able to take the watch off so you could bring it down to where you can see it. A watch pin usually has a hook in that position, not a closed ring.

Something this way is more likely. This would make it a day/night piece: modest by day; glitzy by night.

But this is what caught my eye. French makers' marks are in tiny lozenge shaped cartouches like this:

 

To get a cameo I wanted very much, I had to buy a fair sized auction lot of miscellaneous jewellery. This sort of qualifies as a find, something that was among an assortment of silver items. I like it as much as I like the cameo.


The simple silver chevron has a hook on the back, so could be used to suspend whatever. But came with this mother of pearl & marcasite drop. I wear it on a black swing coat.

 

Beautiful "among an assortment" piece, @Bronwen
I have hatpins with same construction, and I bet the fixation ring to the bail can unscrew

 

Looks like it might. I'm disinclined to try because the ring is so slender. I don't want it to snap off. Is your idea that it could become a hatpin head? Versatile gem.

 

Yep, don't try and risk to break it it is sooo pretty, dangling on a lapel!

Lots of hatpins tops could unscrew, for some it was only part of the construction, when soldering the stem was unenvisageable

I love antique versatile jewelry! So much things to play with

 

@Bronwen

 

I admit to having more than once bought a piece in part because I was fascinated by it on mechanical grounds. Unfortunately, many high end brooch/pendant pieces have become separated from their bails & have only the hook at the top left. Wonder where all those bails are? Melted down I suppose, by heirs who did not know what they were.

 

Ah, I see the head of the pin itself was also threaded to secure interchangeable heads. There could have been a whole culture where friends gave each other new hatpin heads the way someone might give you a charm for your charm bracelet when I was a preteen. Beautiful one you have shown us.