Old Treasures

For some time now, I have had this circular piece of beautifully carved shell in my sewing basket waiting to be used in a piece of embroidery.   I found it among the needles threads and bobbins in my mothers old sewing basket.  It was etched on both sides and I could never decide which side to have uppermost, so the embroidery never eventuated.

When I went to the farm before xmas  I took it into my favourite  jewellery store in town who had repaired and restored jewellery for me before, and had it made into a pendant. The fixing they used means I can wear it with either side showing. 

 I do not have pierced ears, so find it hard to buy clip on ear rings, but found these on a table of jewellery at the local markets.  They are quite solid, and the best part was the price was $3.  Have no idea of the metal but they are heavy as well.

These things reminded me of a couple of pieces which I have that are getting quite old.

The next photo is of a pair of earrings and pearl necklace that I wore with my debut dress when I was 17.

 The next is of a brooch/pendant and earrings which I bought for my mother for Mothers Day the first year I was working after I turned 16.

The last photo below is of a cameo.  When I was first married and aged 21, I lived at a seaside resort in Victoria.  Over the road lived a dear old lady, a retired teacher, aged in her 90's.   At one time she became ill, and one of her friends asked me if I could prepare an evening meal and lunch for her, when I was preparing ours and just check on her of a morning and see that she had something to eat.

She was a sweetie, very interesting to talk to and I enjoyed her company.  She had long grey hair that had a tinge of yellow, which  may have been blonde originally. My baby daughter would sit on Miss Bedford's lap and clutch at  this flowing hair when I was brushing it before plaiting and  winding the plaits  round her head.

Eventually her nieces and nephews heard of her failing health and decided to take her to Melbourne to live with them.   Before Miss Bedford left, one morning she asked me  to get a beautiful old organdie blouse made in the Gibson Girl style with pintucks and lace on the front out of her cupboard.  Instead of buttons it had  cameos in different colours....of white, blue, lemon, pink and apricot.  

She told me she wore it with a long skirt for tennis parties on the lawn courts at her home where she grew up and  asked  me to choose one of the cameos to thank me for looking after her.     I chose the apricot, and have treasured it ever since.  A few years ago I  had it made into a pendant, so I could wear it instead of it languishing unseen in a box.

130yr old cameo