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Show & Tell

YadaYadaYada

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Feb 2, 2016
Messages
11,840
I thought it would be fun to have a thread where we show a piece (or multiple pieces of you are feeling it) and tell a story related to that piece(s) of jewelry.

I know there are some great pieces and stories to share so let's hear yours!
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
8,346
I have shown this ring before. It's a .75 OEC, G, VVS, according to the appraisal .
Here is the story.
Back in 2004 I was working in a small grocery store. We had regular customers who came in everyday. One elderly man who came in all the time was named Jim.
Jim was a retired jeweler. I had just learned silversmithing and we would talk about jewelry all the time. I used to ask him lots of questions, and he was very helpful.
Everytime he came in the store he would come through my line and pull something out of his pocket. A pair of jewelers pliers, a file, maybe a few loose gemstones. Over time, he gave me a lot of stuff for my bench, most of which I still have.
One day he showed me his diamond ring. He said it was a Golconda diamond from India. (I have always doubted this story, BTW) He said it fluoresced blue in the sunlight. I gushed over it!

During this time, his wife became sick and bedridden. He was nervous about coming to the store and leaving her alone. I told him to call the store and ask for me, and I would shop for him and run the groceries to his house, which was near the store. So we had that arrangement for a while. When I went to drop off the groceries, we would sit on the porch and he would entertain me with exaggerated stories about his life's adventures and service in WWII, in the South Pacific.

Then his wife died. He was distraught and preoccupied with planning her funeral.
For some reason, he put his diamond ring in some Tarn-X, and forgot about it for a week. The extended soaking in Tarn-X had turned the gold an ugly dark gray. It looked really bad. He brought the ring to me and asked me to clean it, because he no longer had a buffing wheel, and I did.
So I took it home to polish and clean it. DH and I both ogled it and we both exclaimed how beautiful it was!
Some time later, Jim found out that his heart condition had worsened, and he didn't have long to live. He came into the store in December, and in front of the milk case, he pulled his diamond ring out of his pocket and said "Merry Christmas, I want you to have my ring. I won't live much longer, and my family will only sell it. I want you to have it because you will appreciate it."
A few months later he died. I never had the heart to change the setting, so I only had it sized.
I wear it once in a while., and I enjoy it very much!
IMG_20181207_093359.jpg
IMG_20180406_073328499.jpg
 
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Polabowla

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 15, 2019
Messages
1,866
What a beautiful heartwarming story @stracci2000 ! You & the old man shared a wonderful connection
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 26, 2007
Messages
8,346
What a beautiful heartwarming story @stracci2000 ! You & the old man shared a wonderful connection

He was a sweet man. He liked to write stories about his interesting life and his time in the Navy. He would type them up on his computer and print them out for me. Of course I still have them. He had a vivid imagination, and told me lots of incredible stories that he swore were true! That's why I doubt the Golconda story.
He also gave me some of his wife's jewelry after she died, like her graduated pearls and some other nice things.
 

Polabowla

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 15, 2019
Messages
1,866
I'm sure it meant a lot to him that you listened to his stories, exaggerated or not. Perhaps he didn't have too many ppl to share with. And that you had a shared interest in jewelry, plus were so helpful with his groceries
 

YadaYadaYada

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 2, 2016
Messages
11,840
@stracci2000, I knew you would have a great story but that really is a GREAT story. I'm sure he was so thankful to find a good soul to help him with his groceries so he could stay with his wife.
 

PreRaphaelite

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 2, 2015
Messages
3,564
So heartwarming and I’m so glad you gave him the gift of being interested and kind. He clearly was touched by your good nature. You’re one in a million!
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 26, 2007
Messages
8,346
@stracci2000, I knew you would have a great story but that really is a GREAT story. I'm sure he was so thankful to find a good soul to help him with his groceries so he could stay with his wife.

When he was in the hospital with his heart condition, I was coming by his house to feed his cat, who hated me! I was so disappointed that this cat hissed at me and wouldn't come near me!

He was kind of mysterious, too. He claimed to have several aliases, and he told me he flew a B-17 and dropped bombs over Saipan. He told me stories about headhunters in New Guinea killing US Army nurses, which I don't think ever happened.
 
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Begonia

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
3,215
I have shown this ring before. It's a .75 OEC, G, VVS, according to the appraisal .
Here is the story.
Back in 2004 I was working in a small grocery store. We had regular customers who came in everyday. One elderly man who came in all the time was named Jim.
Jim was a retired jeweler. I had just learned silversmithing and we would talk about jewelry all the time. I used to ask him lots of questions, and he was very helpful.
Everytime he came in the store he would come through my line and pull something out of his pocket. A pair of jewelers pliers, a file, maybe a few loose gemstones. Over time, he gave me a lot of stuff for my bench, most of which I still have.
One day he showed me his diamond ring. He said it was a Golconda diamond from India. (I have always doubted this story, BTW) He said it fluoresced blue in the sunlight. I gushed over it!

During this time, his wife became sick and bedridden. He was nervous about coming to the store and leaving her alone. I told him to call the store and ask for me, and I would shop for him and run the groceries to his house, which was near the store. So we had that arrangement for a while. When I went to drop off the groceries, we would sit on the porch and he would entertain me with exaggerated stories about his life's adventures and service in WWII, in the South Pacific.

Then his wife died. He was distraught and preoccupied with planning her funeral.
For some reason, he put his diamond ring in some Tarn-X, and forgot about it for a week. The extended soaking in Tarn-X had turned the gold an ugly dark gray. It looked really bad. He brought the ring to me and asked me to clean it, because he no longer had a buffing wheel, and I did.
So I took it home to polish and clean it. DH and I both ogled it and we both exclaimed how beautiful it was!
Some time later, Jim found out that his heart condition had worsened, and he didn't have long to live. He came into the store in December, and in front of the milk case, he pulled his diamond ring out of his pocket and said "Merry Christmas, I want you to have my ring. I won't live much longer, and my family will only sell it. I want you to have it because you will appreciate it."
A few months later he died. I never had the heart to change the setting, so I only had it sized.
I wear it once in a while., and I enjoy it very much!
IMG_20181207_093359.jpg
IMG_20180406_073328499.jpg

Great story and lovely ring!!!
 

1ofakind

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Messages
1,126
Well I'm almost in tears. What a beautiful and heartwarming story.

Can I ask if his family ever knew what happened to his ring?
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
8,346
Well I'm almost in tears. What a beautiful and heartwarming story.

Can I ask if his family ever knew what happened to his ring?

He had several step daughters, as his wife was married before. I don't think he liked them too much. He told me that they didn't know about the ring, but if they found it among his belongings, that they would probably sell it.
 

Rubymal

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 27, 2019
Messages
423
What a lovely story, @stracci2000 . I'm glad his ring has a good home with you. I've always wished for a connection like that too.

This thread all of a sudden made me remember a pendant that was given to me by my "best friend" when I was in 1st or 2nd grade. I remembered exactly what it looked like, but I have not seen it in years. It might've gotten lost with my mother's jewelry and shifted around, but I found a picture of the exact same one from Rubylane.

bunnies.JPG

Seeing as how I was maybe only 6 or 7, I barely remembered the girl. The only things I recall was that she was very kind to me and her name was Sarah. She also gave me a shark tooth souvenir as well from when she went to the beach with her family. I might try to look through some of my mom's jewelry stashes to see if I can find it, it meant so much to me.

It's too bad I don't know her last name. It would've been fun to try and find her and reconnect after all these years. I wonder if she would even remember me and that she gave me these gifts that I still remember 25+ years later.
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Jan 22, 2014
Messages
6,532
@stracci2000 your story is beautiful. What a lovely friend you were to him and his gift to you so special. He knew for sure you would love and treasure it forever.
And to me that’s probably the most important aspect of many of my pieces.
I’ll pull out a few of my most special pieces and post them up.
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
8,346
What a lovely story, @stracci2000 . I'm glad his ring has a good home with you. I've always wished for a connection like that too.

This thread all of a sudden made me remember a pendant that was given to me by my "best friend" when I was in 1st or 2nd grade. I remembered exactly what it looked like, but I have not seen it in years. It might've gotten lost with my mother's jewelry and shifted around, but I found a picture of the exact same one from Rubylane.

bunnies.JPG

Seeing as how I was maybe only 6 or 7, I barely remembered the girl. The only things I recall was that she was very kind to me and her name was Sarah. She also gave me a shark tooth souvenir as well from when she went to the beach with her family. I might try to look through some of my mom's jewelry stashes to see if I can find it, it meant so much to me.

It's too bad I don't know her last name. It would've been fun to try and find her and reconnect after all these years. I wonder if she would even remember me and that she gave me these gifts that I still remember 25+ years later.
Sweet little bunnies!! So cute!
Now that you mention this, I was given a necklace by a friend in 2nd grade.
Her name was Carol. I knew her all through school till we graduated high school.
It was a little flower with a real pearl glued in the center. I had it for years and years!
I don't know where it is now!
 

YadaYadaYada

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Feb 2, 2016
Messages
11,840
@Rubymal, what an adorable necklace! It would be amazing if you found it after all these years in your mother's jewelry box!
 
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