The Story of *Truth* and her many siblings......with photos
- Thread starter Bron357
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What an amazing story! I've always had vague fantasies of something like this happening to me (like a lot of other people, I'm sure). You are literally living my dream--finding an incredible, historical, wonderful, valuable treasure. And I love how you told the story. It's especially cool that this incident led to you becoming interested in the study of gemology. I'm excited for you and happy to know that dreams really do come true!
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I’ve loved following along with your journey. This is such an amazing story and it’s so nice that we all get to feel like we’re a part of it. Keep it coming. 
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Another snippet of the story.....I took this Ruby into my Gemology course and showed it to my lecturer.
“Hmmmm, what do you want to know?”
Is it a Ruby?
He is examining it under the “fancy” expensive microscope.
“Where did you get it?”
Um, er. Auction.
“Really, what here?”
Um, yes.
“Well yes, it’s a Ruby, how much did you pay?” (Aussies have no shame)
Um, I’m a bit embarrassed to say.
“Well, even if you paid more than $5,000 its ok, it’s a good Ruby”.
Looking again down the scope “Actually a really good ruby, where did you get it”
Um, a deceased estate auction.
“Ok, Well you got really lucky, it’s unheated and probably from Burma”.
Oh, thanks.
Footnote - I took in the smallest one and lucky might be an understatement.
ChickityChicken
Rough_Rock
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Now I am imaging all the other unsold tins of random jewels that got hauled off to the land fill forever unloved.
torontocatlady
Shiny_Rock
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Thanks for sharing more of the story, I keep coming back for the next thrilling installment.
I’m a big believer in things happening for a reason and Bron, I think you are the perfect custodian for these beautiful gems, the universe aligned that day and it was meant to be!
I’m a big believer in things happening for a reason and Bron, I think you are the perfect custodian for these beautiful gems, the universe aligned that day and it was meant to be!
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It really was a series of coincidences that even took me down the Street past the “auction today” sign.
I normally go shopping by myself on Saturdays but hubby needed to get some spare part for his razor so he came and he drove. When it comes to traffic, I’m like “whatever” he is like “MUST find a FASTER way out of here”. And he’s happier to drive an extra 5km just so long as he doesn’t have to be in a traffic queue.
If it hadn’t been an Appian Way house, he wouldn’t have stopped for me “we don’t need any more crap!” But he admires these houses as well and we’ve never actually been able to go inside one. They very rarely come up for sale and being “so expensive and glorious” rather than the “free for all” open for house inspection that us Aussies love, they do “By appointment only” to keep the riff raff out!
Was I thinking there might be hidden treasure? No, not at all. I figured I was buying a collection of broken bibs and bobs that the old lady had saved and the contents of the rusty tins intrigued me. I actually thought they might be buttons. I do craft things with old buttons or put them on my coats (new stuff is ugly and rubbish quality). The dead insect carcasses I know put at least one lady off. She literally shrieked and ran from the room. I’m not so easily put off!
Even when I had a whole pile of both tiny coloured “crystals” and the bigger ones, I assumed, without a second thought, that they were just glass/ paste or Swarovski. I mean, even knowing the Truth about them now, why would an old lady put gemstones in a cardboard box in an old wardrobe?
I have no doubt “Mr” had good gems (he made enough money to buy an Appian Way house) but presumably they were all sold, along with the business and equipment in the 1990s after he died ie decades ago.
Yet some were “missed” and because the Adult kids didn’t bothered to go through the house properly, no one knew what lay undiscovered.
peacechick
Brilliant_Rock
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The extended details are even more mind blowing than your original brief telling! I can’t believe it was Truth that started it all. She is a good luck charm, never give her away again!
I feel sorry about the poor old lady who kept the christening gowns but from the sounds of it, she was quite the hoarder. Having a few hoarders in the family, I can tell you it’s really hard to resist the urge to just throw the whole lot into the skip because it’s overwhelming to go through endless curios, broken furniture, brand new appliances and expired food all kinda heaped together. And I enjoy thrifting so I already have a higher tolerance than most!
I feel sorry about the poor old lady who kept the christening gowns but from the sounds of it, she was quite the hoarder. Having a few hoarders in the family, I can tell you it’s really hard to resist the urge to just throw the whole lot into the skip because it’s overwhelming to go through endless curios, broken furniture, brand new appliances and expired food all kinda heaped together. And I enjoy thrifting so I already have a higher tolerance than most!
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This all proves there are no coincidences! It’s all wonderful and perfect and amazing! Please share more with us Bron!
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@Bron357 A less-than-awesome thought just occurred to me reading this thread...
Right now it's public info that you have a treasure trove of rare valuables - I'm guessing this is a *very* popular thread with lurkers. I don't know if you've ever posted any identifying info - pics, details about where you live - on here or other social media, but a quick reminder to delete whatever you can think of - at least whilst you get your treasures identified and insured!
Right now it's public info that you have a treasure trove of rare valuables - I'm guessing this is a *very* popular thread with lurkers. I don't know if you've ever posted any identifying info - pics, details about where you live - on here or other social media, but a quick reminder to delete whatever you can think of - at least whilst you get your treasures identified and insured!
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Thanks for your concern Yssie. Yes we do have good security and I’d be a pretty mean mother **cker if someone uninvited comes around. That and with the unbelievable amount of stuff I have in my house they’d have to find them first ha ha.
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Now that we have in common
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Most I have been able to ID. It’s just the darn *rubies* that have me puzzled. There no easy “test” you can do that separates good flux grown corundum from natural. They don’t even use a “seed” with the best lab ones. Even the inclusions are identical to natural. I believe you need to use some fancy “atom spectrometer” thingy to actually analyze the full chemical composition and minute trace elements. I was told that we don’t have such equipment for gem analysis here (or the people I asked at least said no) so they would have to go OS to be tested.Omg
Wow That is amazing. Find of a lifetime! Grab a refractometer and get them id.
Obviously if I was going to sell them I would have to get them assessed but I haven’t decided yet what to do with them.
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OMG this is f*ing unbelievable - what a story! What luck! So happy for you and also insanely jealous at the same time...
So happy for you and also insanely jealous at the same time... 
Thank you for sharing your story and being such a awesome storyteller!!! This beats the time my mom's friend found a 1 carat diamond ring stuck to the bottom of her foamy sandals.
I can't wait to find out what you decide to do with all these gems!!!
I can't wait to find out what you decide to do with all these gems!!!
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I knew bits and pieces of the story of how the gem hoard came to be but it’s another thing to read it all like this, complete with pics!
This is like some kind of awesome story that you might read about or hear about- but I ‘know’ somebody who actually had such amazing luck! You honestly have inspired me to pay more attention to random deceased estate auctions now LOL! Though how many of those would be ex-jewellers... well. This was a once in a lifetime kind of chance I guess!
Those gems waited patiently for you in their little rusted tins for many years, Bron!
but it’s another thing to read it all like this, complete with pics!This is like some kind of awesome story that you might read about or hear about- but I ‘know’ somebody who actually had such amazing luck! You honestly have inspired me to pay more attention to random deceased estate auctions now LOL! Though how many of those would be ex-jewellers... well. This was a once in a lifetime kind of chance I guess!
Those gems waited patiently for you in their little rusted tins for many years, Bron!
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