Miss Sally's bracelet

I made a new friend, Miss Sally. And this is her bracelet. It was actually her mother's. Miss Sally's daddy gave it to her mom for their first anniversary in 1930. This beautiful thing looks as though it's hardly been worn. 

Why do I have it?

I met Miss Sally while working at the jewelry store a few weeks ago. She brought in some jewelry that she wanted to scrap {melt} for cash. She needed the money. We all do. 

She said that she hated to do that since the story behind some of these pieces were dear to her, but she had no one to give them to, and cash sounds pretty great right about now. 

That's where Miss Sally and I became friends...real quick. I did my job, though, by going to the back where the jewelers are, weighing her scrap gold, and making her an offer (to scrap her {precious} jewelry). She was very impressed with the offer; she said that it was the best offer she had around town. I sensed the conflict, though. I wanted to make an offer on some of these pieces too, but my sentimental side took over first. I immediately asked if she had anyone that would be interested in these pieces, family; distant family; friends...The answer, she assured me, was "no." 

I covertly told her that I would be interested in pieces like this because I appreciate them; I most appreciate the history and story behind them; I have a business that honors them. Miss Sally liked this idea. She could still sell her items, but this gift of a one year anniversary celebration wouldn't be melted down to liquid gold. More importantly, the legacy could live on.

To me, old jewelry isn't just flashy ways to flaunt how much money you have {or don't have}. It truly honors the chic ladies who came before. They have stories. This is just one of them. 

I have now appointed myself as President of the Jewelry Humane Society. Kidding. Though, I do feel like I'm trying to save each antique item that comes through the doors of the jewelry store where I work. My antique jeweler friend told me that I can't save them all. But he admires me for trying. We came to realize, while talking the other day, how truly rare it is to have such precious pieces like antique jewelry. Because this isn't the first time in history that the price of gold has been high. You think about all the times that pieces, just like Miss Sally's bracelet, could have been melted, but wasn't. 

I'm so very glad it wasn't.