Opening an 1800's Jewelry Box! estate sale finds!

As I get older things like this often make me sad. Each item in there was someone's pride and joy. It was likely a delight to them to purchase or receive as a gift and then to wear. They carefully decided each day or for each event which pieces to choose. Now they are just things. Yes, they will get a new life and make new memories, but they are also a life interrupted. Waking through my dad's workshop after he passed and seeing all the tools and wood, dreams for the future never to be realized seemed so final. I know we are just caretakers of items, curators, but there were a piece of someone's life.

Looks like you've found jewelry from the late Victorian period through the nineteen-thirties. The brooch with the pink in the center is a blister pearl, very popular jewelry in it's time. The horse is probably made of one of the early plastics called celluloid, which degrades easily, and it's in very good condition. The little hook is used for small buttons such as the ones on a woman's long blouse cuffs, it's the little sister of the boot hook. The hook's carved handle is onyx. This was very interesting to me as I am a jewelry collector. Whether they are about jewelry or house renovation or about the store, I think your videos are so interesting.

I have never understood how anyone can sell their families processions. We had to flee our country and the only things I have from my paternal grandmother are her glasses and a watch. They are priceless to me. I would have given anything to have her jewelry even costume jewelry. This makes me so incredibly sad.

Right before my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away very quickly. My grandmother and him, sold the house they’d built and had been living in since 1965. They were together 58 years. So all of us grandkids were helping them get rid of everything they had accumulated over the years. As they were moving into a small apartment. And were at the time, unaware of my grandfathers cancer. But one day, I was sitting with them at the table. Looking through stuff they had found in the back of their closet, and my grandfather handed me a really ornate, little tin treasure chest with a lock on it. I really liked the look of the box and it was heavy. I thought maybe it was full of marbles or maybe a bunch of pennies. He said “Here. Take this. If you can open it, you can have whatever is inside. Unless it’s paperwork”. Some time went on. Not much time. About a month or two. My grandfather got sick. And mere weeks after that, passed away. My grandparents raised me. And losing my grandfather was horrible. I was in a daze most of the time. I couldn’t quite catch myself. Anyways. One day I was sitting down. Finally looking at the items he had given me shortly before he passed. And I figured it was time to try and open it. Hours went by, no luck. I’m no lock-pick. My wife, however. Said “I’ll sit down with it and see what I can do”. I was in a different room when she yelled “Parker! I got it open!” I came running to find that it was absolutely FILLED with coins. Dating back to 1902. Mostly Canadian coins. About half of them silver. As well as some American coins. Probably 5-6000 dollars worth of coins. As some were slightly rare and in great condition. I almost sold a couple. But I couldn’t. I thought about melting down the silver to craft some jewelry. But I couldn’t do that either. So now, when I find an odd coin, or something commemorative, I put it back in that box. I don’t think I’ll ever sell any of its contents. I gave a few commemorative silver dollars to my siblings. I still sort through the coins from time to time. I want to write them all down in a ledger and keep that near it for future reference. And to keep better track of the coins. Take care! Always appreciate the old, dusty things. They tend to hold the best surprises!

The Janet brooch...brought tears to my eyes! I seriously believe that was made by my father! He was WWII from Missouri. Served in France/radio crystal grinding. Because he sat at a work bench and the tools, he made gold wire jewelry and the service men sent the pieces home to mothers and best girls. While there were many wire artists, his work has a certain personality, and that Janet piece mimics everything I remember of his wire writing. (his penmanship was horrid, but in wire it was beautiful). He loved to incorporate the twisted wire when ever he could and had this gizmo that would clamp down and it had a handle you would crank twisting the square stock wire. The base the wire your brooch is on is mother of pearl-had all sorts of shapes oval, round and hearts and flat pieces. His J I remember well as my mothers name is Joyce. His bracelets are very recognizable he created his own closures. Even if isn't his, it sure is fun to think it just may be! That ivory handle piece with the padding on it is a nail buffer. He had one of those too! He used some sort of ROUGE , buffing compound, and would buff his nails daily. It imparted a healthy pink color and looked just like the "french" manicure women have done today. He was an impeccable dresser and always "ON". It is a blessing to have so much of him brought to mind in your content. He passed in 82. I can't thank you enough for this moment. The treasure was really fun! ~ be well my friend.

The penny is not damaged. Often times, holes were put in currency so it could be strung together or sewn into something for safe keeping. The hole actually shows it is authentic and makes it more valuable.

My heart hurts. I cannot imagine getting rid of my family’s jewelry boxes. I understand people want to downsize. But this is part of their history.

When I was growing up I had next door neighbors named bob and Edna, they were my best friends. I was 9 when I met them, and they took me under their wings and treated me like I was their granddaughter, even always had my birthday written on their calendar. Even after I moved away every time I would visit my uncle who lived a couple doors down, I would still go and visit. They moved away in my late teens and I miss them very much. They were married in the 40’s, and Edna had a treasure trove of old pictures and so many boxes of old costume and real jewelry, some was even passed down through her family. One of my favorite things to do with her was go through all of her treasures and listen to every story she had behind every little piece. I am so thankful for the time I spent with them. I never had a real set of grandparents, only my dads mom, so it was nice for me to experience having both a grandma and grandpa. I’m not sure if they are still alive, and if not I hope they are watching over me.

I received my grandmother's wedding earrings that she wore only on special occasions. They were her wedding gift from my grandfather. They are filigree gold flowers with diamonds throughout. Both of them were from suburbs of Naples. My grandfather would have sent to Naples for them in 1919. The jeweler thought they were most likely paste though the setting is gold. Told me not to expect much of them. She was there when I picked them up from the appraisal. She was flustered. The 'paste' turned out to be flawless European cut diamonds. Replacement value was $2500. They are now over 100 years old and still as beautiful as the first day I saw them.

A lifetime of love went into that box. It's a shame the family parted with it. It's true value is the heart of the woman who kept it all together. A lifetime of memories.

All of my Moms costume jewelry that she had that nobody wanted because it had no monetary value I kept. I knew she loved each and every piece. Some were gifts and others she had picked out for their colours and shapes. Finally after keeping them in her jewelry box I decided to do something with them. I found and old frame and arranged them in it to look like one giant medallion/broach. I covered it with glass and hung it in my family room where I get to see it everyday. It reminds me of her, and I smile everytime I see it ✌❤

if someone hasn't already commented the small hook is not a shoe hook it is a glove hook. The long evening gloves sometimes had openings about half way up the glove to make the tight fitting gloves easier to put one. The opening closed with very little buttons that the only to get them through the very little button holes was with the glove hook.

I love that you could see part of this person's life through their jewelry and trinkets in the box. I also really loved the tiny chanel perfume bottle !

Always look for hidden compartments in jewelry boxes. It was very common in the older eras.

We need a Part 2 follow up!!!!!!!!! To see if there was any items worth anything !!! Thank-you so much for sharing, beautiful find!!!!

This reminds me of when my grandmother died. She collected a lot of jewelry, mostly costume. We kept all the valuable or sentimental pieces and gave away the rest. We mounted every piece on card stock and put them in little plastic jewelry baggies (like little Ziplocks). We organized them and put them in plastic tubs. We filled 9 of them!

As a genealogist, I am perplexed as to why someone would sell heirlooms. They would have made wonderful Christmas gifts.

There's something so intimate about going through someone's trinket box 💕 such little random items but they clearly meant the world to someone

I enjoyed watching what another person cherished, wore and kept in their jewelry box. Thanks for sharing.

We run a family shop, I collect old coins anyway, but i was cashing up one evening and one coin stood out from the rest, on looking closer I realised it was an old penny with a young queen Victoria on the back, I was thrilled.