Okay so last post on my visit to see Uncle Peter - promise. He gave me all my grandmother’s jewellery – not much really – her five diamond engagement ring which I wear all the time and this time around, her brooch collection.
I’m not really a brooch wearing gal so not sure I’ll ever wear them but I’ll certainly treasure the brooches. My grandmother’s love for horses is evident in one of the brooches – a horseshoe decorated with an ornate basket of flowers. She also seemed to have had a thing for butterflies. One brooch looks to be a WWII momento. It is a small blue circle with NZ written on it and then another, very small word underneath. Haven’t been able to establish yet what this word says. The key-shaped brooch I’d say she received for her 21st Birthday.
She kept the brooches in a Paragon Princess jewellery case, which is pretty tattered now. I wonder if pearls were originally in this case? I’m guessing that Paragon Princess might have been the name of a jewellery shop in Wellington during the 1920s or 1930s. Maybe someone reading this knows more.
I am contemplating converting one or two of the brooches into pendants but I don’t really wear pendants or necklaces. Mainly just earrings and rings. I also don’t like to tamper with the original design of things so guess I’ll leave well enough alone and keep them as my grandmother had them – in the Paragon Princess jewellery case.
February 7, 2013 at 5:32 am
I agree – a tough decision to re-set these. I’d probably leave them as is too, as it feels like so much could be lost.