Featured An everyday pendant...

Years ago, a family member gave my late brother Ken a heavy 14K rope chain, not at all my brother's style - when he dressed up, he wore a huge Navajo turquoise ring and a similar watchband, otherwise just a basic watch. He genuinely disliked the chain (partially because of the giver), was having some money problems and asked me to sell it for him, but instead our Mom took him to her jeweler, asked what the retail price would be, and then she bought it from him, really to give him more than I'd have gotten on eBay. She wore it occasionally, though it was heavy for her, and she eventually told me to take it, but it made me a bit uncomfortable for a couple of reasons, so I just left it in her jewelry box.

After Mom passed last year, just four months after my brother, I pulled out a large and beautiful 18K yellow and white gold swan pendant I'd given her about 30 years ago and wore for a few weeks, it gave me some comfort, but then I tried on Ken's chain and somehow it felt like they'd both be happy I was wearing it. The swan pendant bale was too small, and it didn't really look right anyway, so I embarked on a search for an appropriate piece to wear on the heavy chain, having little luck in a reasonable price range, and then I ran across an antique 9K pendant with a large agate cabochon, almost certainly a fob charm. I was looking for something sturdy that I could wear daily, fairly simple in design, and nothing that would only work with certain colors - I pondered on the pendant for a few weeks, half wishing that someone would use the Buy-It-Now and make the decision for me, but no such luck and it finally arrived from the UK yesterday.

I've worn it for several hours now and it's quite comfortable - I'm a dishwater-blonde with light olive skin, and it seems to blend with my coloring, but most of all it reminds me of the colors in my Mom's honey-brown eyes, the same eyes as mine, and I'm happy with my new everyday pendant...


Crummy pics (will have my jeweler put on a more substantial bale):










Even crummier selfie - I like the way it complements my freckles (okay, they're age spots):




~Cheryl

 

Cheryl, the two pieces look lovely (together) on you! Thank you for the very sweet story, too!

 

Nice chain, nice story, nice agate pendant, and... wonderful symbolic in wearing it as a memento every day

 

The browns of the agate harmonize well with the gold (chain looks Italian?). Some pieces are just very satisfying to wear & this one brings people you love close to your heart. I have once or twice had my jeweller make a more substantial bail for a pendant using gold from pieces I no longer wanted.

 

So nice when these things get resurrected, @DragonflyWink! Happy for you and your jewelry "friends"

 

Lovely story, lovely chain, lovely agate pendant, love your 'freckles'!!!!! And like Bronwen said, you've got your family close to your heart!!! What's not to love about it all!!!

 

Lovely memories of both your mother and brother.
Lovely piece of agate to go on the chain.

 

I'm glad you found such a lovely way to wear your chain of memories, Cheryl. And you're right, that beautiful pendant complements your hair and your 'freckles'.

 

I agree it is a lovely combo, to my fellow freckled friend.

 

Thanks, guys! And additional thanks for supporting my 'freckles' delusion...


Should have included the size - excluding bale, it's about 32mm X 42mm (1-1/4" X 1-5/8"), the chain is 20", 4mm, a solid 27 grams (Bronwen, it's very nice quality, but only marked and tested as '14K' - 99% sure it was purchased in the Philippines).


Thought I'd also share the 18K pendant I gave Mom, it's London, 1976, never IDed the maker, 43mm X 42mm (w/o bale); and a sterling fob charm she also wore often, Birmingham, 1909, Wm. Hair Haseler, 33mm X 44mm:





~Cheryl

 

Did swans have a special meaning for your mom?

 

She liked birds in general, and was a bird-watcher - cardinals were another favorite, but she thought swans were just so beautiful. We sometimes called her house 'swan-hell' - you can see a portion of her collection on this thread: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/some-salts.1380/

~Cheryl

 

Enjoyed reading this thread. Lovely pieces.

 

Another of Mom's favorites, and a very early eBay purchase of mine - heavy 14K ring, the white stones are zircons, the eye a ruby, and suitable for her large hands, it's 17mm X 29mm:





~Cheryl

 

That's a nice ring. I'd have cheerfully worn that too.

 

The swan is lovely - what are the maker's initials, on the off chance I can guess the name?

 

Thanks, Bear, it is lovely and quite well made. The seller had a bit smaller piece with a crane by the same maker that sorely tempted me - the mark is a sans-serif BJD in a clipped-corner rectangle (have meant for years to ask the London Assay Office)...

~Cheryl