Back-yard find; Gold, Diamonds and Emeralds!

[Bad Wolf]

This, then, is what got me all rev'd up for metal detecting; an antique gold bracelet with 26 diamonds and 13 emeralds that I dug up in my back yard while landscaping a few years ago. At first I thought it was just more of the trash I had been digging up for weeks, which included everything from silverware to matchbox cars to the remains of an entire whitetail stag--oh, and three different old hot water heaters! I'll tell ya, the folks who lived in this old house before me didn't go to the dump very often. Anyway, when I showed the bracelet to my wife she sent me right back out again to find the matching earrings (which I never did). Eventually I got around to showing it to a jeweler friend of mine who was able to tell me that the bracelet looked like it was made in the 1920's or 1930's and that the stones and gold were real, all right, however every single diamond and every single emerald was badly chipped or cracked and therefore absolutely worthless. Melt value of the gold is about $150, I discovered after a little research, but I think I'll keep it around as a motivational piece now that I've got my first detector, an MPx with a 10-inch coil that I think I'll call "Rose".

Heading out on my first hunt tomorrow--wish me luck!

 

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[milk86]

very cool ...Good luck

 

[old digger]

That bracelet is a beauty, I personally like the older jewelry. It also sounds like you need to do some more looking in that yard. Good luck hunting!

 

[squiggy]

This, then, is what got me all rev'd up for metal detecting; an antique gold bracelet with 26 diamonds and 13 emeralds that I dug up in my back yard while landscaping a few years ago. At first I thought it was just more of the trash I had been digging up for weeks, which included everything from silverware to matchbox cars to the remains of an entire whitetail stag--oh, and three different old hot water heaters! I'll tell ya, the folks who lived in this old house before me didn't go to the dump very often. Anyway, when I showed the bracelet to my wife she sent me right back out again to find the matching earrings (which I never did). Eventually I got around to showing it to a jeweler friend of mine who was able to tell me that the bracelet looked like it was made in the 1920's or 1930's and that the stones and gold were real, all right, however every single diamond and every single emerald was badly chipped or cracked and therefore absolutely worthless. Melt value of the gold is about $150, I discovered after a little research, but I think I'll keep it around as a motivational piece now that I've got my first detector, an MPx with a 10-inch coil that I think I'll call "Rose".

Heading out on my first hunt tomorrow--wish me luck!

I love that bracelet...good luck with future finds in your yard

 

[Bad Wolf]

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone. What I neglected to say, though, was that I no longer live at the house where I found the bracelet. I know the new owners, but they just paid big $ to have the place professionally landscaped, and I don't think they'd appreciate me digging up their new lawn. In any case, it could be worse. Moved the family to a new house on 120 acres that until last year was a good 'ol fashioned summer camp that had been operating for 88 years. There's just gotta be some good stuff there, because as Calvin of Calvin & Hobbs fame says, "There's treasure everywhere"!

 

[hamiddetecting]

Welcome here in TNet! Nice

 

[squiggy]

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone. What I neglected to say, though, was that I no longer live at the house where I found the bracelet. I know the new owners, but they just paid big $ to have the place professionally landscaped, and I don't think they'd appreciate me digging up their new lawn. In any case, it could be worse. Moved the family to a new house on 120 acres that until last year was a good 'ol fashioned summer camp that had been operating for 88 years. There's just gotta be some good stuff there, because as Calvin of Calvin & Hobbs fame says, "There's treasure everywhere"!

Sounds like a potential"gold mine" to me

 

[capt-zero]

There's treasure everywhere, true, but the best treasure is that dug up in your own back yard.

 

[RiverRat3]

Nice find. Congrats!

 

[stewielouie]

Thats a sweet bracelet, I would not melt it.

 

[testing123]

beautiful bracelet! here's a tip that people don't want to admit... small diamonds really aren't worth anything when you go to sell. Even if they were in better shape they would add very little value. Most of the value is in the gold.

 

[jewelerguy]

beautiful bracelet! here's a tip that people don't want to admit... small diamonds really aren't worth anything when you go to sell. Even if they were in better shape they would add very little value. Most of the value is in the gold.

true, but they are not 'absolutely worthless'. it's funny how it works when you want to sell them they are worth very little, but if you need to have some replaced it's a whole different story.

 

[Bad Wolf]

Thanks, Hamid!

I've been reading your posts and I like your style.

 

[Bad Wolf]

Thanks for the tip, T'123.

 

[leaker]

I'm thinking I need to go swing in your back yard. lol. Don't drink and drive you might spill your drink

 

[Danny555]

Its so beutifull.

 

[AnnieF]

If your new place is an old summer camp, it might be an even OLDER camping site or some other temperate/welcoming spot which attracted others. Check out these two websites to see if you can look back in time to what used to be there because the key to all of this, after all, is finding where people gathered and research research research!

NETR Online • Historic Aerials

Historic Map Works, Residential Genealogy ™

 

[Bad Wolf]

Hi Annie, thanks so much for those resources!

HH (Happy Hunting & Happy Holidays)

 

[AnnieF]

Hi Annie, thanks so much for those resources!

HH (Happy Hunting & Happy Holidays)

Yw

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[eagleforce]

Wow. Awesome find. That would be a keeper for me if I ever found one. Good luck out there!