Memories

This week’s Alphabet Challenge was J is for Jeweller and I assembled this little collection of Opal jewellery.
As is so often the case, memories were stirred! All but one of these objects have a memory attached. The ring, top right, was the first piece of Opal jewellery I bought when I realised that it is my birthstone. I bought it with the first Christmas bonus I got - in 1962 (before I qualified) The bonus was about £10 and the ring cost £9.7.6. I was amazed the following Christmas when my father (who hated Christmas and never bought any presents) bought me the earrings to match it. The pendant has no real significance - I just bought it to make the set - but I rarely wear it.
In 1987, my cousin Michael who was 6 weeks older than me came on a visit from Australia - he had emigrated on his own under the £10 scheme in 1956/7 (when we were 16) and I hadn’t seen him since. He brought me two pairs of unset Opals which I had made into the brooch and earrings (in the middle row) - I designed the brooch and also added the little diamonds for the earrings - a jeweller in Newmarket made them. When I visited Australia for the first time in 1989 I met up with Michael and took the jewellery with me to show him
The other brooch, with the single Opal, I bought for my Mum’s 80th birthday  in 1995 which we spent in Melbourne - meeting up again with Michael  - the last time I saw him - he died in January 2001 aged 60.
The silver ring and earrings have the green Opals rather than the dark ‘fire’ and these were a souvenir of my last trip to Australia in 2000 with my sister to celebrate my 60th birthday.
Probably not worth a fortune in money, but memories are priceless.