My beautiful niece, Jaime came by for dinner one evening last week. My son, Jeffrey was home for the holidays and my younger son, Alex had nowhere he needed to be so it was just the four of us. We had a lovely meal which Jeffrey cooked, a bit of wine and entertaining conversation.Part of the evening was spent sorting through two old jewelry boxes which had belonged to my mother and grandmother. The vast majority of the items in there were of the costume variety. There were a few fine pieces among those and a number of articles that one wouldn't expect to see in a jewelry box. Since I have sons, many of the gems, both real and imitation, should find their rightful place with Jaime. She has a whimsical sense of fashion, and some of the pieces fit right into her style of dress. She filled up a small bag with broaches, rings, pearls and other accessories that caught her fancy, and which once belonged to her grandmother and great grandmother. I know they'll be in loving, appreciative hands. I spent the next morning photographing a few of the many pieces which remained behind - none of which are jewelry. I hope you'll enjoy seeing a few of the mini treasures below.This souvenir fan would have most likely belonged to my grandmother. She always seemed to have a handheld fan of some sort nearby. At first sight, it would appear that this little case was a compact - the kind one would use to powder a nose or for a quick check in the mirror to see how the lipstick is holding up. 
I was surprised and amused to find this razor set inside - complete with a packet of blades.This keychain was another little surprise. It's handy to have a ballpoint pen whenever you need one.Of course, if you prefer using a fountain pen, you'd probably like this one instead.I would like to know who this "V is for Victory" pin belonged to.Last but not least, another V - King George V adorns this 5 cent piece which is actually as small as a Canadian (or American) dime of today.Flip it over and you'll see that it dates back to 1918. Although the coin looks larger in this image, I had just zoomed in for a closer view.Thanks for looking!
