We arrived home from tour trip on Monday night at about 8pm to find out that our house had been burgled in our 1-month absence. I guess I should have enlisted a house sitter as we rushed off to Australia..
My dresser drawers were pretty extensively ransacked but the thieves were pretty choosy, tossing aside some pieces (my beloved Brenda Ridgewell brooches for instance), with their eyes alighting on my work particularly, and a few beautiful vintage and antique finds from my mum, nan and grandmother. These were not photographed, though one piece is a silver version of this little guy (if anyone wants to hazard an approximate price for replacement of this 1970’s piece, I’d be happy to know it. Having researched the genre, it’s more delicate than others of its kind, and is, as far as I can tell, somewhat rare) and another very similar to this stag brooch, though a little older and more refined, with an amethyst in place of the citrine.
I also lost assorted rings, gold and silver, and silver chains – one a Prince of Wales vintage piece, and the earrings I made that I was married in. One distinctive cast gold ring has Tutankhamen’s mask on a very wide band that tapers towards the rear, with the face flanked by 4 bezel-set diamonds, kept within top and bottom bordering bands of twisted metal. There is also an 1800’s rose gold, engraved and hinged (with security chain) bangle in its original slimline flip-topped leather box that had journeyed from England to Canada, to Australia and then back north with me to Seattle, from my grandmother. These I might just have to sketch.
Anyway, for those of you in the area – and as you well know, there’s a lot of jewellers around Seattle – if you happen upon one of these items around the traps, please get in touch.
The pieces pictured below were all made by me, circa 2005-2006, in sterling silver with some gold as indicated. I did not makers mark them, so there are no marks to look for, though I trust that you’ll agree that the shapes are generally distinctive.
The Seattle police are dealing with the issue, though as with most jewelry thefts of this nature, I’m not holding out much hope of seeing these pieces again. We are insured, and in light of recent events in Australia, I’m more annoyed at having more paperwork to do than losing a few items of jewellery, especially the ones I could remake. I include photos of what I can as they may lead to the rest of the stash, which in themselves were probably taken for their ease of recycling. If you are commissioned to melt some silver in the next little while, please look out!
I thank you in advance for spreading the word, and encourage you go and photograph all of your treasures, or sell them off or even melt them before someone else has the chance to!
(image depicts alternate insert, chain not photographed)
