Weekend Wonders From Down Under (the sod, not Autstralia....)

[Subterranean]

Spent eight hours at a middle school on Saturday. Dredged four rings, all copper, brass, and aluminum...

But, in keeping with my tradition, I did score a great looking sterling Celtic Cross from the soccer field. It is marked "Lumia / Sterling" and engraved "Jonathan" on the reverse. I also dug a really pretty gold plated locket in excellent condition, and upon opening it, was surprised to find five small, natural pearls inside! Also dug a small unmarked pendant that may or may not be sterling with a mother-of-pearl, or opalescent "stone" in the center.

Today, I had a couple of hours to dig and hit a school that has always produced in the past. I found a "Sabre / Japan" vintage pocket knife 2" under the lawn between the playground equipment. I usually don't get too excited about pocketknives as the soil is swift and cruel to destroy them. NOT THIS ONE! I took it home, opened it up, saw no rust, damage, cracks, etc...it was in excellent shape. I cleaned and oiled it and may just use it!

Also scored about $13.00 in clad this weekend for charity. Thanks for looking, Happy Hunting and Merry Christmas to my TresureNet friends! Sub

 

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[Old Dude]

Good finds Sub. Every knife/knife part I have found has been wasted beyond any use. Great looking Celtic cross and other jewelry too!

 

[Loco-Digger]

Nice finds Sub, you are a bling magnet!!! I did not get out this weekend. The van needed a water pump, it was freezing yesterday, so I waited until today to replace it. I hope I can find a portion of what you dug, when I get out later this week.

 

[Subterranean]

Good finds Sub. Every knife/knife part I have found has been wasted beyond any use. Great looking Celtic cross and other jewelry too! Old Dude

True Old Dude, I know some brands of knives are more valuable but you really have to find a recent drop to be able to salvage it. Which perplexed me with this one, it was deep enough to be wasted, but wasn't! Sub

Nice finds Sub, you are a bling magnet!!! I did not get out this weekend. The van needed a water pump, it was freezing yesterday, so I waited until today to replace it. I hope I can find a portion of what you dug, when I get out later this week. Loco Digger

Loco, thanks for the kind words. I am glad you got the Loco-Van back in service. Numb fingers do not handle small parts well, good you waited. If your area is like mine, school will be out for two weeks, with playgrounds ripe for the plucking. Not to mention AFTER Christmas, when all the kiddies wear their new bling to school to show it off, and lose it...head up! Sub

 

[against the wind]

Very nice couple of hunts. I really like the Celtic Cross.
Congrats

 

[treblehunter]

Very nice finds

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Very interesting finds!
I especially liked your find of the locket with the five pearls inside... made me wonder about their significance to the owner.

Have a peaceful Christmas Sub, always enjoy your posts man!
Dave

 

[Carolina Tom]

Well done Sub!

Best wishes for the holidays!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Nice finds Sub. I also like that Celtic Cross. Great detail.

 

[Subterranean]

Thank you all for the kind words, Trezurehunter, Carolina Tom, Antiquarian, treblehunter, & Against the Wind. May your treasure bags be filled with goodies by your detectors this season. Note on the locket, it was in the grass about one foot off of a paved basketball court, and about an inch under the soil. The pearls are all "bean shaped" with holes drilled lengthwise through them, so they were strung at one time. Can a more knowledgeable member identify these kinds of pearls for me? Thanks again! Sub

 

[sutphin]

AWESOME FINDS THERE SUB .....

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Natural Pearls vs Cultured Pearls
Like all precious gemstones, pearls are rare and quite valuable. However, in contrast to natural diamonds, natural pearls are very hard to come by. Most pearls used today, even in the most expensive jewelry pieces, are not natural pearls, but rather, cultured pearls.

Natural Pearls
Natural pearls are pearls found in the wild, without any human involvement. Once, such pearls were found in all parts of the world, but today they are extremely scarce and are only discovered in the seas of Bahrain. Natural pearls are almost 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin. Pearls are actually created accidentally, when a parasite enters the mollusk and triggers a protective response causing a secretion of calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the intruder. The result is a remarkably beautiful and sturdy pearl.

Cultured Pearls
Since natural pearls are so difficult to find these days, ways of replicating the pearl-making process have been created. Pearls created through these procedures have become known as cultured pearls. Essentially, cultured pearls are the shell’s response to a tissue implant. A very small piece of mantle tissue from a donor shell is placed into a recipient shell where a pearl sack will form. The tissue then triggers calcium carbonate into the pocket. There are several ways of growing cultured pearls. Both freshwater and saltwater shells can be used, the graft can be transplanted into the mantle or into the gonad, and a spherical bead can be added. Most saltwater cultured pearls are grown with beads whereas most beadless cultured pearls are grown in the mantle of freshwater shells, mainly in China and are known as freshwater cultured pearls.

X-Ray Identification
The only way to differentiate a natural pearl from a cultured pearl is with the help of gemological x-ray equipment. The center of a pearl is examined where growth rings of the pearl can be seen. Beadless cultured pearls are harder to tell apart than those grown with a bead. In contrast to cultured pearls, imitation pearls can be determined through the help of a microscope. Just by rubbing two pearls together, one can tell whether or not they are real. Both natural and cultured pearls will feel somewhat grainy whereas imitations will feel completely smooth. Though cultured pearls are not “natural” to the full meaning of the word, they are the closest thing to it these days. The few natural pearls that exist are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and are mostly used for collecting purposes. Rarely will one find a strand of natural pearls. Essentially, cultured pearls are the new “natural” pearl.