Hi friend! I hope you’re enjoying fall wherever you are. I’m sipping green tea and lighting up about the idea of finding treasure. As I’ve been exploring this theme of hidden treasure, my last few blog posts focused on what’s hidden inside of us. But today I have my sights on the physical, gold coin and gems, kind of treasure.
Whenever I hear stories of people unearthing artifacts in their backyards or even scoring valuable antiques from thrift stores, I feel the thrill of possibility. Just think of all the incredible gems just waiting to be found!
The Mythic Medallion in my last collection release was based on this idea of walking through the forest and stumbling on something extraordinary–in this case an ancient coin from a long forgotten fairy kingdom. This was loosely inspired by one of the coolest things I’ve personally found…..
I was walking in Audubon Park here in New Orleans one day a few years back and picked up a mud encrusted button after a big rain. I had forgotten about it until later that night when I washed it off to find it was actually an old streetcar token from 1919! Treasure! (if you haven’t been, the streetcar passes just in front of the park) It isn’t really worth anything but that isn’t always the point, treasure is what we find that feels meaningful to us.
I’ve traced my memories for other cool things I’ve found and there aren’t many that I stumbled upon unexpectedly. I’ve scoured every beach I’ve walked on to collect shells though and I’ve been gem hunting at least a few times.
When I lived in Santa Cruz a favorite pastime was to stand at the edge of chilly waves spotting rainbow flashes of abalone shells tumbling to shore(and I made lots of jewelry from these!). Another time a friend and I camped in NY at the Herkimer Diamond mine–these are water clear quartz crystals, not diamonds–and they allow you to keep anything you find. I came away with a solid handful of these beauties!
But I'd have to say most of the treasures I stumble upon are in dreams. Last month I dreamed I found a stash of gold and silver coins on a hike. And in another I was scouting out my own personal diamond mine and found a few diamonds in the process. I have a vivid dream life, always finding crystals in dreams! This could be owing to the fact that I’ve spent so much time at gem shows, looking for little unusual or special pieces amidst a sea of gems.
As you can see I’m quite passionate about this whole topic of finding something special, something magical often hidden in plain sight. Tell me your stories of what you have found! And if you ever stumble across some article about treasure found, forward it to me!
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