Joden Girl

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and A Collector’s Things

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday rush, I tried to grab a second with Jay to get some pricing and additional information on the upcoming blog pieces.  Before I even had a chance to sit down, he had to take a call.  I left the chosen items laying on the edge of the desk, waiting for the next available moment.  Joe breezed past me as I was leaving the office.  Not two minutes later, he comes back out with one of my blog pieces in his hand.  He held it up, and said “I took this.  I don’t want to sell it.”  

Disbelief must have been written all over my face.  I immediately voiced my objection, letting him know that if he didn’t give it back, I wouldn’t have a blog piece for this week.  Dana had already spent quite a lot of time carefully photographing every angle and each little detail of this tiny treasure.  She had also formatted and cropped each image so that they worked seamlessly with our platform.  With only a handful of days left until Christmas, there simply is not enough time to choose a different piece.  

I must admit that I wasn’t entirely surprised by his hesitance to share and potentially sell this beauty.  On more than one occasion, he had told me about his enchantment with it.  In fact, it was ensconced within his special box for many months.  So… when I found it laying all alone on the shelf behind his desk, I chose to interpret that as a sign that he was now willing to let it go.  I may have jumped to that conclusion a bit hastily.

His reluctance is certainly understandable.  This antique beauty is a wonderful creation.  Measuring an inch by an inch and a half, this little box is so charming.  Both the top and the bottom are identical, a centered medallion showcases the engraving skills of the maker.  A six-petaled flower is surrounded by a glorious confection of ornate swirls.  The four corners also feature the same blossom with decorative swirls cascading down the sides to form a complete frame.  Covering the remaining surface is a timeworn olive green enamel.  

My thumb settled naturally on a small button on the outer edge.  The moment I compress the button, the box jumps open in my hand revealing the deep golden glow within.  Shimmering softly like only 18-karat gold can, even the interior of the box is a sight to behold.  Made near the turn of the 20th century, it’s the prettiest pill box I have ever seen.  The solid weight of the box settles nicely in your pocket – and if you should so choose, it doubles as a worry stone.  Small in size, you can turn it over and over in your hand and rub the smooth surface time and again.

I was able to persuade Joe to relinquish this tiny treasure, and offer it for sale.  Priced at $2,680.00, it is certainly not the cheapest pillbox available but it’s surely the most luxurious.  If you’re searching for the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list, look no further… drop by the store to make it yours today.

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe