Antique Hunting & Jewelry Haul

   Since Saturday afternoon was absolutely gorgeous, my parents and I decided to go out to some antique shops in our area. This is always one of my favorite things to do, as I feel it is so much more rewarding buying something with history to it than something fresh from the shelf (Unless of course we're talking about food, always buy that fresh!).
   I was also on a mission to find a Claddagh ring. I've wanted one for years, ever since my older sister got hers. At the time, I was too young to keep up with a ring, but I remember having quite the pout over not getting one.
   The first shop we popped into was called "Oliver Twist Antiques," and featured an assortment of old furniture, comics, dolls, clothes, and dishes. I picked up this golden orb necklace from among the heaps and heaps of jewelry, and I am quite in love with it! It has a little purple stone inside and is on a longer chain, so it reminded me of Hermione's Time Turner from Harry Potter. And at seven dollars, it was perfect.

   We perused Downtown for a while longer but with no luck, so we stopped for some lunch at a local restaurant to map out a game plan for the afternoon. We decided to head to Renninger's, a large antique mall and flea shop just outside of Mount Dora. 

   Now, after Downtown had been a bust, I was feeling a bit put down on my Claddagh search, but the cosmic forces prevailed, because in a little shop called "Jewels by Julie" I happened across THREE that were in the right size. I settled on one with a blue stone, which I believe is sapphire, and which is an amazing color. Here, my mom also picked up a bag with random bits and bobs of old jewelry, which included this little bow ring, which she gave to me. 

The crown represents loyalty, the hands represent service, and the heart represents love.
The bow represents, well, a bow.

   The last little shop we stopped by here didn't have a name, but it was run by one of the sweetest ladies I've ever met. She had quite the collection of old dishes (lots of Fire King and Pyrex), buttons, and furniture. Here, I happened to find a Royal Wedding button from the wedding of none other than Prince Charles and Princess Diana. I basically squealed with joy, much to my dad's displeasure of "my eardrums didn't need that," but hey, what can a self-proclaimed anglophile say? It is from Selfridges, after all! 

   I also got a little crown pendant, which I'm not sure where it is from or what it is, but I thought it would be quite right for an upcycled magnet or keychain. I'll need to do some more research to figure out the origin, but I thought the crown was pretty neat.

   So my jewelry collection is quite improved with the necklace and rings, and my inner history geek has been satiated for the week with the Royal Wedding button. I can't wait to go out on another hunt for more antique wonders!