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Here's the story as it concerns a Topaz.
Swallow a topaz and your melancholy will be relieved. This makes perfect sense because the ensuing stomach problems and pains will leave no room for sadness.
Ah ... but there's more. Place a topaz on your tongue ... and your thirst will be relieved. This is rather wonderful as it precludes the natural way of doing things ... such as drinking water. You come home late from work one day. Honey, you say. May I have a glass of water? Here, she says. Have a topaz instead. Mmmm ... very satisfying. Of course ... as with all wondrous things ... there is a slight wee bit of a disadvantage to placing a topaz on your tongue and that is that it is known to diminish your sexual drive. You sure you want me to take a topaz instead of water, you say. Absolutely, she says. I have a headache. For all things there is a reason. Ain't science wonderful.
When it came to jewelry ... symbolism ranked supreme throughout the ages. Mary--Queen of Scots--carried a black stone with a covering of gold in the shape of a pigeon's egg about her person. This ... it was well acknowledged ... was protection against poison. Snakes' tongues, sharks' teeth, fragments of unicorn's horns ... all mounted in gold ... also protected against poison. Today we use products such as anti-venom and other medications but I very much doubt they are as effective as the horn of a unicorn mounted in gold would be.
In the middle 1500's pendants in the form of birds began to make their appearances on the Spanish scene. Here we had an important center for goldsmiths which was enriched more than other countries by the discovery of the Americas. Today some of you may be wearing an old piece of bejeweled art--in the form of an eagle pendant perhaps--made in 16th century Spain ... for which you owe an eternal debt to none other than old Christopher Columbus.
I have such a pendant to show you ... an old old piece dating back to 16th century Spain. It's a bird wearing what appears to be a topaz crown on its head with a baroque pearl body and multi-colored enameling for its feathers. It hangs on a chain on the end of a hook. I do not know the purpose of the hook. Is it an eagle? Is it a thunderbird? Or is it simply the evocation of an ancient jeweler's fantasy?
These questions need to be answered before the week is out folks. Email me your opinions and I will let you know the consensus next week for first choice.
I have no price for this item. I have no artist's name. I have only the image of the item. This for those who may feel a need to know these things. For you folks I feel overwhelming sadness at the knowledge that you will be disappointed. But so it goes at times.
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And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark