The Strange Case Of The Disappearing Ring Mandrel

Way back in the day when I decided that I wanted to sell online full time and started Enchanted Jewelry & Collectibles I started out selling vintage and estate jewelry. Of course, in order to be able to know exactly what I was selling, I had to purchase several jewelry supplies including a jewelers loupe and a ring mandrel. As Enchanted Jewelry & Collectibles grew we started doing business with wholesale suppliers and gradually our inventory went from used, vintage jewelry to brand new in the box pieces. Recently I decided that, in addition to our current inventory, I also wanted to offer the vintage pieces again. So I have been spending some time at some of the local estate sales and I have found a few wonderful pieces that will soon be added to our inventory. Now, of course, in order to do this I needed to dig out my old jewelry supplies so I can get a good look at these and offer as much information about them as I can. When I first decided to do this I was quickly able to find my jewelers loupe which I always take with me whenever I think I might be looking at jewelry somewhere (not that I'm some sort of expert jeweler but at least I can look for hallmarks and stamps, damage, etc.). At the time I found the loupe it dawned on me that my ring mandrel was not with it. I figured I put it some other place and I would find it later. I mean, after all, it couldn't have just grown legs and walked out of here, right? Yeah well, so much for that theory.


I decided this weekend that I had enough jewelry pieces to begin adding them to the store so I started looking for my ring mandrel. We have moved since the last time I used it so I was sure that it was in one of the totes that just never got unpacked (you know, the ones with all the keepsakes in them that you want to keep but don't look at everyday). So I proceeded to go through every single tote that we have packed away. I found pictures of my parents, some of them from the 1920's and up. I found my mother's high school diploma from 1933. I found my father's army discharge papers dated 1919 (he was in his 60's when I was born and I'm old). In another tote I found all of my son's baby things...his first lock of hair, his first shoes, his first jacket. I also found things that he made for me throughout his school years. In yet another tote I found my high school graduation picture (where in the world did that young girl go to), my autograph book from the 1960's, and I don't know how many keepsakes from years gone by...concert memorabilia, pictures from various places I worked and I don't know how much other neat stuff. When I started this project I was really dreading it but, as I was going through the treasures of my life, I realized that I was really having a wonderful time. I smiled, I laughed, I cried and, when I was done, I was sorry that there were no more totes to go through.


After all was said and done I never did find that ring mandrel but, you know what? I'm glad that I didn't. If I had found it I might have said "Aha, there it is", packed up the unopened totes and put them back in the storage closet, never having gone through these wonderful things that brought back so many cherished memories. I still have no earthly idea where I put that ring mandrel but that's okay, I'll just get another one. The few dollars that I will spend on a new one can't begin to compare to the priceless memories that I relived this weekend.


Enchanted Jewelry & Collectibles...Dedicated To The Gypsy that Remains