Renegade's Pride
Page 28
He wished now that he’d come up with a better story. “In Billings.”
“Interesting.”
Darby waited as jeweler John T. Marshall went over every square inch of the bracelet. “It’s just costume jewelry, right, John?” No answer. The piece couldn’t be that interesting, he thought.
John finally put the bracelet down along with the loupe. He shook his head, seeming unable to take his eyes off the piece. “It’s not costume jewelry. It’s 14-karat yellow gold.”
That explained why it was so heavy. With a start, Darby realized it could be worth more than just sentimental value to the woman. “So what can you tell me about it?”
“The gold alone in weight is worth several thousand dollars, but its real worth is that it is a rare piece of vintage Gypsy jewelry.”
“Gypsy jewelry?”
The jeweler nodded. “I’ve only read about it. This type of cuff was once made for the whole family, including men and children, and was usually worn in pairs, one on each wrist. This bracelet is definitely rare.”
“You’re saying it’s old?”
“In this country, most surviving pieces date from 1900 to 1930.” He picked up the loupe again to look at the black round stone at the center. “Gypsies almost always used synthetic stones because of difficulties in verifying a gemstone’s authenticity unlike real gold that cannot be faked easily.”
“So the stone is what? Plastic?”
“In this rare case, a precious gemstone, onyx. This is an amazing find. I’ve never seen any original Gypsy jewelry before. It’s quite remarkable.” He picked up the bracelet again and began to point out the designs on it.
“Look at this profiled face of a beautiful woman, possibly a Roma queen.
“Roma. The word Gypsy is a misnomer. They were called Gypsies because they were believed to have come from Egypt. But they were actually part of an ethnic group whose ancestors left India a thousand years ago. Many of them still call themselves Gypsies, though some consider it a derogatory term.”
Darby thought of the woman he’d seen at the festival. Was she Roma?
The jeweler was still inspecting the bracelet with a kind of awe. “Flowers and stars are common, along with a horseshoe for luck. It is always worn with the horseshoe up so the luck doesn’t spill out.” He traced a finger over one of the designs. “The wirework or filigree is so delicate.” He met Darby’s gaze. “I’d say this bracelet is worth from ten to twenty thousand dollars.”
Darby was taken aback. He’d almost thrown the piece away. Worse, he hadn’t picked it up at a garage sale—he’d torn if off a woman’s wrist. Admittedly, she was trying to pick his pocket at the time, but still...
“And you say you paid fifty cents for it? The person who sold it must not have known its real worth.” John shook his head. “If you’re interested in selling this piece—”
“No,” he said quickly. “If it’s that rare, I think I’d like to keep it. But I do want to get the clasp fixed.”
The jeweler nodded. “I don’t blame you. It will only take a minute.”
Darby stepped to the back of the shop to watch as John worked. He couldn’t believe this. He’d really thought the jeweler would tell him it was nothing but junk. He thought about the woman who’d been wearing it and found himself even more intrigued.
“It’s a shame how much of this jewelry has been lost,” the jeweler was saying as he worked. “Much of it was melted down in the Great Depression. For the wearer, the jewelry was like a portable bank account. With the price of gold up like it has been, people have been melting it down again to sell.”
So why hadn’t the woman sold it if her situation was dire enough that she had to steal? Or was it possible, like him, she’d underestimated its value, since maybe she’d stolen it herself?
“You are wise to keep this,” John was saying. “According to superstition, Gypsy jewelry is very good luck to have, but bad luck to sell. You wouldn’t want to sell off your good fortune now, would you?”
Don’t miss OUTLAW’S HONOR by B.J. Daniels, available June 2017 wherever HQN books and ebooks are sold.
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Copyright © 2017 by Barbara Heinlein
ISBN-13: 9781460397824
Renegade’s Pride
Copyright © 2017 by Barbara Heinlein
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