This is hands-down my favorite. This jewel was presented by Ellensburg #39 (my lodge) to Worshipful Master J.A. Patchett in 1909 in recognition of his service to the lodge. WM Patchett was Master of the Lodge exactly 100 years before I was. We sat in the same chair and possibly held the same gavel.
We might have drank the same coffee. Or it seems that way, lodge coffee is never very good.
This doesn't seem to be a production piece to me as I have not seen one of the same design in the old catalogs.
I've looked through the old minute books from 1907 to 1909 (he was master for three years - poor guy) and can not find specific references to the lodge commissioning a jewel, presenting it, or paying for it.
I did find that at the same meeting that his successor was installed as Master that there was a bill for $123.80 presented to the treasurer and paid. That seems very odd as they discuss the water bill of $3 but didn't list what this bill was for. Using an inflation calculator I figure that that bill was roughly $3,000. I think that might be what it would cost to make this jewel today. I would take a master jeweler at least a week to make it.
I am proud of this jewel for a number of reasons. It is very well crafted, has a significant personal connect to the history of Ellensburg and Pat as a Mason, but there is one more thing. This was for sale on line at one of those 'we buy gold and coins' places in Louisiana. That means that it was at serious risk of getting melted. So I feel that I helped save something wonderful.
This jewel is 4" by 2" and weighs 32 grams. It is 10k gold.
relative amount I paid for this - very high
As of 2/9/14 the gold scrap value works out to about $544
However, none of these are for sale.
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