1850'ish Cowgirl Jewelry Find

[BigDan]

I'm just back from Northern Nevada and I would like some info on this find. It came from a Ghost Town that was in operation from 1850-1870. The heart shaped pin is made of pewter and the stone I believe is crystal. The flower pattern is hand engraved. It is in very good shape for being a foot deep for 150 years. Anyone ever seen anything like this before?

[rustycoinUT]

That is truely a unique find.What Ghost town are you refering to? Good luck finding out what that thing is. COOL




Happy Holidays
rustycoinUT

[PAPPY]

DAN, Would you mind posting a pic. of the back of the item?...PAPPY

[BigDan]

The pin functions well. 2 Jewelers said the pin and hook were pre-1890. It was found around a burnt to the ground old silver mill near Rye Patch

Very very nice find. Are you sure it isn't a real a stone?

[RingDancer]

Spectacular find! Congrats!

Pat

[BigDan]

I wish it were a diamond but I had a jewler who I trust examine it and he said it was just a crystal. That fits with the area since there are crystals lying all over the place on the high desert. Maybe it was hand crafted out there...who knows ?????

[Tom in SWW]

Originally Posted by BigDan

I wish it were a diamond but I had a jewler who I trust examine it and he said it was just a crystal. That fits with the area since there are crystals lying all over the place on the high desert. Maybe it was hand crafted out there...who knows ?????

What an awesome and unique find! It would be neat to see if it's a faceted Quartz crystal, or some other clear mineral.
If the crystal came from the local area, it would have had to have been cut. They don't have that shape naturally.
Hope you get a chance to go back and find more!

HH! -Tom

[PAPPY]

DAN, the way the pin (clip) on the reverse side of the pin is made gives all indication that it was made during the period of 1885-1890 on. Rye Patch was established around 1846 and was at one time a booming little place. There was a very workable silver mine located there during the mid. 1800's. Pinning ( no pun intended) your item down to who may have owned it would be near impossible but here are a few little facts you may be interested in as to what origin the pin may have come from. During the towns busy period the town was inhabited by the follwing:

German-15%
Mexican-14%
English-12%
Irish-10%
Italian-6%
American Indian-4%
Dutch-3%
French-2%
Scottish-2%
Scottish-Irish-2%
Swedish-2%
Norwegian-2%
Paiute-2%
Danish-2%
Portuguese-1%
French-Canadian-1%
Polish-1%
Welsh-1%
Cherokee-1%
Finnish-1%
Spanish-1%

Rye Patch is in Pershing County and it was named for the wild rye grass that grows there. There are many places that no longer exist that include rural crossroads, hamlets, ghost towns and settlements that have been absorbed by nearby cities or towns.
Pershing County's population in 2004 was 6,405 which was a 4.30% decrease from the year 2000.
Maybe it is tending towards a ghost town once more...PAPPY

[BigDan]

Here are a couple of pictures from the Ghost Town "Humbolt" which is where the silver was mined. As you can see it is a very desolate place. In its prime Humbolt had 300 living there.