December 2012 Treasure of the Month

December’s Treasure of the Month consists of two jewelry pieces found in 1992 by Bob “Frogfoot” Weller’s crew not far from Kip Wagner’s cabin near Sebastian, Florida. According to Margaret Weller, Bob’s widow, the piece on the left was made of gold and studded with diamonds. The center could have served as a mount for an emerald or even a small religious item like a reliquary. The piece on the right is also made of gold and diamonds. It is in the shape of a bow. Margaret explained that in that era women’s dresses would customarily have a large bow in the front. This bow was later replaced by a piece of jewelry often in the shape of a bow. The smaller cluster of diamonds set in gold (below it) was found separated from the bow but obviously belonged there. The pieces displayed were found with a set of three-tiered earrings. These items are often referred to as the Queen’s Jewels, but it is more likely that these beautiful pieces belonged to a wealthy but unfortunate passenger of the doomed 1715 Fleet.