19 Items From the Past That Have a Fascinating Backstory

Family jewels, vintage trinkets, or household items found at a flea market or thrift shop may hold many mysteries. They are not just a piece of bygone history. Sometimes, after cleaning the metal, you can find a rare stamp or engraving on something. Or it just so happens that the former owner of the item left a secret message or a clue that can hint at the origin of the item.

At Bright Side, we love vintage jewelry and other vintage items because they often hide a family drama or some other mystery. Here are examples of things that became milestones of history.

“My grandfather made this ring for his mother. He found the pearl in the river when he was a kid in the early 1900s and set it in the ring he engraved.”

“There was an old note hidden inside this bronze ewer.”

• It’s a thank-you note (“I would like to say how much I have appreciated...”) in what appears to be ballpoint pen of the 1950s. © refugefirstmate / Reddit

“It’s been in the family forever, and the story is that it was given by Queen Victoria to her maids-in-waiting for Christmas. The bottom reads ’V. Xmas 1839’.”

• That is an absolutely stunning piece. The blue bird was a symbol of happiness, and given that this is dated 1839 it would make it more possible it did come from Queen Victoria. Please take this to a couple places for appraisal. This is a true gem, royal provenance or not! © Cyber_hoarder / Reddit

“I inherited a lot of memorabilia and photos from my grandfather who toured with Elton John and Queen in the ’70s.”

“He used to be a hairdresser and wardrobe keep.”

“I found this vintage Christmas decoration at a sale.”

• I have this exact tree! It was my grandmother’s. It was my favorite Christmas decoration of hers when I was growing up. It was given to me when she passed. © ariesleopard / Reddit

“The story goes that my grandmother was given this ring one Christmas when she was younger by a boy she knew.”

“But apparently that same Christmas, she got another ring from another boy. She would go on to marry neither of them. She never wore either of these rings as far as we know. I was given this one and my sister was given the other. ”

“My heart was beating fast when I touched this necklace. I paid $7 without hesitation. And its real price is $45,000.”

“There are no maker marks I have found. Just gold quality hallmarks. There are a few owl hallmarks, meaning it’s 18k gold imported to France between 1893-1990. Stylistically it looks European, I would guess 1850-1910 for when it was actually made.”

This Art Nouveau tea pot is stamped with a little ostrich and a C on the bottom.

• I have a strange obsession with antique teapots, this one is absolutely gorgeous! German brand WMF had some fantastic Jugendstil designs that are still very collectible. © Jowalla / Reddit

“This vintage beaded gown from the 1960s is made entirely of crystals, weighs about 15 lbs, and I was told it belonged to a Canadian celebrity.”

“I paid 99 cents for this antique silver lipstick container.”

• It’s an Italian Art-Deco silver lipstick case with a Carnelian Cabochon. Circa 1943-1945. © PerkyLurkey / Reddit

“My dad has this cicada locket he was gifted by his grandma.”

• Cicadas are a common theme in Chinese beads and pendants. © duckworthy36 / Reddit

“I found this vintage Art Nouveau notepad for just $5. The pencil can still write.”

“There were 2 boxes in an antique store filled with cat photos and postcards from the early 1900s.”

“Humans have not changed. They still spend hours looking at cute cat photos.”

“I recently sold this ring from 1911. I don’t part with beauty like this often.”

• I bet it’s a women’s suffrage ring! They wore jewelry with green and purple to show their support for women’s votes. © eclecticgurlie / Reddit

“There was a note inside of the antique table I bought at a yard sale.”

“It said that the table was made by the grandfather of the note’s author. He used to be a cabinet-maker and local preacher. He died in 1868. The note was written in 1928.”

“These are my great-grandmother and grandmother in a photo. My grandma, who gave me this necklace and photo, is super into family history.”

• This pendant is amazing! I spoke with a friend, and she identified this as a pendant of the Greek Sun Goddess Electryone. Her grandmother loved this Goddess. © MoonFaceDoll / Reddit

“My grandfather made this ring from aluminum and Perspex.”

“It was meant to represent a black and white hand.”

“One of my all-time favorite finds: an antique framed photo of 2 lovely college ’roommates.’”

“The photo was taken in the 1850s. The ancestry records I found say Helen was born in 1835, so she’d be 20 (college age) in 1855.”

This is a necklace made of jade beads with a notepad from the 1910s. There are notes in French inside from 1917.

Have you ever found your own treasure? What was it?