St. Nicolas Russian Icon and fossilized ivory broach

St. Nicolas Russian Icon and fossilized ivory

I am not a jewelry person, but one of my favorite pieces is a 14K gold camera charm that I wear on a chain. I have never seen one quite like it. I received it in 1986, and though not a Christmas present, I wear it 80% of the time. 

My two favorite Christmas jewelry presents are a silver 1913 Russian icon of St. Nicolas, Russia's most beloved saint...

My people were from Russia, so this is very meaningful to me. 

and a custom-made scrimshaw fossilized ivory broach (can also be worn as a necklace) made by a well know Virginia artist who has created many custom pieces for famous people.

What's it all mean? Cat, as I said before is our Siamese. He is holding an M-16 (should have been an M-14, but we aren't complaining). My husband was a USMC door gunner in Vietnam. He is also a folk artist who paints both happy scenes and memories of his time in Vietnam. No matter what the subject matter, he always incorporates a white dog and fireballs into his paintings. He calls the fireballs, "Messages from Nam." When he was stationed at Marble Mountain a little white dog hung around his hooch, soon becoming one of his many lucky charms.


I hate to say it, but even this photo does not do this piece justice. It took the designer over two months to complete it, and the details are just gorgeous. You can't see it in this photo, but there are even little dead mice kill-marks on the gun. Imagine doing all that delicate work on such a small canvas?