The necklace had been in her family for generations. She held it close, already regretting what she was about to do.
The only way she could save her daughters was as if she had some money in her pocket. She closed her eyes and presented the jewelry to the appraiser. Even in her wildest dreams, she couldn’t have predicted what happened next.
Sarah Winchester had never been a desperate woman. She had grown up in a comfortable setting, building a life for her family that ensured they were content.
But when the pandemic hit the year prior, it left her retail business in the ditches. Even though her life didn’t immediately turn sour, Sarah knew it was the beginning of the end.
The first thing she lost was her business. In her bid to save the only livelihood she had, Sarah blew through her savings.
She found herself in debt by year-end. After salvaging whatever she could from her business, Sarah only had enough money to last six months. She thought the misfortunes were over until something even more heartbreaking happened.
Sarah came home to a notice on her front door. Her bank was about to foreclose on her home. She would be homeless as a mother of two in the middle of a global pandemic.
Sarah sat down with her two daughters that night. She wondered how she would save them from living on the streets. An idea pinged in her mind, and she raced into her room.
Sarah opened her bags and jewelry boxes. What she was looking for was somewhere in there. She would keep a roof over her daughters’ heads if it meant her death.
She rummaged through her antiques and found a bejeweled necklace passed down by her late mom. Though she couldn’t tell how much it would go for, she hoped it would help them keep the house.
Sarah knew an appraiser from her retailing days. She called her immediately and set up a meeting.
Emma, the appraiser, showed up two days later. Sarah invited her in and explained her issue. Emma sympathized, asking Sarah what she meant to sell. Sarah took out the necklace but didn’t expect what would happen next.
“Am I dreaming? Am I still asleep?” Emma mouthed, turning to Sarah with wide eyes. “What, why?” Sarah asked. Was the necklace fake?
Emma asked, “Where did you get this?” Sarah said, “My great-grandma, she lived between 1864 and 1926. They were quite wealthy at the time, I believe. They came from England–Why are you stepping back, Emma?”
The appraiser took another step back. “Emma,” Sarah called, confused by what was happening. “Is everything okay?”
“Could you please come with me to my office?” Emma said quickly. “I know it sounds crazy, but please,” she insisted. “You might want to see this.”
They drove to Emma’s office. She opened a list of jewelry from the 1910s, revealing that Sarah’s necklace was a rare piece of jewelry made by Tiffany.
She pointed at the necklace’s center, identifying black opal and green garnets, which she said made the necklace a considerably expensive piece of jewelry. But there was more.
The necklace was also a Louis Comfort Tiffany piece, an even rarer piece of jewelry. They could sell it for more than thirty thousand dollars at an auction.
Sarah’s mind melted. Her body turned into hot liquid, and she fanned herself. This could save her house and help restart and expand her business. But there was a problem.
There were no initials on the necklace that validated it as Louis Comfort Tiffany jewelry. Emma suggested contacting the Tiffany archives to authenticate the piece.
A few days later, Emma called Sarah with news from the archives. She insisted on meeting Sarah in person. What she learned from the archives would blow Sarah’s mind.
Sarah found Emma in a meeting, but the appraiser insisted Sarah join them. She introduced her associate as Claire, who immediately got up and stared at Sarah. Her eyes beaded with tears.
“
I knew I had a lost relative somewhere in America,” Claire said in a British accent. “To meet her is short of divine.” Sarah raised a brow, to which Claire said, “Ever been to England? To a castle, maybe? Because there is one with your name on it!”
Sarah took a step back, but Claire eased to her. “Absurd, I know. But we share a common royal ancestry, you and I. This was our great nan’s,” she offered the necklace. “She left it and several other things to your side of the family.”
Sarah shifted uneasily, unsure of what to say. But Claire fished a photo out of her bag that made Sarah’s jaw drop.
A young Sarah’s mom was standing next to another girl in the picture. Above them was Sarah’s grandma, and to her side, her great-grandma.
“This is my mom, that’s yours. They were cousins,” Claire said, and Sarah’s heart swelled. She believed she had no family and was on the verge of losing her home. And now she had a relative who had come all this way to meet her.
Sarah and her daughters boarded the first flight to England when travel restrictions eased down. With them was Emma, who had become Sarah’s close friend in the last few months.
They found Claire waiting for them at the airport. A private car picked them up, and as they drove down endless rolling hills, Sarah’s eyes caught a glimpse of her new home on the horizon.
Miracles are truly effortless as they say.