Gold Shovel & Pickaxe Brooch

chrissa1 | 16:11 Fri 08th Jun 2012 | Society & Culture

10 Answers

I have a gold shovel and pickaxe brooch and also the same on a stick pin. The brooch has the words South Africa on the spade, (my MIL was South African).
Is it the emblem of a group/club? I thought it might have been a Masonic piece, but it's not. TIA

Just watched an episode of Harry's law...

You should be happy. If.....

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Brinjal

Pioneer society.

Brinjal

My husbands family are members of the Rhodesian pioneer society their grandfather came out with Rhodes pioneer column.

chrissa1

Question Author

Bless you and thank you for that Brinjal. I googled it and found the picture of the shield.
I don't think it's that though as it's a gold shovel and a gold pickaxe that are crossed over each other, with some "gold dirt" on the tip of the shovel.

It's a mystery.

tamborine

I've got a tarnished gold bangle with bucket, shovel + gold lump & pickaxe dangling off it. Its marked 24c.

Annoying piece as the danglies catch in everything.

chrissa1

Question Author

Interesting Tambo. Was it left to you and how long have you had it?

Brinjal

I my husband has the tie pin crossed shovel and pickaxe not gold plus a tie with the emblem on it. my sil has the gold one. It depended on what you can afford or want to pay. Im sure it is to do with pioneer society,

chrissa1

Question Author

It does sound like it does then Brinjal. Thanks.

heathfield

I don't think they are neccessarily associated with a group or club. Just as likely to be pieces of jewellery that would be sold as momentos of a visit to a country renowned for its gold-mining. There are several Australian examples here...

http://www.joseflebov...Large/CL147_0106.jpg.

heathfield

Oops. Try again...

http://www.joseflebov.../Large/CL147_0106.jpg

chrissa1

Question Author

That's it heathfield!!!! Thank you very much. That makes sense because my MIL was South African and met my FIL when the ship that was taking them to the Middle East in 1942 to fight Rommel had to put into Durban for repairs. The ship was the Ils De France and she was used as a troop ship because she was too fast to worry about submarines.

They visited SA many times over the years and I guess this was a present for Her FIL from one of their trips to see her family.

That all makes sense. Thank you So much.

Thanks also to Brinjal for the help.

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