What is your most cherished family heirloom?

I don't have much as my grandmother is still alive, but I do have a few things. I have a teacup and saucer from each of my great-grandmother's china sets, a dresser that my grandmother made when she was in high school, and a beautiful oak hope chest that my great-grandfather made for me when I was little.

I don't have any heirlooms, my Mom has them all!

She has some amazing things, though. Her father just passed away and she had a wardrobe shipped from Germany (that's where her family is from). It was built in the 1800s and it is beautiful.

Her father used to collect medieval weaponry, that would have been an awesome collection to have! But he sold it all to various collectors several years ago.

My Grandmother is 96 and an artist - she paints porcelain... She has painted a whole china set for me, and over the years I have been collecting as many items as I can from her.
I will treasure these items for the rest of my life.

I was born on my grandmother's (maternal) birthday, and when she passed, she left me her 2.5 karat saphire solitaire ring.
That's all I have.

I have two family heirlooms. I have an antique kitchen clock that my great grandmother brought when she immigrated from Budapest, and I also have my grandmother's hand crocheted wedding dress.



I don't have Gram's wedding picture uploaded anywhere. The dress is gorgeous. I wanted to wear it when I got married, but it's so incredibly tiny that it wasn't an option.

This silly little horse.



My Grandfather bought it at the souvenir shop at Churchill Downs in the 1930's, and it probably cost about 25 cents. But it means the world to me because all my Grandparents are gone now, and I spent most of my 2's and 3's lying on my Grandpa's floor, playing with that little horse. It used to have a glossy finish on it's back, but over the years I wore all that off.

Of all the things in their house, it was all I wanted

Really good question, and really hard to answer! I'm lucky enough to be known in my family as the person in charge of family heirlooms. Just a month ago I was given my Grandmother's wedding band. I have a mourning brooch/locket that belonged to my great grandmother---inside is a tiny lock of red hair (she lost 2 babies, so I assume it's from one of them). I have a few tin types from that side of the family, too. From the other side, I have a hand loomed wool coverlet from ca. 1870; when my Mom received it several years ago she wanted to cut it into pieces so each of my siblings could have a piece of it, too! Luckily, they all told her to give it to me to take care of. I have a compote from my gr.gr.gr.grandparents' home I have a "gold" bangle bracelet that my grandmother wore to church; it has the teeth marks of her oldest child on it! A great aunt knew I collect dolls and gave me the doll she'd received for Christmas in 1909, still tied in the box, with a note inside to mark the date.
Obviously, I can't pick just one and there are other things that would take too long to mention.

Let's see...

I have my Dad's Black Star Sapphire ring that my Mom gave him a year after they married in '65

A gold pocketknife from one of my great-great grandfathers on my Dad's side (circa 1850's)

A Japanese rifle that Grandfather acquired on Okinawa during WWII.

A Red Ruby (a generic Ruby) ring that my Grandmother (that I never knew) gave my Dad when he graduated High School. circa 1960

I have many. I have China from both Grandmothers and some of my Great Grandma. Some of it dates back to the 1800's. I also have a Mohogany diningroom table and sideboard. A large set of silverwear, we use on special occasions. I was also supposed to get the ivory and gold nugget bracelet and necklace set. my Grandfather had made for my Grandma, but my Mom's appartment was robbed.

I have a set of my grandmother's china and a tablecloth and napkin set that she hand embroidered, and I have my grandfather's dog tags from WW2 from my father's side. My uncle took most of the items that were worth anything or had any sentimental value, and caused quite a riff in our family. I had requested just one of her extensive Hummel Figurine set, but he took them all and refused to let me have one. I also got my quilt from my mother that my grandmother made for me when I was young, and I plan to hand it down to my children. My grandmother is still alive on my mother's side, and I only met my grandfather once when I was 13 months old, and he died when I was about 10 maybe?

I don't have anything from my great grand parents. My 99 year old great grandfather died a year ago in January (and my grandmother died in 1999), and OMG the house was completely picked clean by the time the memorial was over a few days later. Even the built in hutch was ripped from the walls. The only thing I was able to get from them was a glass with Smurfs printed all over it (you know, like the ones you used to be able to get from Pizza Hut in the 80's?) that I remember using when I was little.

My wedding band was my great-grandmother's. My mom was married with it, and when I got married she gave it to me. I never knew my great-grandmother, but the ring will go to another female in our family (if I have daughter, her, if not, another female) at some point.

I'm too young to have many heirlooms (my mother's family is blessed with long lives!)

I do have a little shepardess statue and a rock/seashell collection from my great-uncle on my dad's side... he left the collections to my father and I and I claimed the statue from the house since no one wanted it. It's calming.

My engagement ring is an heirloom...it was Josh's grandmothers

I really don't have any "heirlooms" because my Mom was too selfish to think ahead to the future of her children. I loved my Mom a great deal, but even my brother agrees that she was very selfish in many ways because she didn't have much when she was growing up, so the thought of passing things along to her kids really didn't enter her thoughts.

I remember so many things from when I was a child that I would have loved to have today, but she either gave away or sold things as they wore out their purpose for her.

I do have her sewing machine and her wedding rings and an Alexanderite (fake) ring that my Dad gave her when she was 25 years old. I think the only reason I do have these few things is because she died unexpectedly.

I don't have any kids to pass anything on to, but I have been keeping some things for my niece and nephews if they want them. I hope they do because it's important to pass along family treasures.

I have some of my grandmother's good jewelry. She specified in her will which heirs would get what. I got a beautiful cameo. I also have her dining room set. Solid fruitwood of some sort. For my 50th birthday, I have asked for my paternal grandmother's engagement ring. I intend to wear it as a right hand ring. Eventually my plan is to fashion it into a pendant.