My mystery precious

There's part of me that loves a mystery and part of me that really wishes I understood what secrets the mystery holds.  When I was growing up, my Mum's dressing table held such an attraction for me.  I would climb up on the velvet cushioned stool, carefully pick up the hairbrush, mirror and comb set that always sat in the middle.  A beautiful set, with Chinese patterned satin covered by a layer of filigree golden coloured metal.  I would carefully brush my hair - gazing into the tri-fold mirror that was on top of the dressing table, checking my appearance from front and both sides.  Having made my hair as glamorous as I could, my attention would turn to the other bits and pieces on the table top.  A bottle of perfume, pots of creams and lotions, and a few trinkets.  I now have a selection of these at home and all qualify for the title of 'precious'.

For February, I will share one of these that holds a mystery.  It's a little leather covered chest, about 3" tall and 4" wide.  Inside is a collection of things.  Buttons from clothes that I remember her wearing, a couple of brooches and then these things ...

.  

 A commemorative coin for the Coronation in 1952, and a five shilling piece from the same year.  A cutting from a local newspaper, which turns out to be the obituary from when her grandmother died, a few months after I was born.  A key. What do you think this opens?  We never found anything that it fitted but it was kept safe so it must have some significance.  Then the little white leather pouch.  The softest leather you can imagine, held with a silver popper on the back.  Gold writing that indicates it comes from a jewellers in Burlington Arcade London W1.  Something very special must have come in there. You would imagine that it had once held a precious ring.   But open it up and you will see tht inside it is a little brown stone.  With a perfectly formed hole in the corner.  Where had it come from?  Who found it and gave it to my my mum?  Why was it kept in such a special place?  It obviously held some special memories to her but it was story she never told, and will now remain a mystery for ever more.

A random piece of stone, but something far too precious to throw away.  
This is part of Sian's Pick your Precious series.  Head on over there to see what other stories people are sharing.