“trying to become more disciplined, so as to be prepared for the time that a squash blossom or concho belt that has a similar effect on me becomes available”
that’s where i’m at in my collecting. I went hog wild for a while buying crazy bargains w/o debating if it was something I really needed to own. Trying to really think about looking more closely at stones and quality over just OMG THATS SO INEXPENSIVE I CANT LEAVE IT BEHIND. I’m still on the hunt for an all-silver or mostly silver squash, a long string of vintage mixed handmade beads (melon, barrel, fluted, etc), and dishta-style cluster dangle earrings.
ME TOO!! I started thinking that way the last several years, and it has served me well. Not enough so to buy something like this squash (ever), but enough that I have been to purchase jewelry that would have been out of my range in the past. But after my mom passed, and we had to empty her entire house, I started thinking harder about what and how much I actually want to purchase.
I’m glad you enjoyed, Patina, and I definitely agree with you.
Here is another (albeit less exquisite) example of filing used to create surface detail. This is the cast buckle on one of my favorite belts to wear. The filing is evident at the arrow and at each terminal. I can’t capture it with my phone’s camera, but there are striations in the cuts at the terminals that serve as evidence of a file being used, as opposed to a chisel.
effect on me becomes available”
I’m glad you enjoyed, Patina, and I definitely agree with you. 
