My Mom's Chess Set

This is so pretty:

How can such gorgeousness come out of a bad place right? Like an old family legend, it has been told that my mom purchased this beautiful opal chess set after a fight with my dad. Now, I don't really know what they fought about, it happened way before I was even born, but what I do know is that buying this set was a pretty good emotional purchase. 

{Another thing my mom bought out of "revenge" was a hand mixer which still works after 20+ years! Can you imagine what she buys when they're not fighting? Mostly ugly stuff which requires a totally different post! My mom is funny like that.}

In all the years I lived with my folks, I probably only saw this chess set twice. It was always in a box with the pieces individually wrapped in newspaper. 

They don't make things like this anymore.