Jewels became an essential lodge accoutrement early in the history of Freemasonry. Masonic officers wore their symbols as silver jewels while attending meetings and public ceremonies. These Masonic jewels show the symbols associated with a Past Master of a lodge: compasses and a quadrant or arc with a sun in the center. Although officer jewels were generally owned by the lodge and passed from man to man as they entered and left office, a Past Master jewel was presented as a gift to a man from the lodge at the end of his term to thank him for his service and recognize his leadership.  

New York City’s Abrams Lodge No. 15 presented this jewel to its Past Master Daniel D. Smith in 1815. Chartered in 1800, the lodge eventually changed its name to Pioneer Lodge in 1873 and was renumbered a few times over its history, becoming No. 20 in 1839.