........because you never know what may lurk beneath! This is 14k with jade & gemstones, found rolling around in a large ziplock bag of cheap plastic. I've found quite a few treasures over the years by digging through such. Good luck
Nice score, and yes good tip to check the grab bags.
I've also some fab finds in "mardi gras grab bags" over the years, including a Portuguese high karat gold (19.2k) very long and elaborate guard chain, a platinum and diamond watch, a French 18k locket ..... amazing the things that are tossed into those grab bags!
With the price of gold going south daily, I am hoping that the obsession with gold and precious metals will be a thing of the past and that these treasures will be back out there again like it was before the madness set in .. you know the "good old days" 
Ahh, those good old days, Arlene! Funny but back then I only cared about antique/vtg costume jewelry & would turn my nose up at gold. Too bad I didn't make room for a little of the precious stuff; I'd have a suitcase full.
mermaid - there is a thrift nearby that I go to nearly every day. They sort miscellaneous in the back room & load up shopping carts which are then wheeled out & dispersed by staff. They know me well & don't mind if I pick something off the top. There were two large ziplocks, one of mardi gras beads & one of misc newer cheapy earrings, etc. I took both to the counter so the worker could put in the case; she dumped contents out to separate. Nothing interesting there, but something told me to have a closer look at the beads. She laughed when I held it up & said "That's so TACKY." lol.
I've found quite a bit of super nice jewelry there but it's been a long while. Keeps ya going back 
