Hidden treasure?

I've been to see my uncle. He has finally got round to sorting out my aunt's stuff after her death a year ago, and look what he found!
My sweet, lovely aunt was a seamstress and spent all her life designing, sewing, repairing and re-fashioning garments for other people. I'm sure it is due to her that I developed an interest in sewing. I remember sitting by her feet playing with scraps of fabric and buttons while her sewing machine was purring on the table above. As I was growing up she always took a great interest in my sewing projects, so naturally one of the first big quilts I made was for her, and it was greatly appreciated.
So when my uncle placed a big bucket of buttons on the table and asked if this was something I could use, it really brought back some happy memories of time spent with my aunt.
At first glimpse it didn't look all that promising, but poking around inside brought some gems to the surface,
and maybe some more...
There are buttons in all colours and some of them look quite old. I will really have fun sorting through these, but first of all they could do with a little bath to rinse off dust and grime from years of handling.
I can't wait to see what treasures might hide at the bottom of the bucket... Now if only they could talk: think of all the stories they could tell of fine garments they had belonged to, parties they had attended, or maybe tales of woe, having been discarded as too plain and been replaced by fancier types. Or humble tales of ordinary button-lives dutifully serving their purpose and being relied upon to hold up a stocking or a skirt or to hold a shirt front together, preserving it's wearer's modesty.
Now let's see if I can find ways of giving them their day in the sun again, be it useful or decorative. Any suggestions?