Mystery Solved

For months I have been watching a mysterious yellow powder accumulate on the little jewelry tray that I keep in my closet. 

I had just cleaned the tray a few days ago, and today I saw this:

 

I thought to myself, "What is going on here? A chemical reaction? A haunting? What?"

Then, I noticed 2 small dead-ish bugs on the tray near the powder.

 

And then I noticed these holes in this wooden bracelet.

And everything started clicking into place...

I took to Google and quickly concluded that my bracelet had been infiltrated by wood borers. Wood borers, also known as powder post beetles, are more commonly known for their appetite for furniture than their consumption of costume jewelry. Nonetheless, I believe that the mystery has in fact been solved.

So, I threw the bracelet in the trash. Too bad. It was cute.

{And some might say, delicious.}