Posted 9 years ago
Avalonmarch
(1 item)
I found this is in an estate sale cheap and broken. It has the Weiss stamp on the back. I was told it was 70 years old. No stones missing. Can anyone tell me if the stones are glass or plastic? How can I clean it? Any info would be appreciated!
That's a really pretty piece Avalonmarch!
Beautiful! The stones look like glass to me, one of the experts here may have a different opinion.
Could the large cream stones be Bakelite? It really needs a cleaning as it smells of cigarette smoke. What can I use? I have heard of people using rubbing alcohol, mouthwash or toothpaste but I'm afraid I'll ruin it because I don't know what it is made of. Not sure if it would be worth taking to a jeweller.
There are mild jewelry cleaners you can buy where you dip the item into solution for a few second then rinse and dry. I've used them and never had anything ruined. To test for bakelite, if you live in the US, 409 on a q-tip rubbed on the surface should turn yellow. Be sure to dry off the 409 right away.
TBH, bakelite rarely is this color white, however, so I would suspect it is not bakelite. These do look like glass to me. You can try touching to feel if they are cold, which would indicate glass, also tasting. A chemical taste means plastic, no taste means glass (or stone). (H/T to kyratango who taught me all I know.)
Is there anyway to confirm it is authentic Weiss? Been doing some Google searches and there's a lot of fakes.
Looks like the hallmark used c.1951. Beyond that, this looks very much like a Weiss piece, very typical stones, shapes, settings, drop/clasp. An expert may have a different opinion, but I'd say it's Weiss.
I've been searching the Internet for a picture of the same necklace or even a similar one but no luck. Does anyone know where I could find someone who could confirm the authenticity?