Posted 8 years ago
Emme
(41 items)
I found two nice silver items today. The pin is my favorite. It is 1" long, and so sweet. The metal around the outside is silver, there are 4 pairs of marcasites opposing each other on each pole. There is etching on the silver. The cameo is Mother of Pearl on top of abalone, or it could possibly be one piece. The image of the cameo is that of Victoria, at least that is what a collector-- told me when I showed her what I had found. I was told it was made in Germany as it is marked 800. There is a maker's mark on the clasp of the pin, but it is worn out. I included a picture of the clasp which as a crown she to it. Any information anyone can share about this kind of cameo is greatly appreciated.
A very young Victoria, I would imagine if it really is her Majesty. Nice brooch/pendant! RER
Beautiful~!!!! I especially love the amber bracelet.
Your collector is misinformed.
The brooch is Edwardian, not Victorian. In order for it to have been made during Victoria's lifetime, it would have a tube hinge instead of a coil hinge. Victoria died in 1901. Edwardian style jewelry began in 1901 and went through to 1915. The cameo is fashioned after the style of the period, but it isn't Queen Victoria. There is no reason for a foreign country to create an image of Victoria in a piece of lower grade silver jewelry.
This brooch was also not made in Germany. From the Silver Collection website: "German hallmarking system was unified in 1888 (see Decree January 7, 1886) adopting the national mark "crescent and crown" indicating in thousandths the fineness of silver. This system is still in use in present days."
http://www.silvercollection.it/germansilverhallmark2.html
Here is a list of what countries use (or used in the past) 800 silver:
http://www.925-1000.com/a_Standards.html
Here is a video explaining two different types of brooch hinges and when they were produced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Hcvrqa4kA
~Bonnie~
The clasp is not a "crown" but simply a method of designing the rollover clasp to make it easier to close.
Both are beautiful!
And I second Bonnie on her advices :-)
Hey Bonnie, thanks for the info. Now I know to take with a grain of salt any comments from strangers at the jewelry counter, even if they are "experts." I did think the hinge was wrong for the time period suggested, but an expert said.... I have seen that hinge video, on your page? Anyway, you may be the person to ask about a good book on older silver, know of any?
Efesgirl, now about that bracelet....
Emme, I need to see better/closer photos of the bracelet.
Bonnie, :), I was kidding because you have si much knowledge. I'll post it after work. It looks newish-- but what do I know? I was thinking of starting off looking at Baltic & Russian makers, since a lot of amber came from there in the 1990s.
The amber appears to be what's called Spangle Amber - amber which has been heated to produce slivers/bubbles.
I don't have any books specifically on old silver, so can't really give advice about that; I use the internet and Google Images for references. I have three antique books , two of which contain sections on gold, silver and jewelry.
Thanks for all of your help.
Thanks all for the love; aura, glassiegirl, Midnight1208, martika, vetraio50, racer4four, Kyratango, mikelv85, Efesgirl, melaniej, Destiny.jennifer.g., TassieDevil, Brunswick, blunderbuss2 -- phew!
Just to be fair, Emme never said the pin was Victorian (unless I missed the original post and it was edited later). She reported a collector had said the image was that OF Queen Victoria.
Thanks Davyd, I was told that it was probably Victorian. That was the only comment I edited. I still love this brooch.
Understood. That's what I get for missing a few days. Feel free to use the Delete Comment button on my contribution and may I suggest in the future for the benefit of those joining the CW conversations at a later date, noting the corrections below the main body of your original post like you see other CW members do.
Noted Davyd286. it was like three words. Anywhoo, you want me to delete your prior post? I'm so sorry. I am a newbie. I know now for the future.
Emme