Posted 15 years ago
Hiri
(1 item)
What is this? I have had it silver tested and, yes it is silver despite absence of silver marks. The stones are irregularly shaped - but very hard and sparkly and easily scratch glass. There is extremely fine beading around the outside and inside of the stones, and the bar is fixed and can't be removed easily. I think it may be an example of a beautifully made Georgian silver buckle, which I found in a bric a brac shop in the north of Scotand. I like it beacuse it seems to be very old and handmade, and even though I am not a jewelry-type person I have been wearing it as a scarf ring. I would appreciate any comments about what it actually is!
I think you are wearing it how it was made to be worn. At least its being used to many lovely pieces sit in a drawer and are never used.
I have taken this piece to antique collectors/dealers for their appraisal. It has been identified by three different English dealers in Durham County as a quality Georgian silver shoe buckle, with the stones being either paste or spinels.
From my own research through the internet it would date from around 1750's - 1790's when milling was common and items weighing less than 10 pennyweight did not require a silver mark.
I think this identifies the object to my satisfaction, and I still love it!