Posted 7 years ago
krysciobrad
(184 items)
Found this pin in a jar of jewelry from the local thrift store. Featuring a horseshoe lined with garnet or rubies. I’m pretty sure it’s gold. The pin has three markings. The only one I can make out is the maker which is J•M. I don’t know the others. The second is faded, could be an eagle head. The back of horseshoe has another’s faded marking. The photos aren’t the best but if you think you see something comment below.
Very nice lucky horseshoe stickpin, the faceted red stones are lovely
Love this! I do not think the stones are Garnet or Ruby. I believe these stones are Rubellite Tourmalines, also called "Red Tourmaline". The raspberry coloring in these stones are gorgeous, and although Rubies are rarer than Rubellite, the Rubellite is more expensive to purchase and I know it is because of the color. You can see the fire in these stones in natural and incandescent lighting and they are a hard enough stones so they can be used in any type of jewelry.
Rubellite Tourmaline has been mistaken many times and thought to be Rubies. In 1777, King Gustavus the Third of Sweden presented what he thought to be a priceless Ruby to the Russian Empress Catherine The Great. And in the Seventeenth Century, the Tsar of Russia commissioned many pieces of jewelry to be made for the members of the Imperial Crown Court. They were to be made with what he thought to be priceless Rubies. The stones were all later found to be Rubellite Tourmalines in both cases.
Very nice find, this is gorgeous!!