Victorian cast iron inkwell, now broken

I bought this inkwell thinking it was perfect and very patinated bronze. I didn't look hard enough because later I realized it was cast iron.
I scrubbed some of rust out of the ink holders using powdery all purpose polish. Suddenly the hinge becomes dull and pewter-like in colour and out of the weight, breaks before I know anything. This is very upsetting of course. What even happened to it?
Is there a way to save the inkwell and restore it properly (no super glue)?

 

Perhaps epoxy?
If you try this you have to cover anything that it shouldn't get on and be very careful.
Use one not too thick and will not dry for 5 minutes or so while you carefully dab it into place with a flat toothpick or some such.
Try different ways to clamp it before you do anything then use the best option.

 

Are there pieces that broke off we can see or did the missing material just turn to dust? That obviously influences how it would be repaired. If you really want it to look original get a quote from a professional restorer.

 

One of the sides broke off in one piece and can be placed exactly into its original place. The other one I couldn't find except for a small particle.
Wasn't cast iron considered a cheap material even in the victorian era? Is the inkwell worth having restored?

 

JB Weld works great for cast iron repairs.

 

For resale: My guess is that the item would bring way less than $100., and a professional repair would exceed that. You will have to tell bidders it has been repaired. How much do you love it?

 

Isn't that stuff pretty thick?

 

I agree J B Weld has worked wonders for some of my mishaps.

 

Do you have the glass inserts?

If you don't, I would just scrap it.

 

One thing for cleaning rust which works really well is Naval Jelly. I use it on anything that has rust and not one issue thus far.

 

Desperate Fun is right. Unless you have the glass or porcelain inserts, it's not really worth saving.