Featured Is there a name for the type of pottery in this necklace?

Sorting through mounds of jewelry and I need a little help on this one. Is there a name for the type of pottery that's used in the "panels"? It's very brittle and unfortunately one of them has cracked. No markings on it that I've been able to find.

This is another piece from our family member's estate. Don't think it has much age to it. She purchased lots of jewelry in Italy in the 80s and early 90s and I think this fits in that time frame.

 

Unglazed bisque china with Roman relief decoration. Interesting little plaques. I'm wondering if they're not a whole heck of a lot older than the bracelet itself. The clasp and style indicate late 80s into early 90s.

 

They are meant to look like lava & may in fact be reconstituted lava. They are impressions made from a cast of this Poniatowski gem:

http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/EE739B8A-FAA0-441A-A17E-421849135865

 

It's a bit Tagliamonte-esque, but I don't think they have ever made faux lava. Is it completely unmarked?

 

Thank you both so much for the help!

I haven't been able to find anything on it, but it's possible I missed something. I'll be back at the house again tomorrow and can go over it again.

 

That's exceedingly pretty.

Debora

 

I've seen this type of jewelry described as Jasperware or Basalt or Wedgewood Basalt. It's crumbling like it may actually be lava.

I actually have this pin - is Jasperware always figured in contrasting layers - like Wedgewood?

 

You should get the metal tested - look for marks, of course! It's a very lovely necklace.

 

I think basalt may be the only material Wedgwood routinely used for monochromatic pieces:

http://www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/collections/search-the-collection/search/basalt/page/1

There is jasper ware using three colors, but I can't recall ever seeing anything using only one. Most of it is white on a color. Can't vouch for what other potteries that made their own lines may have done.

 

It absolutely is. Wish I could find it again. Know I once read something about modern lava pieces being ground 'lava' (solidified volcanic ash) mixed with resin, then molded. Some lava pieces definitely look molded & the cameos in this necklace obviously were. @sassafras could we see the back, including another closeup of one of the cameos?

 

Black basalt Wedgewood museum

Is made from reddish clay (with added manganese) that fires black, so not the material this necklace.

Wedgwood said of his newly developed body: 'Black is Sterling and will last forever'.

 

Ash from Pompeii!

 

Well, from Vesuvius anyway. Wonder if there are signs at Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, & Oplontis forbidding the removal of any remaining lava.

 

Is that Churchill marked as Wedgwood? I don't think the plaque is by them.

Jasperware, really, ought only ever be a term used for Wedgwood, but it's got stolen. The commonest colour is white on a background: that can be solid, but it can also be dipped. I do have a few bits which are coloured on white. Dudson et al made wares which emulate the stuff, but it's known as sprigged. And then you get into moulded wares, coloured Parian and more.

Signs: none at Herculaneum about taking lava that I saw. And there were stalls selling lava jewellery like mad, mostly beads. Interestingly, there's very few places in Europe or Africa that seem to have signage saying don't nick the antiquities. The one place I can recall seeing signs everywhere was the Petrified Forest National Park.

 

So many things to learn!

I'll take more pics when I go over today. I think I saw a set of matching earrings too.

 

If they happen to be clips, I'd be jolly interested in the set.

 

All of her earrings are clips.

 

Ooooooohhhhhhh..... you've got me.

 

At the summit of Masada they order you not to pick up any stones or shards...or carry anything back down the mountain....

 

"I've seen it described" means "ask around" lol

Didnt mean the piece was Wedgewood - the back is covered, in any case... Wedgewood always carries that satisfying little mark and likely wouldn't be covered.

Isn't basalt or basaltware a ceramic material that stands alone?