How can you tell Jewelry before 1906? (Stamping date)

OK, glad we could help.

Jewellery is vast field, more complex than many other areas of antiques. If you have any questions after you've had a look at the links etc, just ask.

 

I'm finding it a bit difficult to figure out what you're wanting here - if it's just concerning marks, they will vary from place to place, and change from time to time, and a lot of jewelry will bear no marks at all. As has already been suggested by many, educating yourself regarding styles, materials and marks, if there is a specific area you're interested in, then delve into it - there are members here who've researched and asked questions as well, becoming quite knowledgeable and intuitive regarding jewelry in their own right. Personally, being a compulsive reader and researcher, I learn new things all the time...


Not sure if you're focusing on the U.S. and the National Stamping Act, but in the simplest terms, there is no requirement that items must be marked, only that if marked, marketed or represented as a precious metals, they must meet the standard indicated; a 1961 amendment required that if marked, they must also bear a registered trademark; a 2018 amendment added, among other things, the acceptance of precious metals lower than U.S. standards, so long as appropriately marked and meeting the fineness indicated. If you're somehow thinking it's useful in dating a piece to before 1906, then you're mistaken - gold and silver jewelry was often marked with both fineness and maker prior to that.


~Cheryl

 

Thanks.

I'm looking for design styles, patterns, ways of displaying gems, how the metals look now, even smells (but I'll have to shop around for that one).

 

I think the top threads of the Jewelry Forum give you a lot of studying material. It will take time.
Here is an excellent and easy start into styles and periods:

https://www.langantiques.com/university/jewelry-eras/

You can scroll down the page to any style period you are interested in, and click on the link.

And here is an easy timeline with hyperlinks:

https://www.langantiques.com/university/timeline/

 

And I've seen similar cast in metal and made in the last decade. Apparently nothing ever really goes away entirely.

 

To quote Ecclesiastes: Nothing new under the sun.

 

Brass & silver have distinctive smells. There is no way to describe this in words, you just have to handle known examples of each metal & learn that way. It can help to rub the piece vigorously against your clothes or other fabric & then sniff.

We also sometimes use taste, UV light & magnets to get a clue to material & from material to an idea of where & when made.

 

Or rub your thumb over the metal, and sniff.

 

I can smell brass dead easily, comes with growing up with a father who loved polishing it. Same with silver.

 

According to Google "This required that a manufacturer put a quality stamp on his karat gold or silver items along with their hallmark."

Why do you say there is no requirement? You mean like there has never been a prosecution in something like this?

 

Google is just a search engine, there is a massive amount of misinformation online...


I tried to explain the provisions of the National stamping act in simple terms, but perhaps this page from MJSA (Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America), a century old trade association, might offer you a bit more information:

https://www.mjsa.org/publications/compliance-guides/marking-stamping-regulations

~Cheryl

 

Simple,the law states there is no requirement to put a quality mark on pieces. But if you do it also requires a federal registered trademark/maker's mark or maker's full name. Maybe you saw the original gold stamp act which has been updated and modified over the years.

https://www.mjsa.org/publications/compliance-guides/marking-stamping-regulations