Featured Help to date and describe vintage (costume) brooch

Very nice and not costume, I think. I'd agree it might be gold but it might also be vermeil. Looks mid to late 19th C to me. Mourning piece.

 

Hi
Just coming back to the boards.
Your picture looked greyish to me that is why I was thinking silver. After I posted, I realized these were usually in gold tones, so I posted possibly gold washed.

I really hope that you do not let anyone destroy your piece by having a scratch and then acid put on it. Can't tell you how many nice pieces of jewelry I have seen ruined.

Higher gold karat will be marked. Low karat, or gold washed (vermeil) will not.

This is an older piece of jewelry. People who collect this type of jewelry will know what they are looking at.

I did not know the term Taille d'épargne. Found more examples here
https://www.google.com/search?q=Tai...rbzyAIVhzKICh3UuQzd&biw=1459&bih=974&dpr=0.85

 

Not all high carat is marked, if it's early. Yeah, no scratches and acid please.

 

I see no harm in a discrete scratch and test on the back somewhere. It would not bother me on a piece bought in. If someone has done it previously it might save me doing it. In any case any acid marks will polish off easily and there is no need to dig a Grand Canyon to test.

 

Hi AF,
Don't get me started. I had a yard sale with a table full of silver plated items. I had the sterling in a display case. I had a young man came up to me and said " I tested your silver and it is all plate" I thought it was kind of strange. Later when I was near the silver table I found out he had put a huge scratch test with chemicals in the center of each piece! I almost had my stroke.
greg

 

I get a modern feeling about it due to the pin which appears to be zinc-plated steel, just like a lot of items you see at the hardware store today. I've seen many decorative, intricate items for sale with the same kind of finish, same colors etc. in places like Egypt, although they were mostly wall-hang things like fancy metal chargers or plates. Am thinking the item may be late 20th C, although I am quite ignorant regarding jewelry.

 

spring, it's absolutely NOT modern. The construction, technique, quality, design, hinge and pin all point to late Victorian/Edwardian. The pins on old brooches are often not precious metal, although I don't see anything to indicate that the pin isn't silver.

 

Wow. It's really great to see everyone here and weighing in on this piece.

Tomorrow I will take this to an award-winning jeweler who I know well. I hope his experienced eye will be able to confirm gold purity. I am really leaning away from testing it...

Meanwhile, I plan to list it on Monday. Normally, I start low when I expect a piece to do well, usually at $9.99, to get people hooked. Federal Coin Exchange's similar pin (though not as nice) has been languishing at $219.95 on their site (and eBay store). So I just wonder if you good people think my strategy is a reasonable one in this case.

And again, thank you!

 

I still wonder why I don't get email notifications when there's a new posting here. I thought this thread had gone quiet, but today I found lots of new replies... Do others experience the same thing? (I made sure I checked the appropriate box.)

 

I think starting low often works well. Make sure you get in that it's a mourning piece, hm?

 

Thank you for that. And I'm guessing you think it important to get "mourning piece" into the title?

 

I do indeed.

 

The fact that the pin/clasp extends out as far as it does says before the 1920s, I believe.

 

What an interesting detail. Thank you.

 

Yup, spot on. Once rollover clasps were invented, the long pin was uneccessary. That hinge is early, too.

 

That is so interesting about the length of the pin.

The jeweler was enchanted with it. But could not confirm gold content with a loupe. Alas, turned out he was looking for a mark. But he will take it to West Reading Precious Metals who he says can test it without a scratch and acid test.

 

If it is 9K rose gold, would it still be called "chased?" And is "reticulated" the correct adjective for all its movable parts?

 

Not reticulated that means small pierced or open areas in the design.

 

Some key words to consider not in any order of importance: Mourning, enamel, xx gold, Victorian, pin, brooch, dangle

 

Indeed - good keywords. And chased and reticulated refer to the decoration techniques not the metals used.