Featured Costwold Finds (Stroud Antique Shops are AWESOME)

I made it a priority to visit some proper antique places as we don't get many (and no jewelry) ones around here. I sure found some winners!
Hopefully anyway.

Gorgeous agate set in silver. Circa 1870s?
I checked it twice for any damage, gave it the all clear, got it home, boom there's a chip. There wasn't a chip in the bag it was in, so I must have missed it. I had it well wrapped and it never moved on the journey home so can't think it was on my watch.




I'm hoping this is a legit cairncorn brooch? And its an oldie. 3rd quarter 19th?
I checked it under sunlight and a loup for signs of bubbles, but couldn't find any. Does the jury concur?




I liked this little brooch and it was cheap, but I'm curious about what the red stuff is? I looks like some sort of wax or clay. Also, is this pinchbeck? Or just plated brass? Age? Its small, probably a 2 or 3 cm across.




These are what I thought was amethyst (again, checked them in sunlight under a loupe) and not glass. But now under my loupe I see air bubbles? Need opinions.





Really hard to get photos of the gems, sorry!

BUT NOW my prize possession from this trip.



A Georgian or early Victorian? hair mourning brooch!!!! I spotted it after I had already checked out sitting in a little bag, marked a whole 5 pounds. The dealer should have known better but his focus was antique gold rings so perhaps not his area of expertise. Pinchbeck? Either way, its staying with me for a WHILE.​

 

I’m wondering if the melted material is cinnabar lacquer rather than wax but I’m guessing so wait for others. Nice find for £5!

 

Nice finds, Rachel! Yes, Stroud has a lot of nice antiques shops.

I think you mean Cairngorm, after the Cairngorm range in Scotland, where the stones are found. Cairngorms are either citrine or smoky quartz. You need to test it, but these pebble brooches often have genuine Cairngorms.

A little late Georgian veil brooch or lace brooch. Maybe the red stuff is sealing wax?

Late Georgian brooch. Sentimental rather than mourning imo, since there is no black to indicate mourning.

 

I was thinking sealing wax yes, but cinnabar laquer looks right too..hmmm

Yes Cairngorm is what I meant haha, thank you @Any Jewelry! I'll test it.

Speaking of testing, both the amethyst pieces don't test high. I can't get the earrings to react at all, the brooch goes up by 1 or maybe 2.

Woot woot to BOTH being Georgian!! I love this era. And good to know on sentimental, that does make sense.

 

Afaik cinnabar lacquer was only used by the Chinese.

 

Could be glass, not unusual.

 

https://navettejewellery.org/2024/04/24/georgian-and-victorian-mourning-jewellery-pins-and-brooches/
One of these brooches has an unusual dark red panel in the centre but they don’t say what it is

 

It looks like it could be behind glass. And the red panel looks like it has a pattern, maybe a piece of fabric?

 

Yes maybe it is fabric. I’m wondering if something fell out of Rachel’s brooch and they filled it with red sealing wax.

 

Could be. Or maybe the wax originally had initials, which melted/faded out after exposure to heat.

 

I bet someone stored Granny's brooch in the attic and...oh well.

 

Heh. You bought the stuff I’d buy. The hardstone does look cairngorm. I don’t think the sentimental one is pinchbeck, I think the dealer missed gold. That red is weird.

 

These are ALL really lovely @RachelW and definitely things I'd pick up too. Congratulations on your treasures!

 

When I see these blotches on items I often think someone has already acid tested for gold. What do you think joolies?

 

Ditto.

 

Wonderful finds, congratulations

 

Just wanted to say I am reading but I'm absolutely swamped with work atm so havent found a moment to properly respond. Thank you all for your replies!!

There is some patchiness on the 'gold' that needs investigating, I assumed it was plated or similar but i will check it properly when I get a chance.