Assistance to identify markers on silver brooch and should I buy

I have had my eye on a brooch as well as a brooch and earring set. I am very new to this and don’t want to pay out money on something that has no value. Assistance on identifying the marks and how much is reasonable to spend on these pieces would be very much appreciated.

 

What's reasonable depends on why you would be buying. For resale? You just like? They would add to a collection you have?

They all look very well made to me. I like the grapes better than the other one.

 

@Angela Stephenson If there is still time to edit your title, it might help to add the word 'silver'. You need those eyes too.

 

I agree. The grape brooch is also a pendant, which is a bonus. Brooches are not that popular, and it is nice to have a choice how to wear them.
The grape set is Mexican, post-1979, by a maker from Taxco. I don't know which maker, the code isn't in my Mexican marks book.
I would pick the grape set.

The single brooch is 1960s, the pearls may not be real. It is a nice piece, but the style is not in demand.

 

I am hoping to start a collection of my own and leave it for my children someday. My grandmother passed away a year ago and it was only after going through her jewelry I realized that I really didn’t have anything that I could leave for my children or grandchildren someday. My grandmother had beautiful pieces and some of it I was able to keep to start my collection. I have always had an interest in jewelry but never collected anything or really looked into it until recently. I can’t believe how much there is to know about this stuff. I am sure I may come across some stuff that I could resell but the majority of what I find I want for myself to give to family someday.

 

That first pin does not have any "silver marks" on it that I can see. The M and S on the back are probably for the maker, but are not indicative of silver content.

 

The grape set.

 

Thank you. I changed the title.

 

Stick with the grapes. I've got clip earrings and a brooch, both Mexican. Well made.

 

To the extent I can get my head around it, the world of jewellery might as well be stars in the universe, unfathomably vast (I know someone will jump in here & tell us just how many there are estimated to be). Not as though I ever do anything this rational, but I think you need to consider in general terms what it is you would like to bequeath.

Could be an eclectic group of things that more than anything expresses your personal taste, things you will actually wear, so that heirs will say, Oh, I remember that pin/necklace/ring.

Could be a collection as in 'contemporary Taxco silver jewellery', something you would be interested in learning more about & having more of. (Could be jewellery of any type that features a grape cluster motif.)

(Found this in my mother's things after she died.)
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Then there is investment grade, passing along what you hope will be a capital asset. That's a whole other realm, one where you really do need to educate yourself by learning makers, following auction results, etc., before you sink money into anything.

 

I just buy what I like wearing.

Oops.

 

Thank you. You have given me lots to think about and look into. I love that you provided a picture. It’s very beautiful. I definitely want to find things that I like and will wear. I don’t have a brooch so I thought either one of these would be nice. Next I want to buy a cameo. I don’t have that either. I see there is a thread about that so looking forward to reading the posts.

 

I thritto the grapes. Then you can be on the lookout for the bracelet and necklace! I have always liked that grape motif.

 

Something when assembling a collection the thought "I just have to have that!" is helpful. If you buy what you love, your children will love it because you did.

Debora

 

So do I. But I also buy to have a nest egg, so I buy bargains, and it has to have some quality (within budget). Fortunately I like wearing quality.
I also look at things that are likely to have a lasting collectible value. One of my likes is ethnic jewellery, which has been collectible for over a century. I don't expect that to pass any time soon.

 

On the pearl pin, is the M in a shape that looks like a scallop shell? If so it is a Mikimoto piece and that makes it a bit more desirable. The S would be for sterling.

Check ebay completed listings for similar pieces and get a feeling for value

 

Tricky, as with any collection, to buy with the idea of lasting value as tastes change and hard to forecast. I'd think items made of precious metal safest investment because it will never lose its scrap value in a worst case scenario.

Debora

 

Exactly. I only buy precious metal, but that is also because I am in The Netherlands. We don't have the affinity with costume jewellery the North Americans have, so I would have trouble selling it here.
The only costume pieces I have, are what I call 'hitchhikers', they came in a lot with other jewellery.

The ethnic jewellery I mentioned, has known a steady group of collectors since the 19th century, that hasn't changed and I can't see it changing anytime soon. But it is a field where you have to know your stuff.
And I always buy at bargain prices, like most of us here on Antiquers.

 

I would not buy the grapes. They are common and still available in today's market.
I have some from the 40s before the change of marks. They have a different look and don't look as thick and clunky.
The fact that the earrings are pierced indicates that they are fairly current. The original grape earrings were large and clip. I have a pair that I wear. The older ones look different.

I like the pearl pin. It is different and would look lovely on a dark lapel.

Here is what you should focus on.
What goes with your clothes?
What will you actually wear? - Keep in mind your tastes change as you get older. What you like now may not be what you like 20 years from now.
Sell what you end up not wearing, save for your children the pieces you enjoy - as those will be the ones they remember you wearing.

Buy what you like at a price you are comfortable paying.
Some people only like gold, others only silver. Some only costume.
People buy jewelry for a lot of reasons.
Buy what you like and will enjoy.