Vintage Bender Sterling Silver Oval Starburst designed Red Garnet cuff links and tie tac

Bender Sterling Silver Oval Starburst Red Garnet cuff links and tie tac
Tie tie tac is missing chain that broke off of the bar
The cuff links dimensions are each 5/8" x 3/4" x 1 1/4" in open direction or 3/4" in closed direction. The tie tac without the chain dimensions are 1/4" x 1/2" x 1/2"
I would like to find out their material, their decade and their stones are made of? Thank you for your assistance in this request. Rob

 

Any marks on them?

Are you sure they are garnets? If costume metal they could be glass, if gold they could be amethysts or rubies. The color looks wrong for garnets.

 

Did not see any marks. Saw the word Bender.
Not sure if they are garnets. Not sure if gold either makes sense that the stone could be amethysts or rubies if gold. I will go with the safer bet that its costume metal and glass. Thank you.

 

There are pinkish garnets, but if the 'sterling' isn't actually sterling, the stones are likely to be glass.
Nice cufflinks though.

 

Ok, thank you for the info. I might take it to a jewelry store to have them looked at.

 

Jewelry stores often charge for appraisals. If you continue to deal in jewelry, you might want to invest in a test kit.

 

I am not sure that they are garnets. It might be from the light that make them look pink. Under my magnifying glass, they look darker red color. I will try to get better pictures without the light reflections. Rob

 

I would not ask for appraisal just to ask if they are real or not

 

I believe the light reflected the pinkish garnets. Under my magnifying glass, they look like darker red. Also, on one of the sides it says Bender and on the other side it says sterling on both of the cuff links. The tie tac looks like same as the cuff links but the chain and bar are missing from the tie tac. I can assume it to be but I can not tell you definitely that it is because it does not have the words Bender or Sterling on it that I could see from my magnify glass. Rob

 

I hastingly responded that I did not see marks because I was thinking of symbols. Now that I have looked over the cuff links one side has the word Bender and the other side has the word Sterling. I suppose those would be marks, too. Rob

 

If they are sterling the stones could be actual stones, but they could also be glass. Best have them tested. Find a jeweler who doesn't charge for that.

 

ok, the right cuff link left post STERLING and right post BENDER and are easier to read than the left cuff link. My camera does not do well up close and usually blurs the image. However, I got this one which is one of the better up close pics I could get on the words STERLING and BENDER. Rob

 

I see BINDER with an I not BENDER with an E.

Binder Brothers of NYC. In business since before WWI.

 

Still in business. https://www.sterlingflatwarefashions.com/Silversmiths/SSB6.html

 

I'd definitely get them tested. The metal is sterling, no question, but those stones could be anything.

 

Oh yea, have it tested. I’ve had silver with precious gems and gold with glass stones. You never know!

 

I have a hard time making those letters out with a magnifying glass even when I add light to it. Thank you for showing me the errors of my ways. Rob

 

How do you go about testing different types of stones i.e. diamonds, garnets, glass?
Rob

 

I'd take them to someone with a Presidium gem tester or similar, or to someone who knows stones. I'm used to seeing glass stones in cufflinks with similar designs, but that doesn't mean anything.