Old Turquoise and Sterling rings with a twist...

Good Sunday Afternoon!

I've been enjoying reading past threads and have two rings I'd like feedback on...both were found about two hours from each other in eastern Ohio, WV area; one at a flea market and one at an antique store. The tops look like traditional Native American style. The bands, however, are not in Native style and look to be from 1900-1920's, maybe, almost Victorian?

The first one is in a window box similar to a recent thread on Robert Dishta/Zuni style. It is not marked, but tests sterling. The other one is a lovely piece of (what I was told by the 92 year old woman who sold it to me as a natural piece) Kingman mine turquoise. Both have nice craftsmanship and both "feel" quite old.

I don't know? What do you think? Have you seen anything like this before? Do you think a craftsman from years ago, brought home some turquoise and made these?

 

The flowered band appears to be patterned flat stock Rio Grande and a number of other suppliers have been selling for maybe 20 years.The large turquoise ring looks like a marriage,bezel plate soldered onto an older ring.Put a drop of water on the turquoise and see what happens.

 

Interesting about the Rio Grand stock...maybe the first is a repair to replace a very worn band? So strange I found two of these in the same general vicinity. On the large piece of turquoise, the water beads up and rolls off...

 

Since the water didn't soak into the stone,it is resin stabilized and was processed sometime after the late 1970's.

 

Very interesting! Thanks, Hollyblue! Knowledge is key....

 

The second one was probably made the way it is then; the top one looks like a marriage. Someone's ring broke and they liked it too much to just throw it in a drawer.

The water trick can fail with old rings; one of mine just flunked it. The stone is green due to exposure to lord-knows before I ever got it. It has a hand cut split shank with some decoration on it, exact age...good question. If it were stabilized I don't think it would have turned colors like it did, so odds are exposure to hand lotion/skin oil can futz with the water test.

 

wow. thanks for the pointer about turquoise. I never knew that. was just at auction where they had about 7 sterling (turquoise rings ) sold for 25.00 (only 10 people at the auction) wish i would have known then what I know now!

 

That may have been a good deal and may have been stealing. I'd love to have been there too; it sounds like there wasn't any competition. Jewelry auctions locally sold for silly money when I used to go.

 

Hollyblue, I've been having fun testing my turquoise . I've accumulated a lot, it seems. By this test, all seem to be made after the late 70's, with the possible exception of a ring that *might* not be balling up as much..but I don't know....it isn't polished very well? Is there ever anything used in the process of polishing natural turquoise that will cause the water to ball up?

 

well they accidentally put the address as east and it was on the west end of that road.. plus it was in a back yard of a house that sat way off the road.. i was shocked as well.. i only had 2 other people they were only interested in the sterling and the gold.. so i bought the costume.

 

I've antique gold jewellery set with turquoise. It fails that water test, just as the supposed amber tests don't work either.