Unger Bros Brooch

last brooch for awhile.
I felt like after perusing many sites on fake UB this is a legit UB brooch, but I'd love your thoughts.

PS I'd love to get a locket, preferably with cupids. Any sources on that btw.

 

UB brooch by abbypanda posted Sep 4, 2020 at 10:44 PM

UB brooch back by abbypanda posted Sep 4, 2020 at 10:45 PM

UB brooch back 2 by abbypanda posted Sep 4, 2020 at 10:45 PM

 

Looks good to me. Beautiful Art Nouveau design, the logo stamp looks right and the back shows the right construction.

 

My eyesight isn't what it used to be, but it looks to me like it may be cast - is it solid, or is it hollow? A proper Unger brooch like this would typically be die-struck and hollow, front soldered to the back, with at least one vent-hole on the back.


This piece is as it should be, crisp clean detail, vent-hole by the clasp, mark well-struck:







https://www.etsy.com/listing/706319...=unger+bros+jewelry&ref=sr_gallery-1-38&frs=1


~Cheryl

 

Thanks Cheryl, I think you are spot on.

When I usually see repros they do not have the right hinge and clasp. Your comments on the vent hole and "crisp and clean front" are so right. I am sorry abbypanda, I spoke too soon and I think this is a repro

 

Hmmm let me post some cell pics but it has a bent hole and significant details EveN down to the dandelion?

it’s definitely hollow

 

Yes,post better photos with different lighting and I'll tell you about the defects on your piece.

 

Unger brooch by abbypanda posted Sep 5, 2020 at 9:43 PM

Brooch back by abbypanda posted Sep 5, 2020 at 9:43 PM

Do these work?

 

The area lacking detail across the shoulder is a reflection

 

The vent holes appear to have been punched with a nail from the inside instead of drilled from the outside.The seam between the two parts is poorly soldered.The pin hinge has been replaced/repaired with sloppy soldering.The lighting isn't good on the front surface,but there appears to be solder balls or casting bubbles.

 

What are solder balls and casting bubbles

 

I’m trying to find the links again but I’ve seen other unger pieces with vents like this

 

Ok here
This is not the one I bought
But the holes are the same

I wish I could find more examples of this exact brooch for comparison

https://www.etsy.com/listing/604073721/lady-blowing-dandelion-unger-bros?show_sold_out_detail=1

Here’s another with similar holes
https://www.rubylane.com/item/21053...t-Nouveau-Sterling-Lovers?search=1&t=baad4277

https://www.rubylane.com/item/75307...age-Large-Sterling-Brooch?search=1&t=6fd98012

are they all fakes or potentially some were produced this way???
There’s a few others on rl with clearer holes that look to be punched from the inside as well idk if they are supposed to be from the inside??

 

OK, now I am confused. I will bow out and wait for other, more expert opinions.

 

Punching a vent-hole with a sharp object like that is just odd, and it left a protrusion that would inhibit proper finishing (from your first pic of the back, didn't even occur to me that it was a vent-hole) - why would Unger do something like that? Unger Bros. pieces have been faked for decades, and being hollow doesn't necessarily indicate it's genuine - if you've researched, then surely you've seen the 1998 Silver Magazine article by Janet Zapata linked below - at least they used a drill, and since I've seen some insist their piece must be genuine because the mark doesn't include the 'dot', it's an anomaly found on that particular piece, not all fakes.

https://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/000332.html

You asked for opinions, to my eye, your piece has some issues...

~Cheryl

 

Yep those are the only articles I’ve seen on fakes the dot in the u....
So that’s why I’ve been researching more
If fakes are this prevalent you think there would be more info

as to why would unger do that idk!
ive found yet more with holes punched from the inside

https://www.rubylane.com/item/80850...BROS-Sterling-Silver-Girl?search=1&t=19f2fd8d

This here the one hole looks punched from the outside the other the inside

https://www.rubylane.com/item/50198...hers-Art-Nouveau-Sterling?search=1&t=59729d00

I’m finding a # of pieces done in this manner so idk!

 

Eh, the vent-holes in both those pieces you reference are round, as they should be, and they both look fine to me - yours were, as already suggested, punched with a sharp object like a nail...

~Cheryl

 

Yes, the other person had mentioned "punched from the inside instead of drilled from the outside" as if coming from the inside was a problem?

Whats real curious idk if you saw the Links is this one: It has a drilled hole and one that looks like it was punched? Why leave it like that???https://www.rubylane.com/item/21053...t-Nouveau-Sterling-Lovers?search=1&t=baad4277

 

After looking at more posted examples,the holes were drilled and not punched. The raised area in the holes are from not drilling all the way through the plate and leaving a burr which should have been filed and cleaned off.

 

Ty so drilled from inside ok?