Featured Can anyone identify hallmarks on these bracelets?

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by Joan, Sep 27, 2020.

  1. Joan

    Joan Well-Known Member

    I bought these 3 bangle bracelets at a thrift store in Wisconsin for $1.58 total because I liked the designs, thought they looked possibly hand crafted, and saw what looked like teeny tiny hallmarks on all of them. I took closeup pictures but have no idea how to interpret the hallmarks. I used my gold/silver/platinum test stone kit and they're not sterling, but tested as 10K gold and also platinum -- is that even possible? The photos of the hallmarks are a little fuzzy, but that's the best I can do.
    BangleBracelets-Wide.jpg BangleBracelets-Narrow.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2020
  2. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

  3. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

  4. Joan

    Joan Well-Known Member

    Thank you so much INH and Bakersgma. It looks like the "3" represents .800 silver after 1963 and before 1986, which seems like the right timeframe for the style (closer to 60s than 80s). And I think I see a "W", which must mean they were made in Warsaw. So, does the second hallmark represent the person/jeweler who made the bracelet? Probably impossible to determine? I'm confused, though, about my acid tests. I tried the silver acid again, and am not seeing a brown color on the stone for .800 silver, but maybe I'm doing it wrong, and I'm still wondering why it seemed to pass the tests for 10K gold and platinum--maybe my testing kit is bad? [edit] I did test another piece of jewelry marked Sterling, and the acid didn't turn the silver mark dark red like it's supposed to--or at least it didn't look dark red to me. But I'm happy to learn that the bracelets were made in Warsaw, Poland many years ago.
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2020
  5. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Silver acids go bad so fast most professional joolies don't even bother with them. We do a scratch test on a stone and use 18k acid instead. The mark "curdles" up and turns whitish if it's silver. The faster the change happens the purer the silver is. (100% silver like silverplate goes lightning quick)
     
    reader, judy, Christmasjoy and 3 others like this.
  6. Joan

    Joan Well-Known Member

    Thank you evelyb30....after I got my kit I read that the testing acids don't last forever, but I just bought mine earlier this year, so I thought the silver acid should still be okay, but I guess not. I'll have to try the 18k acid the way you suggest.
     
    judy, kyratango and i need help like this.
  7. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    It can't hurt. Try it first with something you know is silver - scrap for preference. I bought silver acid and it lasted a few months, forget a year. It depends on how long the kit sat on a shelf before you got it.
     
    judy, Christmasjoy, kyratango and 2 others like this.
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