Featured Amethyst (glass?) necklace and Bohemian garnet brooches

I've been searching for Bohemian garnet jewelry forever, and I think I finally found some. I'm not sure if they're glass or actual garnets. I think the smaller brooch is an antique, but I'm not sure about the other two pieces of jewelry. The gold plating on the pendant is beginning to wear away. The brooches appear to be bronze. Ideas on their age and value?

 

the garnets look like garnets !!!!

 

I hope so! I've lusted after them for years now, but I'm too stingy to buy them new. The only thing I was worried about was how the stones were set.

 

the claws...look like claws !!

 

The big center one might be glass; they often mixed the two. The larger pin has had its back replaced, no biggie.

 

So you would say that the one with the big center stone as around the same age as the smaller one?

 

My guess would be yes. The clasp and pin stem were replaced at some point, so the style doesn't have to match the age of the pin.

 

I agree with evelyn30.

If you see bubbles in any of the stones they would be glass. If not there is no way to be sure they are real stones unless you have them tested.

 

.... and actually, if some are glass, it makes little difference to the value. The stones were mined and the glass made in Jablonec/Gablonz.

 

Looking at the pendant and seeing the texture on the back I would guess the stone is glass, not amethyst because the metal looks costume. Very pretty

 

That's what I was wondering about. TThe back texture is interesting. It seemed higher quality than the costume jewelry I usually come across. Is there a way to determine the age?

 

So the glass stones are as valuable as the actual garnets? Do the brooches look like they can be from the 1800s?

 

Yes to both questions. Late 19th into early 20th.

 

The amethyst may well be real; Victorian jewelry makers did some screwy stuff. Once the new deposits were found, prices dropped on those stones.

 

It's a pretty large pendant. I'll take a comparison photo once I have a chance. Is there a way to tell if the stone's real, short of going to an appraiser?

 

Get a good loupe and check for air bubbles; air bubbles are a dead give-away. If you see little spiky line-type thingies inside the stone, it ups the odds that it's real.

 

Hi,
Another way to tell is with magnification is to see if the facet lines are sharp or slightly rounded. Sharp means cut real stone slightly round means molded.
greg

 

Gemstone facet edges can be rounded and glass facet edges can be sharp,it's not a fool proof way to tell the difference.

 

I agree. A very nice pendant, but 20th century costume. The back is a give-away.