Featured Makers mark on silver brooch, any ideas please?

Good morning,

I have a mystery makers mark on a silver brooch that I need help with please. I have spent hours online looking for the makers mark VA for this piece but with no joy.

I know the other marks are for London import, 925, and a date mark which I believe is for london 1983. It is a very well made piece and I am wanting to sell it but I don't like to sell anything unless I can give the potential buyer all the information that I can about the item.

Thanking you in advance for any information on this.

 

Very nice brooch. VA, maybe made for the V&A giftshop?

 

Now that was a very good thinking out of the box reply. I have just researched that and all their jewellery that they design or commission is maker V&A, not VA.
A great answer though, thanks.

 

The second mark could be a london import mark? I cant find a maker either, but if it was made in the UK it would definitely have had the lion hallmark.

http://www.thebigworld.co.uk/date-silver-from-fineness-and-assay-marks.htm

 

Hi Rasty, Thanks for your time in answering. Yes it is the mark for London import, I did put that in my initial post but thanks for confirming it. (Cited from: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/makers-mark-on-silver-brooch-any-ideas-please.22919/)

 

I guess i should read rather than just look at the pictures

 

The only VA I know is Danish silversmith V.Aagren working in Copenhagen but his dates are 1893-1937.

 

I'm guilty all of the time, of just looking at the pictures and not reading

 

Can't help with the mark, but that brooch sure has a Celtic look to me.....

 

Hi, yes ironically that is the only maker with the VA mark as that I found, a real mystery this one becasue it is such a well crafted piece. The hunt continues then

 

Hi, yes it does for sure but it has definitely been imported into the UK so I discounted any of the smaller Scottish silversmiths that work out of places like Iona etc, thanks for your comment though.

 

Going slightly off subject, I have a gold ring marked 375 and then a fully London hallmark which shows the import mark and also it looks like the London Assay office has stamped DIA next to the date letter.... my question is, do assay offices in the UK actually test if diamonds are real becasue these are not diamonds in this ring?

 

Assay offices only test the metal, not the stones. DIA is a maker's or sponsor's mark.

 

Thank you for your reply, very confusing this DIA stamp thats for sure, some people say the same as you online and others say it means the stones are diamonds. these are definitely not diamonds in this ring I have though, photo of the stamps added just in case anyone else can add anything as well..... I bet this stamp has caught a lot of people out over the years.

 

Actually just thinking about it, is the M J the makers mark?

 

Hi Davey,
Thank you for your reply and the explanation and now that makes sense. Great marketing though to have DIA as the retailers mark, clever or crafty, not sure which .
Im already learning so much about jewellery from the members on this site, thank you to everyone who comments on here, not just on my posts but everyones. Big thumbs up to everyone

 

I have had some relevant information back today regarding the mystery makers mark for the brooch. I emailed the London Assay office yesterday asking for their help and this is their reply below.

We believe the date letter could be the lowercase 'g' of 1962-63 (dates ran from May to May at this point). There are two possible identities for the mark 'VA' on our database, both of which are described the same way so we cannot tell them apart. They are The Veterans Association who first registered in 1947 and Vernon Allen Ltd who registered in 1960, as we do not have date of when they ceased trading either is a possibility but given the date of 1962 I would think Vernon Allen Ltd would be the most likely.

Now having received this I researched Vernon Allen Ltd online and I cannot see even 1 reference to that firm or any related article to jewelry ...... my mystery has turned into a mysterious mystery now

 

Hm. On that DIA thing? I don't think it's an import mark, it looks more like a common control mark. Scales, leopard head and fineness of 375.