Featured Hecho en Mexico Silver - Field Tests

My. Remember you are happily married.

 

Thank you for your thoughts. My goal was to gain some knowledge. This was not a crucial decision. I liked the little birds. I put down about 99% of what I pick up to look at. I know I am missing opportunities to get some nice things. While my eye is getting better, I have a long way to go. This reseller is always bragging about finding gold, silver, amber, ivory, etc., as he picks up things. I look at the same stuff and don't see it yet. He did turn up his nose at the Georg Jensen piece, though.

 

But he usually brings a good chuckle!!!! In my more youthful years, even though quite happily married (and still am), when I would on occasion cast a good eye at at a nice looking gent, I would remember what was once said.... You want to Play, you gotta Pay, But Lookin's for Free!!!!!!!!!!

 

Makes you wonder about the silver, amber & ivory he claims to find.

 

I don’t know. He makes his living by selling to stores and auction houses so he must be doing something right. He spends his days going to estate sales and resale shops.

 

You can always tell silver by the weight when you pick it up it will always seem lighter than it should be. Also very flexible

 

Good tests. Thank you. This is what I was looking for. I’ll add it to the ideas that I already got from other members

 

Any sterling piece that has been work/spring hardened is not flexible.. From Rio Grande and anyone who has worked with sterling. Spring hardened sterling "Metal thoroughly hardened will lose pretty much all of its malleability and will actually spring back into its original shape when bent by hand. This hardness is ideal for ear wires, jump rings head pins and pin components."

 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

Huh, I haven't come across that too much myself. Now, China and India, that's a whole 'nother story.

Good to keep in mind though; I'll be extra careful if I get anything from Mexico.

 

Thank you. This was a small thing, but if something bigger comes along I wanted to be armed with more knowledge. I have one thing stamped with Hecho En Mexico that came with several Taxco pieces. I knew this person had better stuff, so I got that, but miscellaneous bits I will be very careful about.

 

I’ve seen a few pieces of jewellery that appear to be a deliberate attempt to deceive. They look like a 925 or a 375 but on closer inspection the numbers are jiggled or the 7 is missing the top line etc. Very naughty and in some ways similar tactics to some of the old silver plate marks.

 

I went on a house call a few years ago, they had about 6 or so of those Mexican panel bracelets with carved stones like the one below, all marked silver, 925 and/or Taxco. Only 2 tested positive as silver, now I never buy them unless I can test them myself first

 

KSW. Thanks for weighing in. In this case, I didn't see the silver mark before I bought it, but I will look closer next time.

70% fakes! Now that's terrible. Mixing in a couple real ones is the sign of a scam. I tend to be very careful, but am concerned that this caution leads me to reject nice stuff. I will be careful. Thank you for this story. It's a reminder that even knowledgeable people can be fooled.

 

I'm from Southern California, so a lot of Mexican and Native American pieces are in the thrift stores. I don't even try when it comes from India or China.

 

I see a fair bit of Mexican jewelry here too. The Native/Southwestern bits also come around. Some of the Mexican is fakey mc-fake-face. Some is nickel just marked Hecho en Mexico and people think it's silver. Fake themselves out.

Beach jewelry, we calls it. A lot of the fakes are sold for really cheap prices (should be a clue) by vendors on the beach. Most folks know it's fake, or should, but some of it gets into the wild later and people think it's real. The glass stones in this one are prettier than most. That alone should be a bad sign.

 

Sorry, I should have been clearer, I was agreeing with Marie’s post about dodgy silver marks in general, I wasn’t commenting on the authenticity of your piece. That’s way above my pay scale!

 

I knew you were speaking generally. That's what I wanted. A conversation that will help all who read it, especially me, figure out what to do when examining a piece of Hecho En Mexico jewelry. My little bangle was supposed to be the impetus to this discussion. I have concluded that I am happy with it, as a casual piece.

 

Excellent comments. I think this is how this stuff evolves. People donate or sell and the source is lost. Tourist trinkets become Vintage or Antiques. Tchotchkes become heirlooms.

 

I see a lot of Mexican "silver' here in the Southwest.
Many people are fooled.
Usually they mimic NA designs, and the craftsmanship is shoddy.
The color of the metal is wrong, and they are too heavy.

I once found a bangle similar to the one @KikoBlueEyes is showing.
It had a very subtle yellowish tone, even though the stamp said 925.
It didn't test silver. I guess it was some type of weird pot metal.