Costume Jewellery - Help needed

The only way to confirm POL is with a gem tester, rock crystal is Quartz. As evelynb30 said glass will flip an image also, it's a function of the shape, not the material.

 

Here's a POL necklace I had, beautiful to hold and look at.

 

...and POL earrings, quartz wrapped in sterling, no holes are drilled.

 

Those are gorgeous!

 

Wow. thanks everyone for all the info! Both on how to take the pics and the POL.


I'm pretty sure these arent POL but will definitely keep my eyes open in future!


Again thanks for all the help!

 

Now you know why I drool over those things. I saw a blue glass one once, but only once.

 

Would a jewelry maker put sterling silver backs on plastic earrings?

I'm not saying they're POL, but I was just wondering if they're glass instead of plastic...not that it probably makes much of a different $$-wise.

ETA: Now I see where they OP says they feel like plastic or celluloid. I just don't remember having any plastic earrings with sterling backs except galalith or maybe bakelite earrings.

 

Sure. I found 14k backs on some costume pearl earrings once. A ton of costume earrings had sterling findings.

 

It costs very little to use sterling findings and means you can sell them as hypo allergenic.

 

Ummmm....I'm not so sure about that.
Hypo allergenic usually refers to surgical stainless steel posts.....as sterling silver is a known common allergy.

I couldn't wear sterling as a young man..as I was allergic to it.

 

I have to wear stainless steel posts or gold. I can't wear silver or any other material without my earlobes becoming inflamed. Someone said it's not the silver, but the shellac or whatever they put on silver posts to keep them from tarnishing.

Maybe Marie will post again with her opinion on sterling backs for plastic. Sounds odd to me.

 

Someone said it's not the silver, but the shellac or whateverthey put on silver posts to keep them from tarnishing.

I cleaned my highschool ring with any number of cleaners.....and it still rotted my finger.....
I was told it's the make up of the sterling.....the 7.5% copper used , that bothered me.

 

Most metal jewelry touching my skin makes me break out in small itchy bumps. I've heard that nickel added to it may be the culprit. I wouldn't doubt that copper would also be a problem. Platinum is one thing that does not make me break out... unfortunately, it's rather pricey.

 

They used sterling on all kinds of plastic jewelry, especially during WW2 when metal went to the war effort.

 

Platinum makes me break out.........IN SONG !!!!!

Platinum , platinum you shiny white metal...
there is nothing else for which I might settle.
Platinum , platinum , not for the dumb...
One day for sure , I'll get me some !!

La lala la la !!!!!!!!

 

It's sort of TMI, but I even have to wear granny pants because the rivets and buttons on my jeans make me break out. It's the nickel.

 

Yup, nickel will do that too !

 

In their day early plastics were the latest and greatest, I can see plastics being set with silver. Today I was going through my stock reorganizing and found a Deco rhinestone dress clip I thought was silvertone, found it is stamped sterling

Gold and silver are high right now but that hasn't always been so. During WWII costume jewelry companies couldn't get base metals that were needed for the war effort so many turned to silver.