Featured Found in a chimney ash pit. Opinions have ranged from "1990s" to "Victorian"

Hi there! Like the title says, I found two necklaces while cleaning out the ash pit of my house (built in 1892). Most of the other objects I found were from the 20s-40s. My family has lived here since 1999 and it definitely isn't ours. I've had people elsewhere online say it could be from the 90s and a jeweler told me she thought it was Victorian. The jeweler also advised that I use Tarn-x to clean it and that soaking it "couldn't hurt it" but I think that may have been wrong The first four pics are necklace #1, front, back, closeup of clasp, and then after cleaning. The last pic is the other necklace I found, which is opera length. I think the pinkish-purple stones are amethyst, but what's the white ball? Unfortunately it's cracked down the middle and will need to be replaced.

The clasps are spring ring, but aren't hollow. The spring doesn't go into the opposite side, I mean. There are no maker's marks anywhere from what I can tell. The blue "stone" feels like glass to me, as well. Any information would be very appreciated, and advice on what to do next would be as well!

 

doesn't look like it's been in a fire.........?
maybe a jilted gal tossed it in the pit ?

 

Looks like someone tried to repair the pendant with lead solder.

 

The White ball could be glass or rock crystal. I actually like it in its vintage & corrosive state. It has a charm & character of its own. I wouldn't attempt to clean it if it was mine.

 

It looks it. The metal looks like a base metal.

The purple 'stones', are most likely glass too, they usually are in that setting and that metal. In that case the white bead is glass as well.
The metal of that necklace is nearly all verdigris, which means the copper content is high, so probably brass.

 

Tarnex is the work of the devil. That looks 1930s ish to me and brass originally. Glass emulating tuquoise. I surmise the wee white balls were once fake pearls.

 

Makes sense. 'Naked fake pearls'.

 

Yup! Stripped.

 

What ever you do, don't go to that jeweler again!

 

Any chance we could see a picture of the whole necklace?

I would clean the rest of it, if possible. Although sometimes I do wear jewelry with deteriorated parts, I wouldn't put that chain around my neck in its current state. (You may decide differently... this is just imo.)

 

I'd have done the vinegar soak thing, probably after some WD40 first.

 

Yes! Here it is before cleaning.

 

Unfortunately even after soaking, it was so corroded that it wasn't pleasant to have against the skin, since it was so rough. I've been cleaning with more appropriate brass cleaner and I'm really happy with the results. I wonder if this is just pitting or a worn maker's mark?

Similar pitting on the other necklace. The chain on that one is so weak that it fell off after soaking. I'll do my best to clean it and use some needle nose pliers to gently fix it, or I might just replace it.

I also noticed that the clasp isn't hollow. It's hard to get a picture because they won't budge much, but it's different from the clasp on this necklace I bought last year from ASOS. You can see the clasp is hollow and the closure goes into a sheath. On both of these necklaces, that part is solid, the closure rests on the other side. I'm wondering if that's indicative of age at all? My thought is it either suggests it's older (maybe machinery wasn't precise enough to make little hollow tubes for clasps?) or newer (cheaper to make them solid). Any insight would be great!

 

That's certainly an older clasp, one of the early spring types. 10s or 20s.

 

So cool! When did they begin making the clasps hollow?

 

Um... later 20s I think, hang on. Someone posted a good chart here not long back.