Featured Another mexican bracelet, another question! What are these stones?

me again- on a bracelet bonanza!
I was just wondering now if anyone knows what these pink stones are? I know its not possible to know definitively from a picture, but any guesses welcome! Im assuming glass? or jellybeans? All I knew when I bought it is that they were pretty and pink!

 

They could be glass, lots of Mexican pieces have glass stones.

 

Striking bracelet. Stones look like glass to me too. I considered dyed agate/chalcedony, but don't see any indication at all of banding or inclusions. Everywhere I looked was very consistent in color.

 

I would suspect onyx. A stone commonly dyed for use in Mexican decorative objects and jewelry.

Debora

 

It isn't onyx,Mexican "onyx" is travertine a totally different mineral and an overused trade name to sell things.

 

Are there any marks on this piece to indicate that it might be newer?
I don't think those stones are original to the piece. They don't fit in the setting. and the bezels are not tight.
The setting is similar to older ones, and nicely made. Not exceptional.



1. I don't think 1940s jewelers would have left negative space around the stones/glass.

2. The bottoms all appear to have angle cuts

3. The top appears to hang out.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Me...171571?hash=item3d3b140033:g:m7kAAOSwCQZZCnLg

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mi...406909?hash=item41f8f0d4bd:g:nwcAAOSwvSBaX7~S

 

Whoa! My bad! It's just that when my family first starting traveling to Mexico in the 1950s, stones such as that was commonly called "ónix" (or onyx in English.)

Debora

 

I don't know that I have seen that color stone in 1940s jewelry. I'm suspecting that it is newer and the stones aren't original to the bracelet.

 

You could be right. Maybe some of the original stones were broken (furniture running into people again) and similar ones couldn't be found. Ah, the life of jewellery....

 

I'm pretty sure the setting is old (I'll attach a pic of the marking). But I agree the whole prong thing is wonky, I've seen many bracelets of the same/similar design but the stones are always nicely bezel set. Hence my being able to snag this for a very low price I guess! So you think the stones are not original to the piece and perhaps the prongs also? That sounds plausible to me!

 

The prongs/tabs look original to the piece,with everything soldered together it wouldn't be worth the time or effort to add anything.

 

ah ok, that makes sense, thanks!
@clutteredcloset49 I agree, I thought the pink looked unusual in this design to me! I'm thinking you are the others who've said the stones might not be original to the piece must be right! edited to add- oops I responded to you twice as if you were two different people, haha!

 

Everyone needs a bit of extra attention from time to time. So @clutteredcloset49 , enjoy!

 

Yeppers - those are glass and original. A lot of Mexican jewelers used glass stones for tourist pieces. It let them keep costs down and made for pretty jewelry. Natural hot pink stones that size would be in high karat gold.

 

interesting, I hadn't realized before starting this thread that glass was common in Mexican pieces! Good to know it's a possibility they are original to the piece- if they are, I'm very impressed with how they've survived- no chips or cracks!

 

I've found plenty of glass "opals" and molded glass mask pieces.

 

I still think the stones/glass have been replaced.
From this thread just posted.
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/william-spratling-and-the-pioneers-of-mexico’s-silver-renaissance.34313/

I'm not suggesting Aquilar, only the shape of the stone fits the bezel with prong set.
https://www.christies.com/features/...144A62C_0&cid=DM268811&bid=163408368#FID-9649

 

on one hand, a flatter and squared edge stone like that would fit the bezel and seems to make more sense, on the other hand, I feel like the prongs are a little... crude looking- I feel like if the original stones were a smoother fit, then prongs would be a little more even looking also (if that makes sense? I don't personally have knowledge about how jewelry is constructed so it's all speculation of course! ) So the weird prongs seem to fit the weird stones shape... I don't know what to think! The misfit of the pink glass stones is definitely bizarre!!

 

Did anyone happen to see the latest from Christie’s today?????

https://www.christies.com/features/...144A62C_0&cid=DM268811&bid=163670093#FID-9649