Featured Antique cloisonne thimble pendant

When I was a kid, my great aunt gave me this and said that it had been given to her when she was a kid. Which means this piece is nearing or over 100 years old. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about pieces like this and would be willing to share their knowledge with me.

Cloisonne thimble pendant by BLestrange posted Feb 3, 2019 at 4:57 PM

 

Beautiful!. Sorry that's as much help as I can be!

 

I was curious about this too. Most of the listing for cloisonné thimbles speak to vintage. Unfortunately, this article about thimbles says that cloisonné thimbles are not rare or old. https://thimbles.host-ed.me/Fakes_3.html Now that does not mean your pendant is not as old as suggested, just that cloisonné thimbles are not old. I know nothing about the subject, I just googled when were cloisonné thimbles invented and came upon this article. So take this information for what it is worth.

 

It would be helpful if you posted additional, good-quality photographs of your item, including the clasp.

Debora

 

That's a great article. I've just learned more about Thimbles in five minutes than ever before!

 

I read that article as well. It was very cool to see all those different pieces there, along with the pieces from the other pages on that site as well. That was one reason I asked on here. She was in her mid-80s when she gave it to me and I have had it for about 28 years. I can try to get better pics of it later today. The chain is new, it's just the pendant that's old.

 

A Harry Potter fan. So am I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

and a Batman fan...?

 

It looks newer

 

There is a simple way to count how old an item can be, usually used is the 25 years method, for each generation you count 25 years.
Those cloisonné thimbles can be from 1950 to now based on those I've seen, they are decorative and not really made for use, sold as fairs or in tourist boutiques, a nice souvenir for the person in the family who is a sewing aficionado.
I've nielloed ones in hands which are made for the same purpose in Asia, the European olders are usable and just decorated on the base as the enameled ones.

 

This one has black enamel inside it, from bottom to top.

And yes, Batman and HP are favorites of mine, and I am also a Trekkie.

 

A Trekkie!!!! How about Star Wars?

 

Star Wars is good, but I trend to like sci-fi/fantasy stories.

 

Great article, as a collector of antique thimbles I will find this very useful.
However in the paragraph headed Materials I dispute the part that says "rarely gold".
I have a large collection of antique gold thimbles and there many to be be found at centers and fairs.
I mostly buy mine from reputable dealers that I know well unless I'm happy with the hallmarks then I'll buy elsewhere.
Ones to be careful of are "gold filled" thimbles and even collectors like myself who have bought for years can be fooled by them, They're not always marked as indeed gold thimbles aren't always marked.
It's a mine field

 

This is normal on all enameled items to make less tension between the two faces when enamel cooled, if you don't enamel can cause so tension than your flat piece become like a spoon end and enamel broke.