Featured Czech glass pendant and modernist enamel earrings

More of my recent finds.
This small pendant intrigued me with its glass - it looks transparent but changes colours like a rainbow. Does anyone know how it is called? I found online similar ones called Iris glass or Rainbow glass but still not sure if these are correct terms. Will be grateful for any comments, thank you! Forgot to photo the back, it is open, will do it tomorrow and post it.


And a pair of clip-on enamel earrings, I realise rather new, probably 1980s. Although I don't wear clips, I liked them and bought them, looked to me quite interesting with their modernist design. Any comments on their possible age and origin are welcome. Thank you!

 

Iris glass on the first would be my reaction too. The earrings look oddly later than the 80s; the dangle bits don't match my recall. (I wore plenty of 80s clips in the 80s.)

 

Thank you, evelyb30! Good to know that Iris glass is a recognisable term. Do you have idea of the date, it looks to me rather old, 1930s maybe but I may be wrong.

About the earrings - I have never worn clips, they just looked to me somehow compatible with 1980s fashion but of course, could be wrong. So they are more modern, then. Thank you again for your insights!

 

Iris glass was produced from the late Victorian era right into the 50s, if not a little later. Usually the brighter the colors the earlier the glass.

 

Thank you very much, evelyb30!

 

Ditto on Czech iris glass, also known in Europe as rhinestones, because the colour play resembles rock crystal found in the river Rhine.
Not to be confused with the American term rhinestone, which is paste.
Sweet pendant.
If you polish the brass, it will look almost the same as the bits that are still gilded. That way you won't see the difference if you wear it.

 

Thank you, Any, for the the information and the tip, much appreciated!

I was just about to ask if brass can be polished, as this one indeed needs polishing but I have no experience. If so, I will search in internet a recipe for brass polishing. Thanks again!

 

It can, but not with ((shudder)) )(dirty word alert) brasso. I'd use a sunshine cloth.

BTW - most on-line dealers call Iris glass Iris rhinestones, just to make sure everything is clear. Or striped. The OG rhinestones were clear "pastes" and were better quality than most of what you'd find now.

 

Thank you, evelyb30! I will have in mind the warning about Brasso, and will try sunshine cloth as soon as I buy it.

Thanks also for the clarification, but I don't know what OG is, can you, please explain?

As far as I understood, the term "rhinestone" has a double meaning - in European context it is a specific Czech glass type, that is made to resemble Rhine crystals, and in American context it is just all glass (as opposed to natural stones, precious or semiprecious) used in jewelry. Is there anything else to know?

 

OG = Original Gangster - an American rap music term that migrated. Roughly translates to "first of its kind." A sunshine cloth is just silver polish in a piece of fabric. This piece was originally plated with gold and polishing may not help.

 

Thanks for the explanation!
I got it that Sunshine cloth is a brand name (like Simichrome, or Xerox, or Jeep) for metal polish in jewelry. They say that there is abrasive in it:
"Sunshine Polish Cloth is comprised of the following: Base cloth 40%- flannel (cotton 100%), Abrasives 45%- aluminum oxide, Auxiliary Agent 15%- fatty acid, wax, water, and emulsifying agent."
If I am to use it, I have to buy online in Amazon or eBay.
Well, I don't have much choice, do I? The other option would be to leave as it is and wear like this.

 

I have used Connoisseurs jewelry wipes to good effect on brass.

 

Or just use some silver polish that is available locally. Or leave it alone. I would leave it alone, but that's me.

 

Looking at this pendant it almost looks like there is a chance that this is a base metal with coating that is coming off rather than tarnished brass. If that is the case, not sure what I would do with it. Might be hard to make that metal look better if that isn't tarnish, but worn coating.

Worst case the glass is amazing and maybe could be used in something else.

 

I think it is brass that used to be gilded. You can still see some gilding. Iris glass/Rhinestones were usually set in silver or gilded brass.
I have had luck polishing brass with worn gilding so it looks almost the same as the gilded parts.
Always worth a try, imo.

 

Thank you, ladies, for your comments and suggestions! I agree with Any that it is worth a try when I find suitable local polish.

Actually, I did not realize it was gilded, thank you, Any!

 

A follow up

@Any Jewelry - Any, you were so right, as usual! I put it in vinegar and polished with baking soda, and this is how it looks now - I just love it!!! Thank you so, so much, you are incredible!

Just to say that in reality it is more beautiful than on my poor photo.

 

It came out very well. Beautiful!

 

Thank you, Figtree3! I am more than satisfied, I do love it and started wearing. Brilliant advice from Any Jewelry!

Is Any ok? She does not seem to take part in the discussions, very unusual. Hope that she is ok and just too busy to write here.

 

Wow, that came out beautiful. Great advice from Any Jewelry.