Featured type of old rhinestone?

What you're seeing on the back may be glue rather than foil.

Saphiret was made by mixing genuine gold in with the glass. The sappharine imitations are just regular glass with color reflecting off of the foil. Although I'm not an expert by any means, I think it's most likely safe to trust what I said... I learned it from the old Jewelry board on eBay, from people who sought and collected saphiret and sappharine items.

 

Thank you, eve Lucky is right ... sure wasn't looking for them! But now that I know what they look like .....




I'll probably never see another

 

If the dangling ball has the mauve and aqua colors, it's a good indication that it's saphiret. And then that would lend even more credence to the cabochons being saphiret, too.

 

Thank you, komo

Now to wade through the stuff that wasn't 'talking' to me At least there were no plastic mardi gras beads in the bag!

 

Oops, my post went in wrong thread somehow.

 

Quirky, we cross-posted so you may not have seen a couple of posts of mine.

 

Yes, it does do the color change thing too!

 

Oh, good!

Not sure if you saw my comment that what's on the back may be glue rather than foil and that my explanation of saphiret/sappharine came from the old eBay Jewelry board? There were serious collectors on the board, and they seemed to know their stuff.

 

I did see that. Thank you. Not sure how to even tell if it is glue, metallic paint, or even dirt ... could be any or a combo, I guess.

During this morning's research, I read an old thread from the eBay boards titled something like a study in saphiret (or words to that effect) .... it went on for many pages - there really does seem to be fans of the stone there - I'll probably go back and re-read that thread more carefully and not just look at the pictures ... heehee

 

Have fun and enjoy your find!

 

I've got a cold, but I can smell the formaldehyde from the bakelite in that lot from here. That greenish heart and the earrings next to it- almost guaranteed. That blue green piece may well be too. The way to be sure, if you don't already know, is to dampen a q-tip and dip it in baking soda. Rub on the back of the piece. It should come up yellow and raise a formaldehyde smell when you're rubbing, at least eventually. Tobacco staining won't cause the smell. You can use cream silver polish too, the same way, or simichrome if the hubs keeps some around. The baking soda is a lot less abrasive.

I'm also seeing what looks like silver filigree hearts and what looks like a really cool mid-century copper brooch. Looks like you scored!

 

Thank you about the baking soda tip ... I never knew that one. I'm usually able to smell the stuff without even rubbing it. I wish ... not about you having a cold, but that I had a bunch of bakelite. There isn't ANY in that whole bag

The heart is some sort of olive green stone with very faint banding ... the earrings and huge pendant are just garden variety plastic.

You probably smell the old c6 Christmas light strand I'm playing with - trying to find why it's not lighting

That coppery brooch is neat ... seems to be from Estonia ... marked Tallinn and kfk - which I'm trying to work on understanding.

There are a few other mysteries that I'll probably post about ... I'm sure nothing as interesting as this bracelet, though ....

 

The way the prongs on the empty setting have been folded down suggests that someone continued to wear it even after the stone went missing. Perhaps it was a stone from one of the other settings that was lost and replaced by the stone nearest the clasp.

 

Here is a good page on them:
http://www.illusionjewels.com/czech_saphiret.html

Sweet bracelet, congratulations

 

Thank you Marie, I did see that great article ... and I was following what she was saying until I got down to the Whiting and Davis earrings - they look just like the saphiret examples to me, not the sappharine, which they are supposed to be illustrating ....

I don't know if the author is still accepting photos for help in IDing the stones, but I've sent her photos of my bracelet ... just to see what she says.

 

Just a quick update.
The author is still taking emails for confirmation She already replied with confirmation that I do have an early saphiret bracelet!

a big THANK YOU to Charlotte, Pat P, Evelyb30, Marie Forjan, and all here that have not only correctly ID'd this ... but also helped educate me about the existence of all the different varieties of this 'stone' and its newer cousin sappharine.
quirkygirl = happygirl

 

Quirky, glad to hear it.

 

Congratulations!!!!!

 

The Estonian piece is more likely bronze or brass, a penannular brooch based on old Baltic or Scandinavian designs. 'KFK' was a Soviet era state-run 'Art Products Factory' - if I recall correctly, that mark was used from maybe the 1950s to '70s.

~Cheryl

 

Thank you, Cheryl! Great information which is very helpful to me ... there is so little information about "KFK" ... none or very little of it is in english. I was able to find a little info on the traditional pins on which this was based ... they were big! - really really BIG.