Featured Country of origin for this Victorian set

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by Marko, Oct 14, 2024.

  1. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    I posted this on the finds thread, not sure of country of origin. It is 14k, and there are hallmarks I can't read with any of my loupe on the pin stem. C clasp. I Google lensed the pieces, earrings seem to be Russian. Found for $6 with modern costume jewelry. Thank you.
    Lumii_20241012_182440613.jpg
    Lumii_20241012_182445785.jpg
    Lumii_20241012_182431304.jpg
     
  2. Roaring20s

    Roaring20s Well-Known Member

  3. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Where are the marks on the brooch? The earrings looked Russian/Soviet to me before I went back & read that you said they were coming up that way. It's the expectation that you will put something square through a hole that is essentially round that gives it away.

    The brooch/watch pin is beautifully made. Turn of the the 20th century; more Edwardian than Victorian. Unbelievable (but Oh how lucky!) that it was mistaken for costume. Have you tested pearls against your teeth? Perhaps seller's error here got it passed over.
     
  4. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    The earrings go very well with the brooch, but I do not think they are a true set. Will be surprised if the brooch can be shown to be Russian.
     
  5. mirana

    mirana Well-Known Member

    Does the brooch clasp have a safety part that covers the end of the pin stem? I seem to remember an AR episode that said those came from Russia but I'll be damned if I can remember the episode to find it... :(

    I've already said I loved this one but yes this style was super popular at turn of the century. Lots of starbursts were made in so many different iterations. If I had the money for collecting gold I'd collect these. :D Maybe if I find someone who thinks they're $6 costume too! :hilarious:
     
    kyratango, Lucille.b and Bronwen like this.
  6. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    Bronwen, yes pearls are real. Very faint markings on the pin stem. Earrings marked 14k behind the pearls.
    Mirana, no safety clasp, just a c clasp, on the brooch.
     
  7. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    It was a rare find. Only one other vintage piece in the lot, art deco chrome necklace. All the other jewelry was $1-$2.
     
  8. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    kyratango, Dessert58 and Bronwen like this.
  9. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    Brooch is a bit Flemish maybe?
     
    Lucille.b and Bronwen like this.
  10. mirana

    mirana Well-Known Member

    Hmmm this part looks like a safety cover so you don't prick yourself. Am I seeing it wrong?
    Screenshot_20241015-081318~2.png
     
  11. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Lucky you!:jawdrop::happy: Gorgeous brooch/pendant, and lovely earrings too.:happy: I'm with @Bronwen , they are not a set.
    The brooch/pendant looks late 19th-early 20th. It has an early safety clasp that is also of the period.

    The pendant loop that is at the top in your photos looks like a later addition to me. I have no idea why they added it, since the original hinged loop, currently at the bottom, look in perfect condition to me. If they wanted an extra loop for the safety chain they could have added a tiny discreet loop.
    14k is not a Russian mark, and the earrings don't have a Russian closure, which is a little triangle that folds over the hook.

    Is it just me, or are they missing stones on the hooks? If so, those can be replaced.
    Antique Russian brooch clasps often have a curl to them that curls along the end of the pin. That way it 'shields' the pin. This brooch doesn't have that. The general style doesn't strike me as Russian either.
    I think you're seeing it right.
    Looks like the former owner was very scared something should happen to herself or her brooch, with an extra loop and a safety stop.;) I'm surprised it isn't in its own little fortified glass case with multiple chains around the neck.:playful:
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2024
  12. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    As I see it:

    The brooch/pendant has all its original parts plus a guard chain that's an add-on. Some evidence at the hinge end of the pin that repair work has been done there.

    In the photo of the back, the brooch is upside down, with the hook for a watch, that would need to be at the bottom if used for that purpose, is now at the top, where it can easily be used as a bail/enhancer that accommodates a wide range of chains and cords.

    The loop on the hinged bail does not swivel, so that if you put a chain through it, the piece would hang sideways. It was easier to make this adaptation, using the bail as an attachment point for the guard chain, than to change or add something to the bail so that a pendant would hang properly.

    You would want a guard chain because this is quite a high quality piece, in part evidenced by the care that was taken to make the tip of the pin stem safe. I have seen this, as well as novel designs for keeping the pin in place when closed and for converting between pin and pendant, in better pieces from this period.
     
  13. mirana

    mirana Well-Known Member

    That closed shield reminds me of the more open curl you're talking about, which I wouldn't think is a sure identifier for Russian, but interesting that it's the same purpose.

    Agreed with Bronwen that the hook is original and for a watch, or else a two-part brooch. I have a brooch with a hook at the top (it has dangles so I know it's the right way up lol) and I use it as a bail with a thick rubber earring back on the hook tip to prevent the piece from slipping off.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page