Featured Bouquet pin .... silver? Age?

My sister picked up this delicate bouquet pin from the thrift store. It looked like it maybe has been dipped and was a dull mess. She has polished it a bit but it is still pretty dull. Back is still untouched other than a soap and water bath. Almost looks and feels like aluminum. Looks to be missing a pearl, stone, or something else at the center of the main flower. There is a small pin protruding there. The pin has a barrel hinge and a "C" clasp. No marks to be found (what looks like possible marks on the pin, are not). It is about 3" long.

Age? Is this silver? If not, what might it be. Any way to shine it up better? What should be placed at the center of the flower? There is one leaf missing but she has it. Would this be worth it to pay to have it soldered back on?

 

Stick it in a paper bag with a banana skin for a few days. I'll bet it's silver. Some fool did Tarnex.

It rather remids me of the ECCO one I just bought.

 

Seconded. Pretty little thing, and with that pin back it's an oldie. Some found it all tarnished up and did something nasty to it like baking soda and aluminum foil. Probably soaked the pearl off too while they were at it. The spike in the center of the flower had a pearl or similar glued to it(sob) What did the poor pin do to deserve this???

 

Another vote for silver with some scum on...whoever did it made a quality piece. It's really lovely. A jeweler could fix the pearl and the leaf up easy and shouldn't charge too much.

 

Beautiful thing! Totally worth repair and wear, IMO.

 

Would this be Victorian? Basing this on what I found here.

Dating Brooch Fasteners - 1850 to 1910 (realorrepro.com)

 

Sure wants to be, but the Scandinavians were using tube hinges on traditional pieces right up into the 60s. So with the patina totally stripped it's hard to say. It's mostly hand assembled, and that indicates age.

 

Yeah the big bouquet shape is usually very 40s on, but.....that ribbon style seems older to me. Generally that fastener is considered Victorian, yes. Especially with the nearly closed C catch.