Handmade simba africa bracelet

Any idea what this bracelet is made from

Inside reads africa simba handmade

Reg.523/59

It's not magnetic,

Did a scratch test, no base metal

Thanks

 

It's probably aluminum. I found the company who stamped it; they're still selling jewelry with the same mark. simbacraftware.com

 

Yeah it's to heavy for aluminium,

Found someone else who was selling one as silver, but I'm not convinced

 

Sure looks like it though.

 

Here is a link to a (rather long) article on South African silversmiths, including Simba. The mark on yours corresponds to Simba's earlier mark described there which might suggest that it is silver. The article says that in later years they began to use cheaper materials:

http://sagoldsmiths.blogspot.co.za/2012/05/rooted-in-1950s-overview-of-noted.html

 

Here is the text I referred to above:

"
Simba (Pretoria, 1954 to late 1970’s).
Perhaps one splinter group of note that formed after the original Metal Art workshop broke up in 1953 was that of Messrs J. Joubert, Neil Dreyer (die sinker) and Stanford who began manufacturing jewellery and curios expressly for the tourist trade.[42] They designed and produced unusual three dimensional African landscape and animal studies. Their workshop was located in Rosslyn near Pretoria.[43] They worked in silver, silver plate and copper. Sometimes hardened plastic or a flat perspex sheet as background material was mixed with metal cut-outs of three dimensional animal compositions. Collectors’ spoons with finials depicting a number of South African cities’ coats of arms were also produced. A background of woven grass used on some metal bracelets attest to the innovative and experimental approach of the workshop. The Simba workshop also used polished lion and leopard claws as centre pieces in earrings and brooches, thereby contributing to a trend of using animal hair, claws and teeth in formal jewellery design during the decades that followed.[44]

The workshop lasted until around 1980. Perhaps because of increased competition, cheaper materials tended to be used in their later work. The Simba maker’s mark was twice registered with the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office, the first time on 02 June 1971 and then again on 04 July 1975. The maker’s mark registration was not renewed indicating that the company disbanded somewhere between the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. [45]

The earlier Simba ware was marked with the framed words AFRICA, Simba and Handmade as maker’s mark. In later work only the word Simba was used, and sometimes REGD (since 1971) was added. The Simba group also exported some of their work to Southern Rhodesia/Zimbabwe using the stamp VICTORIA FALLS on the inside of the clasp mounted brooches.

Perhaps because of a limited manufacturing period and the fascinating African themes[46] destined for the curio market, the Simba mark is often seen at collectors’ fairs and has retained its collectors’ interest.

Figure 7: A composition of Simba marked ware with the maker’s mark in the top right. Note the use of woven grass as background on one of the bracelets.
(Photograph: F.van Staden, Pretoria, 2012-01-23)
"

 

interesting stuff, thanks for the info,