Mother of Pearl Cameo? Ring? Marked: MT .925

Hello,

My lovely lady purchased this ring a few months back at a tag sale, and we were wondering if anyone could help us date it / tell us about it?

We do not deal in jewelry so we are not always sure what we buy lol

It's marked .925 on the inside of the ring as well as the letters MT.

The thing that throws us off, is that back of the cameo portion of the ring almost looks like glass. It's oddly shiny.

Any help would be appreciated!
Warm Regards,
Jon

 

I can't help with the shell but I also see cut steel around the front edge too. Nice ring.

 

Aww Thanks! Any idea of age?

 

Not sure from the pictures it looks like mother of pearl
Hi Shi

 

Hi sharona

 

It's made to look similar to an old ring, but it's not old. I'm guessing 1980s or later, with odds on later. It could have been made anywhere.

 

Ha
Not sure if it is the pictures but looks awful shiny
Have you tested or took a magnet to it?
They often put cameo's on glass

 

We have taken a magnet to it. We have a strong one for testing, and it didn't "stick" to it. But we were unsure if it was old, or what it exactly was.

 

Few more images.

 

Well that's a good sign...The back looks like glass or possibly onyx but looks like it was glued in? Is that glue around the edges? But the front under the cameo looks to have a goldish color? Can't really see what is under the cameo from the front view

 

As for the MT I would check with the jewelry gals on ebay
I have certainly seen similar marks

 

I agree with evelyb30. To me it does not look very old. I'm not sure if the face itself is glass or mother of pearl. It has a sort of greenish color to it that is perplexing.

The metal design on the front appears to consist of a more intricate design possibly in a different metal than silver, with the woman's head in that other material glued in? And the 925 silver portion appears to be in the shank of the ring and in a setting around the edge holding the other metal I think I see flat prongs around the outer edge, in silver, holding the main design on the front, which is a separate material.

At least, that is how it looks to me.

Fig

 

& the marcasites give it a costume jewelry look.

 

Oh, those are marcasites? I find it hard to tell from the photo... they don't seem to have the same kind of facets that marcasites usually have.

 

Hi,
I guess it is so shiny it looked like a pressed pattern instead of set with stones. It can not be my eyes, I just had the checked last month.lol
greg

 

I see marcasites set all around the outside border of the ring.
I count 11. with one missing.
I don't know what you guys see ?

 

I see them as well, I just don't know if they are real or not.
I always assume that if something is marked 925, it isn't all that old.

 

Well I can't tell from here if they are or are not genuine, but I am so used to seeing them , old and new , one way or another , on sterling silver.

 

Oh, now I see them! Thanks --

 

I don't think it looks too old either. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't marcasite usually set in prongs on older items? These marcasite look glued in which to me points to somewhat newer (last 20 or 30 years).

I'm wondering if that's abalone on the front given the light greenish pale to it.

I found a couple of links that point to the "MT" mark meaning it was made in Italy (MT standing for Matera, the province it was made in), but I don't know how accurate that is.

Pretty ring.