Featured Scarab Necklace and Faceted Blue-Pink Glass Necklace (Saphiret?))

How old do you think this scarab necklace is? It's made from glazed green scarabs (look like ceramic). I don't think the chain is original to the piece.

With the other piece, I picked the glass necklace up for 10$ today, thinking it was Saphiret. When I got home, I gave it a closer look and disappointingly suspected it probably isn't. The beads are pretty big, about .5 inches in diameter. What do you think?

 

You are correct, not Saphiret on the necklace. But I'm curious to know what the beads are, because they're so distinct and unusual, so may still have been a good purchase. Really pretty! The clasp on that one looks like it could be sterling possibly and someone hand knotted them. Thinking someone here will know what they are. I can only say that they are not Saphiret.

Hard to describe, but Saphirets are briefly clear at one angle, kind of a deep sky blue in one, brown in another, the blue and brown can have some overlap where they meet. This effect works best in good light. The only beaded jewelry I've seen with the old Saphirets have been rosaries. (Big bucks.) In a perfect world you would handle a piece with an old saphiret, you'll never forget it once you've had it in your hand.

The Saphirets to be on the lookout for, are the super desirable kind from the 1900s or so. Most often in an antique looking setting, set in pins, etc. I think they were considered just a step above costume at the time, so not 14k or anything, often brass, or base metal, although exceptions may exist. Again the only beaded ones (of the OLD kind) I've seen have been rosaries.

The newer Saphirine (mostly people still call it Saphiret) can be found in jewelry from the 1950s or so, has about 1/4th the value, but still worth getting for sure. There you may find beaded pieces, but mostly can find in 50s brooches, clip earrings, this newer Saphiret has a completely different look. Often a "blue mirrored" effect. Still worth picking up.

Sorry to ramble on. You hit a topic I am obsessed with.

Still curious to know you did get though. Hope it is a winner, too! I think someone here will ID it.

(Can't help with the scarab piece, although I think maybe vintage/ethnic?)

 

The size & facets of the non-saphiret beads make them different, but once bought a strand of similarly opalescent beads at a bead store. When I examined them more closely, saw that some had something flaking off them. Finally realized they had once been artificial pearls, the pearly coating nearly all lost.

 

The scarabs necklace seems older than its back chain, nice!
For the opalescent glass, see these beads, found while searching for opalite:

https://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/513...9d2c8fae1da8ce2793276909d9dbb249a59:513979567

 

Hi @Barn Owl

I know you said the catch on the scarab necklace is possibly newer - what kind of catch does it have?

At first I thought it was a classic piece of Czech "brass and glass", but then saw the ceramic "beads".

It's funky, not super-feminine and looks older to me - love it.

 

I like it too! It caught my eye when I saw it. I was hoping it might be a Neiger necklace, so that was why I bought it. But I think it's not up to par with their quality...

They might be glass, but the backs are matte. They look like glazed ceramic.

It has a hook on the side of the necklace that still contains the original oval-shaped chain links. The other side of the necklace just has the newer chain, whose links are wide enough that I could slide the hook through.

I found this necklace: https://www.etsy.com/listing/514307739/egyptian-revival-necklace-bracelet?show_sold_out_detail=1

 

Thank you! I guess I paid an okay amount for the beads at least, haha.

 

Interesting. I have many glass pearl necklaces. Maybe I'll try that sometime.

 

Thank you! I really appreciate the detail of your post. I find antique jewelry to be fascinating, so sometimes I get ahead of myself and buy more than I need. I wish I could find a saphiret brooch, since I've trained myself to look for the antique clasp types.

Would you say that it's still possible to find saphiret jewelry at flea markets/thrift stores, or has the supply pretty much been exhausted?

 

I'm looking for sapphiret beads myself. The beads are opalite, sea opal glass, etc. They were "born" without a coating, but I've found similar under flaking pearl paint. If you want to try de-coating some pearls, get a glass jar with a lid and some acetone from a beauty supply. Put them in the jar, add acetone and clamp the lid on. It's carcionogenic and you don't want to be inhaling it.

 

I'm still thinking vintage on the scarab, the ceramic scarabs were kind of a 70s or later thing. I think anything older/Czech, Neiger Bros would probably be glass.

I am happy to ramble indefinitely about Saphirets so THANK YOU for asking me to say more! (You can tell that I'm marginally obsessed...)

I think that they are REALLY hard to find nowadays. Not that people know what they are, but they are kind of rare to begin with. And most thrifts are pulling anything that looks 100 years old in the jewelry department, plus anything vintage and signed which includes the odd 1950s Regency pin which might have rhinestones and the more recent Saphirets. So they never make it to the floor.

So the chance of a thrift putting something like that out (if they do any pre-sorting) is close to zero.

The one EXCEPTION to that might be a Saphiret rosary. I could see this getting missed and that would be something great $$ to find.

 

I don't know to what extent scarabs in jewellery like this used genuine Egyptian faience, but that is what they look like. It is considered a ceramic but does not necessarily involve clay.

 

This is a good point.

 

The scarab necklace is a nice Egyptian souvenir, probably 1970s. The scarabs are glazed ceramic, as far as I know.
The extension chain looks like a later addition, if you can get a length of chain with old brass links, that would be more appropriate.
People love scarabs, so a good choice, as long as you didn't pay too much.

 

Thank you. 3 Euros, so hopefully I'll be able to at least get back some of the money I spent on the necklace.

 

During the late 1970s, the King Tut exhibit came to Louisiana on display. Many Egyptian items and E-like items were sold during this period of time. Not sure how many other states hosted this traveling exhibit..?

 

It started here in the US at the Metroplitan Museum of Art in New York. They made a killing on King Tut souvenir jewelry. I find it at sales on a semi-regular basis.

 

I agree that the beads look opalescent. Very pretty!

I have nice vintage or antique imitation saphiret two-hole beads, which are faceted glass cabochons with a foil backing glued to a glass base, probably Czech. I bought them in the early '70s from a store that had bought out very old beads from a Boston bead store that had gone out of business. I believe they're from the 1920s or earlier. Here are photos...

 

Those would have good resale, Pat. I think genuine antique.

Here is the post when I found my first saphiret -- Long winded, but did put in some pretty detailed photos:

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/dumb-luck-saphiret.14692/#post-206355

 

Lucille, those are lovely. I like the cushion-cut shape, too.

I am planning on selling the beads on eBay and am hoping they do well. I have quite a few, in two sizes, and some are in really nice condition, some not so much.