Featured Tiffany & Co Owl Silver Bottle - information please

Hello

I've just purchased a Tiffany & co silver scent bottle in the shape of an Owl from a dealer here in England.

Firstly can someone please confirm this is a genuine item & hallmark? I know Tiffany had many hallmarks and I'm not familiar with them so want to make sure this is the real deal

Secondly it has marks on which I believe are import marks '925' , something that looks like a compass shaped hallmark and a letter 'Q' which I've been told is the year 1990, is this the year this item was made or would it have been earlier and imported to England at a later date.
Thank you in advance for any information.

 

can't say , but.....you could do some googling....

ebay..$888 us



Silver Salvo , in the UK.....$500 US ....circa 1940..



pinterest looks like they show more than one...



The Saleroom in CA. auctioned one in 2014....

 

How absolutely charming! (and good work, Komo!)

 

Thank you.
I did have a little look on Google and found a couple for sale on EBay in US however all have different Tiffany stamps on, all different to mine too.
Is it normal for the same item to have a different Tiffany stamps?
I'm guessing these items above are genuine as I'm sure mine is, it has import marks so I'm guessing this is a sign of it's authenticity and I have no reason to doubt its authenticity.
I just wanted to know from someone who was familiar with Tiffany items/ hallmarks as I really don't know anything about them.

 

yes they do have different marks...and you top is flat....so..maybe an export ?

wait for others to weigh in.....

 

I'm not sure where you are located in the UK, but is there a Tiffany shop in the town/city?
They should be able to help.

 

The ebay owl looks like a "fake",the OP's owl is questionable with the with 2 different T&Co marks.

 

Tiffany will probably not verify authenticity, and if you tell them that you purchased it online they will undoubtedly tell you it is a counterfeit. And last I heard, they were charging a fee for this service.

 

Welcome Ccc.

It is lovely!
The colour of the silver of your owl looks ok for Tiffany&co. It needs to have a slight greyish tinge, and never rhodium plated or other finishes that make it look 'nice and shiny'.
I occasionally come across Tiffany&co jewellery, so I bookmarked this info:
http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-To-Spot-Fake-Tiffany-Jewelry-/10000000001241859/g.html
An important sentence, which also applies to your little owl is:
"EVERY Tiffany piece is stamped with the Tiffany & Co. mark and the metal mark (e.g. Tiffany & Co. 925, or T & Co. 925) Many pieces are stamped with the date the piece was trademarked, the Tiffany logo, and the metal content, in that order (e.g. 2001 Tiffany & Co. 925)."

The import marks mean the silver content is what it is marked as, it does not mean it is genuine Tiffany. It would have been marked when it was offered for marking by a seller, so it could be sold as silver in the UK.

 

Yes I agree, my thoughts exactly.
Also to my knowledge sales staff won't be trained to to give information on previously made/ vintage Tiffany items or their hallmarks.

 

Hi,
Things might have changed. For years and years I have brought things to Tiffs for their expert knowledge of their things. I have NEVER been charged for the service. I ask them to polish the item for me. If it is a true Tiffany they would polish and never charge. If it was a fake they would decline to polish the item. They Never said the item was not Tiffany but refused to polish. I have not been to Tiffs in 3 years so if things have changed I am not aware of it. I have always used the flagship store so also no information on other stores.
greg

 

That's the London import mark for 1906 to 98. If it's a lower case q, then 1990, but it's too mucky to read. It's the date it was assayed rather than made.

 

Thank you. I didn't know this. Seller said its around 1950 so I guess it could be

 

I'd be VERY surprise if the assay date was forty years after it was made. It's much more likely that it was made about the year it was assayed. There's really no reason a company would hold the thing in stock that long.

 

As anyone can get an import mark on silver could it not be that an individual not Tiffany had it assayed at a much later date to allow them to sell it as silver in UK?

 

There's no reason whatsoever that an individual would do that. It's entirely legal to sell items with foreign hallmarks here if you're an individual. A company can do it if they abide by the rules - see here: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/requ...html/2/hallmark guidance notes final.pdf.html

Indeed, many small modern silver bits are sold by retailers with just a 925 marking, Tiffany included. The rules allow that if it's below a certain weight.

I don't quite know why even Tiffany would have the import mark done, but given their exorbitant prices, they can afford it.

 

Right I see. I understand what you mean.
I would like to know the age however I am more concerned about the authenticity of it.
If by it having the assay marks which has likely done by Tiffany then it gives me assurance of its authenticity.

 

I think it's unlikely that a forger would forge import marks. Bit too specialist.

 

Yes and a lot of effort for something that's not a very high value Tiffany item.

Thank you for your help.

 

You're very welcome.