[Bodecia]

Hi All, I have been bashing my computer so much today and tonight - well now it is morning and still not in bed - but the computer half froze. I have never had one 1/2 freeze on me before Couldn't access this site or a couple of others I was working on.

But thanks to All. I thought it was a decent enough price and to Caitlin & Pattye for thinking it is a clever idea to use it as an enhancer. As a brooch I could only really only drool over it, in my jewellery box, not down my chest but this way it should work.

The seller emailed me and she is going to double box it for me. One of the good sellers.

I will take some decent photos of it when it arrives and post them. The ones listed were not that good. Maybe Tom might come in again as he probably would have a good idea of how much it might be worth. Not that I want to part with it but just to know is good.

Gemgeek, I am sure you are right, it will give me years of pleasure.

Bodecia

[Valeria101]

'Bet it is a natural American freshwater. The pin is nicely hand-woked and the sum total may of more interest for the design and the period then the pearl... Somethig that the Arts & Crafts period (1900-1930) could have produced, methinks.

Congratulations !

[Bodecia]

Hi Valeria101,

'Bet it is a natural American freshwater. The pin is nicely hand-woked and the sum total may of more interest for the design and the period then the pearl... Somethig that the Arts & Crafts period (1900-1930) could have produced, methinks.

I think you are right. It explains why there are no hallmarks and just the Sterling mark instead. If it was from Britian there would be Hallmarks. Legally they had to have them I think. Also the style is Arts and Crafts or Art Nouveau, which are really only seperated by the years, style wise they are pretty much the same.

Just because the family came from Russia doesn't mean they didn't buy it in America. Probably White Russians on the run from the Reds.

Hope some of our other pearl experts give their opinions on it. Tom and Jeremy plus the many others that know their stuff. I know you do too. Looks like I now have or will have a bracelet and a brooch (enhancer) with Mississippi Pearls. The brooch I will keep.

Bo

[jerin]

Originally Posted by Caitlin

Considering the age, the size of the pearl and the beautiful design-that is such a clever way to make it an enhancer......I think it is a reasonable price. You certainly were not burned.

Hi Bo,

I´m in total agreement with what Caitlin says above. It is a lovely piece and you didn´t pay too much at all - if it is that old and this is a freshwater natural from Scotland - I think the mystery of who could have had this piece alone is worth the money.

[Sueki]

Hello Bo,
We didn't always hallmark silver and gold in the past.
In fact, smaller items were most often not hallmarked. Silver was usually just stamped "sterling" and gold usually just stamped "9 CT" or whatever the carat was.
This went on right up until the 1970s, when the hallmarking laws changed.
And it's a lovely piece - nice that it's still going to be worn after all these years.
The spirit of the maker will be smiling......

[olmander]

About how old is the piece: I just read that one of the indicators is the lock on the brooch. If it is C-like, it is more likely to be late Victorian or earlier. If it is a tube - it is rather Edwardian or anyway the turn of the centuries. A safe lock is the 20th century.

In your case the lock looks to me rather in the direction of a tube (or a thick C). Another indicator is the length of the pin on the brooch: a Victorian one would have a pin which is seen from under the brooch. Although of course it could have beem modified later because it was used with a watch.

I was exploring this subject while buying a beautiful garnet bracelet (with Bohemian pyrops), which was being sold by our local antique dealer on behalf of a 95 year old woman from the neigbourhood, who got is from her mother, and nobody knows how old is the piece in fact. It was easier to estimate the age of the brooch, which was part of the same set (but which I did not buy), and there it was rather clear: the C-lock was really a bigger and more open C-lock, an the pin was long.

Olga

[Caitlin]

Yes I think it is much nicer the POA too. That is really horrid. Still I wouldn't mind owning it if only to sell

The owner of the POA died in January. I am fairly sure they may try to sell it to meet his probate claims. I am going to add some stuff to that thread about it. (the thread is a sticky on the "other pearls" forum.