Dating costume jewelry

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Tube hinges were usually made by the same person who made the brooch. Miriam Haskell: 1899-1981 Need a Miriam Haskell Jewelry Appraisal. Necklaces prime to be either very long or very short. Pins, hinges, catches and other non-decorative pieces such as jump rings, latches, etc. By 1979 all the Coro companies, except the Canadian company, were bankrupt. Include blogs and site datin. Produced a range of china flower jewellery. This information enables you to identify the dating costume jewelry and composition of popular jewelry types and teaches you how to keep them looking like new. A variation of this is the sport ring clap, which works the same way, but instead of a nub, it has a ridged end north to open the ring.

For instance, genuine lavaliere necklaces that finish with baroque pearl drops originated circa 1890-1910; earrings with original screw-on backs can't be older than Edwardian; and dress clips, 9 chances out of 10, will date between the 1920s and 1940s, when they were most popular. Materials can provide a similarly solid framework for dating. You won't see a stamped setting or chain segment older than around 1835, when the process was introduced, or cultured pearls older than 1912, when they were developed, and you'll see the little dots of black pitch by which paste stones were mounted, if you're looking at a rhinestone-type piece from the 18th century. In most cases, though, a great deal more investigation is involved -- and it takes a 10X loupe or at least a good magnifying glass to get started. If you haven't done much of this before, it's a good idea to examine several jewels that have already been evaluated for date and quality by someone whose judgment you trust. Begin at home, assuming your collection encompasses various periods and both fine and costume jewels. To branch out, take your magnifying equipment and visit a local shop or two. Most dealers will be more than happy to help you, and nothing beats Handling the Goods to get a proper feel for them. Start by searching each piece closely for markings and make careful note of them before you forget and must keep looking over and over, which gets to be a bore. Next hunt for signs of wear on high points and edges, determine whether a metal of a different color lies beneath the surface and generally study the construction how stones are set, for example, and whether there's evidence of hand-craftsmanship vs stamping or casting. The real fun begins when you turn the piece over, because you can learn an enormous amount from findings called fittings, if they're custom-made for the jewel ; often you can discover more from the back than the front. It's crucial to determine whether clasps, hinges, wires and so forth are original. Are they of same material? Do they show at least as much wear? Is there clear evidence of replacement blobs of solder or a soldering pad, obvious regilding, etc. Necklaces and bracelets can be harder to judge, unless the catch is of a different color and not simply worn through in places. Whether you find the fittings are original or not, the next thing you need to know is when they were made. Fortunately there are a lot of great clues. Let's begin with a matter of complexity: dating brooches. They and earrings are the most frequent victims of Finding-Tinkering. It was all in a good cause -- making them more secure and comfortable in use -- but the result has been, in most people's minds, mass confusion. PINSTEMS If you're looking at a pinstem long enough to stick you when the brooch is worn, extending beyond the jewel's edges, congratulations. You're looking at a piece of antique jewelry. If you're looking at a pinstem that appears to have been snipped, you're probably looking at a piece of antique jewelry. HINGES If you're looking at a hinge that's familiar from all your modern jewelry and is original, that doesn't mean a lot, actually. Hinges of this type have been in use since the 1890s, so you'll have to rely on other clues to get a more precise dating than 1890s to now. If you're looking at such a hinge and it isn't original, congratulations; the jewel is at least somewhat older than the 1890s. If you're looking at a T-shaped hinge, likewise you know the piece is older than the 1890s unless the jewel was hugely expensive and could be forged. And yet a fully hallmarked Edwardian exception to that rule is here: For further examples of what this type of clasp looks like, check these out: The brooches at the last two URLs unquestionably date to 1886 and 1830, respectively. The piece can't be younger than the 1890s and may be centuries older. Working from oldest to newest, the open C clasp has been around for a lonnnnng time. However, it's still used occasionally these days usually on inexpensive jewelry. Evaluating it in concert with the hinge and pinstem is essential. Assuming the hinge is a T, as you've seen above, the jewel can't be younger than 1890s and may be a great deal older. If the hinge is modern and original , dating is somewhere between 1890s and now. If you're sure it's original, you can be confident the jewel is Late Victorian. If it isn't original, you know when it was added to an older jewel. If you aren't sure what this type of clasp looks like, an original is here: sorry for the glare... If you're sure it's original, you've achieved tight circa dating already. If it isn't original, you know when it was added to an older jewel. Look further for signs of a snipped pinstem; it should be extra-long or snipped. If you aren't sure what this type of clasp looks like, you'll find an example here: If you see a C-shaped clasp with a straight top latch and are sure it's original, the jewel could be as early as the late 1890s if European; as early as Edwardian if American ; or as late as the 1920s. If you're sure it's original, its scale and design will easily indicate whether the jewel should be termed Victorian, Edwardian, the era-spanning Art Nouveau or Arts and Crafts or, if it has elements of Art Deco, transitional or Early Deco.. If it isn't original, you know it was added in this time period to an older jewel. Look further at style and for signs of a snipped pinstem, to rule out Deco. If it isn't original, same deal as above. The piece can't be any older than the finding, but you'll need further clues to date the jewel more precisely than 1920s to now. If it isn't original, of course the piece is at least somewhat older.

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