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Antique French 18k yellow gold chain

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fafa

fafa

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Messages
277
I bought another antique gold chain from this seller not long ago and love the workmanship of that chain. Then I saw this shorter one with round panel links which I really like so I bought it too. I recently found myself drawn to yellow gold pieces more.
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Be still my heart...that is to DIE for. There had better be a neck shot coming.
 
Thank you TravelingGal. I forgot to take neck shot today. I will work on it tomorrow I promise.
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Thanks fafa. I''m reallly keen on seeing it. I am digging YG lately..the wonderful, rich kind.
 
That''s a watch chain, BTW. And if you can get a good picture of the hallmarks there''s probably quite a lot that can be told about its original length and weight - French hallmarks for chains are very very detailed.

Lovely fin de siecle design
 
Wow, that''s gorgeous. I''m not a huge YG fan, but I do love old YG that''s not highly polished. It takes on what I call a patina, but I don''t think gold gets a patina, right (only platinum?).
 
Beautiful and delicate even while being simple. Very nice.
 
Date: 3/3/2009 8:58:22 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Wow, that''s gorgeous. I''m not a huge YG fan, but I do love old YG that''s not highly polished. It takes on what I call a patina, but I don''t think gold gets a patina, right (only platinum?).
Click to expand...
Actually, it does. And so does silver, and wood. Patina in this context is simply the effect of multiple micro-scratches and dings that contributes to the feeling of age by taking off the highly polished mirror-like finish of new metal (for wood coupled together with the polishing and grime-forming effect of dusting and waxing). Platinum is typically softer than gold, so it gets it before gold does.
 
well then I love the patina that old YG takes on!
 
fafa,

That''s gorgeous!! Great find!
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Oh how lovely! I''m very attracted to yg these days! Very nice find!
 

Thank you for the nice words Hudson_Hawk, HollyS, lucyandroger, SanDiegoLady, and coatimundi.


TravelingGal, here are the neck shots.


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with my gold locket

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Date: 3/3/2009 7:13:33 AM
Author: oldmancoyote
That''s a watch chain, BTW. And if you can get a good picture of the hallmarks there''s probably quite a lot that can be told about its original length and weight - French hallmarks for chains are very very detailed.

Lovely fin de siecle design
Click to expand...

Yes, it looks like a watch chain. The seller claimed the fittings are original but I have no idea what''s the original length. There are 3 stamps on this chain. I couldn''t get good shots but here they are. 2 of them look like the French Eagle Head stamps. I couldn''t make out what''s the 3rd one. I have a better shot of the hallmarks on my other French chain. Here''s the link if you''re interested.


1st stamp



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2nd stamp

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I guess this one is the maker''s mark but I can''t tell what''s on this stamp.

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The last one is definitely the maker's mark. Initials K C if I see it correctly. The chain is marked for length between 20 and 40 cm, if the two eagle heads on the second photo are stamped in opposite directions, beaks in (that's what it seems to me, but the photo is slightly out of focus). The other chain is marked for longer than 60cm - there should be (but often there aren't) eagle marks at 10 and 50 cm (and 60, 100, 110, 150...).
 
That is seriously cool! I love the detail!
 
Oh, I love love love it! It is fab with the lockett. Thanks for posting these fafa!!
 
Date: 3/4/2009 4:58:20 AM
Author: oldmancoyote
The last one is definitely the maker''s mark. Initials K C if I see it correctly. The chain is marked for length between 20 and 40 cm, if the two eagle heads on the second photo are stamped in opposite directions, beaks in (that''s what it seems to me, but the photo is slightly out of focus). The other chain is marked for longer than 60cm - there should be (but often there aren''t) eagle marks at 10 and 50 cm (and 60, 100, 110, 150...).
Click to expand...
Does the intials K C have any special meaning to them such as length, weight or other info? Yes, this chain is 39cm including the clasps and the eagle heads were marked as you mentioned. Do the marks look authentic? I tried to find a sample picture online but couldn''t find a good one. The other chain is 74.5cm. I can only find stamps on the rings on each end. No mark in between.
 
Thank you for your compliements, geckodani and TravelingGal.
 
Date: 3/5/2009 3:21:02 AM
Author: fafa


Date: 3/4/2009 4:58:20 AM
Author: oldmancoyote
The last one is definitely the maker's mark. Initials K C if I see it correctly. The chain is marked for length between 20 and 40 cm, if the two eagle heads on the second photo are stamped in opposite directions, beaks in (that's what it seems to me, but the photo is slightly out of focus). The other chain is marked for longer than 60cm - there should be (but often there aren't) eagle marks at 10 and 50 cm (and 60, 100, 110, 150...).
Click to expand...
Does the intials K C have any special meaning to them such as length, weight or other info? Yes, this chain is 39cm including the clasps and the eagle heads were marked as you mentioned. Do the marks look authentic? I tried to find a sample picture online but couldn't find a good one. The other chain is 74.5cm. I can only find stamps on the rings on each end. No mark in between.
Click to expand...
The initials are just that - initials. Unfortunately, I have never found a good source of info on French makers' marks (like Jackson's for British) despite searching high and low, and I don't know this one.

The info on the length comes from the number of eagle heads and their position. Probably the assay office felt marking the links on the other chain would have been dangerous. The eagles look absolutely authentic to me; bear in mind that they only certify the metal to be 18k gold and to some extent the date (after 1895 - before the mark was a head of a Greek physician). I'll try to scan the page from Tardy on chain marking, but the print is appalling quality - I'm not sure it's going to help all that much to recognise authentic from false.
 
Love it!!!
 
Sllluurrpppp!!!

LOVE it!!

YG is making a serious comeback and I myself am jonesing for one!

Congrats on a lovely find - wear in much love, great health, and happiness always!
 
Oh wow, isn''t that just lovely!
 
Date: 3/5/2009 7:44:49 AM
Author: oldmancoyote

Date: 3/5/2009 3:21:02 AM
Author: fafa



Date: 3/4/2009 4:58:20 AM
Author: oldmancoyote
The last one is definitely the maker''s mark. Initials K C if I see it correctly. The chain is marked for length between 20 and 40 cm, if the two eagle heads on the second photo are stamped in opposite directions, beaks in (that''s what it seems to me, but the photo is slightly out of focus). The other chain is marked for longer than 60cm - there should be (but often there aren''t) eagle marks at 10 and 50 cm (and 60, 100, 110, 150...).
Click to expand...
Does the intials K C have any special meaning to them such as length, weight or other info? Yes, this chain is 39cm including the clasps and the eagle heads were marked as you mentioned. Do the marks look authentic? I tried to find a sample picture online but couldn''t find a good one. The other chain is 74.5cm. I can only find stamps on the rings on each end. No mark in between.
Click to expand...
The initials are just that - initials. Unfortunately, I have never found a good source of info on French makers'' marks (like Jackson''s for British) despite searching high and low, and I don''t know this one.

The info on the length comes from the number of eagle heads and their position. Probably the assay office felt marking the links on the other chain would have been dangerous. The eagles look absolutely authentic to me; bear in mind that they only certify the metal to be 18k gold and to some extent the date (after 1895 - before the mark was a head of a Greek physician). I''ll try to scan the page from Tardy on chain marking, but the print is appalling quality - I''m not sure it''s going to help all that much to recognise authentic from false.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the explanation. I don''t know if you have already read this link. The eagle head on that site looks like the one on my chain.
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Yes, I''m interested to read more about chain marking. I''d appreciate if you can post the page here. Thank you so much.
 
Thank you Lorelei, Grace, and Dana.

Grace, I love the pieces in your shop too.
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From Poinçons d'or de platine et de palladium, Tardy, Paris, 13th edition 1996 on the marking of chains, bracelets, necklaces for length:

Tardy 001.jpg
 
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