Charity Shop Jewellery Hauls

[mina78]

Hi all, I thought I’d start my own thread and update it with my charity shop vintage/ antique jewellery finds.

To start off here’s a recent purchase of a green stone bead necklace with a 9k gold clip barrel clasp. I’m not sure what the stones are made from but there’s a chance it could be antique jade, judging from the style of clasp. Managed to get this one for £1.75:

 

[mina78]

Another recent find is this vintage Christian Dior necklace in its original box for £12:

 

[stracci2000]

These items are beautiful, @mina78 !
I'm not sure about the green beads. Aventurine? Jade? Amazonite?
And what do you think the spacers are? Rock crystal?
The Dior necklace is gorgeous, probably 1980's.
These charity shops must be in the fancy part of town!

 

[mina78]

Thanks @stracci2000 , and you’re right these were both from the same charity shop in the nicer part of town. I always try and pop in whenever I walk past as there is always a bargain to be had.

I’m almost certain the beads are not aventurine as they don’t have the characteristic black dots, could be amzonite though as I’m not an expert gemologist. Not sure if I should pay approx. £150 to have this necklace tested.

 

[Bluegemz]

Great finds! My guess is that the first could well be untreated jadeite and rock crystal spacers. It might be worth having it tested! I’m sure that they are not amazonite or aventurine. Glass was used to imitate jadeite, but there seem to be too many variations in color and pattern for glass. The spacers definitely look like rock crystal based on hand cutting and variations.
Jadeite was untreated until around mid century, when organic dyes were sometimes used. These tended to fade. Serious treatments started in the early 1980’s with polymer treatments and synthetic dyes which did not fade as easily.

 

[mina78]

Thanks @Bluegemz , my first thought too was that the beads might be glass, I've had a look through with a 60x loupe and so far I can't find any of the telltale signs of glass, for example bubbles and a white bead core. It's looking more and more like it might be jade, which is good news, although I can't be 100% sure without an expert opinion. Either way it's been fun learning about all of this stuff.

I've since had another rummage through the charity shops in my area and managed to find a few interesting items:

I have a feeling this quartz and sterling silver pendant and chain may date to the Edwardian period, although unfortunately there are no hallmarks to confirm. Got this one for £5:



A sterling silver and rhinestone 36" necklace (again unsure of circa date), for 99p:



A vintage vermeil locket and chain for £15:



And last but not least a 9ct gold 'Back & Front' antique heart locket for £10:

 

[stracci2000]

These are great!
Especially the lockets. I've been looking at lockets lately. I had one as a child, and I would like to have a vintage gold one this time around.
I hope your beads turn out to be jade!
Here are nephrite beads I found last year at a yard sale:

 

[mina78]

Here are nephrite beads I found last year at a yard sale:

Wowzer, that's a beauty! The deep green colour is incredible, it also looks like the filigree clasp is 9ct gold? Nice find. If you don't mind me asking how were you able to confirm that the beads were made from nephrite? I'm looking to have mine tested by a laboratory, but the cost is a big concern.

 

[stracci2000]

Wowzer, that's a beauty! The deep green colour is incredible, also it also looks like the filigree clasp is 9ct gold? Nice find. If you don't mind me asking how were you able to confirm that the beads were made from nephrite? I'm looking to have mine tested by a laboratory, but the cost is a big concern.

The clasp is vermeil. I have not had it tested. It has the usual tiny black specks that are commonly seen in nephrite. I am going on my own personal experience and comparison to other nephrite pieces that I have had over the years.

 

[Bluegemz]

Nephrite jade is easier to identify than jadeite jade. Green types often have specks of black in them, and it’s a very distinct look. Also, the greens in most green nephrite beads are a variation of the “spinach” jade greens. ( though nephrite comes in a range of colors including black, white, Browns, yellows, greys and many greens). Until recently, nephrite was always untreated. Now some green nephrite has been found dyed. So if you see some really gorgeous, bright apple green nephrite beads for an inexpensive price, that’s a clue. There are these colors naturally, but they can be quite expensive, such as Siberian greens, highest qualities of Polar jade, and Wyoming apple green, such as a few thousand for a strand of beads.

Jadeite is much harder to determine. You can do some home tests, such as long and short wave UV, specific gravity, but you will need lab testing to be 100% sure.

My guess is that your necklace originally had a different clasp, as this style was popular through the 20’s-40’s. But it could always be a reproduction of that style.

Check out these examples;

 

[Bluegemz]

This kind of green jade seemed to be popular in the Art Deco period, along with deeper greens.
Though, again, people have likely recreated a beautiful look through the decades.

 

[Bluegemz]

These are great!
Especially the lockets. I've been looking at lockets lately. I had one as a child, and I would like to have a vintage gold one this time around.
I hope your beads turn out to be jade!
Here are nephrite beads I found last year at a yard sale:

Those are beautiful, @stracci2000

 

[mina78]

Hi all, a quick update on my thrifting adventures- yesterday I managed to find this 14k gold brooch with blue sapphires for £15. Still riding the high of finding this one:

 

[GliderPoss]

I love Op shopping and have always checked the jewellery racks but never found anything of note unfortunately!

 

[mina78]

Another day another jewellery haul. I usually try not to spend a lot when I visit a charity shop but these earrings caught my eye and they were on sale for £35:




The main reason I bought them at this price is because I thought that they might be quite old, perhaps even Art Deco? Although now I look at them they could easily have been made yesterday.

 

[stracci2000]

Another day another jewellery haul. I usually try not to spend a lot when I visit a charity shop but these earrings caught my eye and they were on sale for £35:




The main reason I bought them at this price is because I thought that they might be quite old, perhaps even Art Deco? Although now I look at them they could easily have been made yesterday.

These are beautiful!
Pearls and yellow gold are magic!

 

[mina78]

These are beautiful!
Pearls and yellow gold are magic!

Thanks stracci2000, I also thought the combination was very attractive. What are your thoughts on their possible age? I'm really not sure if they're quite recent creations or possibly much older, maybe even from the 1920s?

 

[stracci2000]

Thanks stracci2000, I also thought the combination was very attractive. What are your thoughts on their possible age? I'm really not sure if they're quite recent creations or possibly much older, maybe even from the 1920s?

It's kinda hard to say. The pebbled underside makes me think 1950's-1970s.
I've never seen that type of treatment on deco or older pieces.
Also, I tend to think that the screw backs would be more detailed. These backs seem rather streamlined and modern in style.

 

[mina78]

I thought I'd resurrect this old thread with a list of 10 of my favourite recent finds from charity shops and carboots:


Edwardian Sterling silver citrine negligee necklace, £1


9ct gold and platinum ring with blue zircon and two diamond accents, £4


Unmarked Victorian 9ct gold and turquoise ring (4 grams), £15


Edwardian 9ct gold padlock gate bracelet (13.5 grams), £10


Victorian 'California Gold Rush' 14ct gold with gold bearing quartz inlay (4.5 grams), £15


Unmarked 18ct gold mother of pearl ring (11 grams), £1


Unmarked 9ct gold and carnelian cabochon ring (6 grams), £2


Unmarked Sterling silver book chain and locket (44 grams), £15


9ct gold jadeite hinged bangle, £4

And my favourite find goes to.....


Unmarked 9ct(?) gold Victorian faceted amethyst riviere necklace with crown collet settings (31 grams), £10

 

[PreRaphaelite]

This thread is awesome

 

[mina78]

This thread is awesome

Thanks PreRaphaelite, sorry it's been so long since my last post.

 

[meely]

@mina78 good god woman you are dynamo! I am beyond jealous!

 

[Jsand]

@mina78 I love that gate bracelet! I had one just like it as a child

 

[EllenS1]

I thought I'd resurrect this old thread with a list of 10 of my favourite recent finds from charity shops and carboots:


Edwardian Sterling silver citrine negligee necklace, £1


9ct gold and platinum ring with blue zircon and two diamond accents, £4


Unmarked Victorian 9ct gold and turquoise ring (4 grams), £15


Edwardian 9ct gold padlock gate bracelet (13.5 grams), £10


Victorian 'California Gold Rush' 14ct gold with gold bearing quartz inlay (4.5 grams), £15


Unmarked 18ct gold mother of pearl ring (11 grams), £1


Unmarked 9ct gold and carnelian cabochon ring (6 grams), £2


Unmarked Sterling silver book chain and locket (44 grams), £15


9ct gold jadeite hinged bangle, £4

And my favourite find goes to.....


Unmarked 9ct(?) gold Victorian faceted amethyst riviere necklace with crown collet settings (31 grams), £10

How does one even find things like this! Amazing!!

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Unmarked Victorian 9ct gold and turquoise ring (4 grams), £15

This is exactly what I've been looking for <3

 

[lissyflo]

Great finds! The gold and quartz pendant is amazing!

 

[mina78]

Thanks for the kind words everyone, I'm certainly enjoying my treasure hunting when I get the time. Here's my latest find:



Managed to nab this one for £12. It's completely unmarked and was sold to me as costume jewellery, but the stones are lavender blue chalcedony and moonstone, and the metal is sterling silver with some gold gilding in places.

I've shown this to a few auction house experts as I was convinced as soon as I saw it that it's a late piece by Sybil Dunlop, or should I say William Nathanson, who was her principal craftsman when she became too ill to work later in her life, but so far none seem to agree, perhaps because it isn't in her early style that she's more well known for.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

(Faints dead away)

 

[natasha-cupcake]

That is gorgeous!