General advice and help to identify a piece of Jewellery

[IzzyP]

Evening

After some general advice on best way to get a piece of jewellery identified. I know I can pay to have it valued based on its gold grade but looking to try a bit of my own research done first - eg is it British or European, 19th Century etc

Now I may have messed up but I paid £840 for it based on it weighing 70grams and taking a punt its at least 9ct - I may have made a school boy error here but I hope it's gold

I can't find any markings on it (ordered a magnifying glass tonight to help) and its starting to fall apart

Where could I look to research its history? Are there any websites that may help identify its origins from its style and design?



Thanks in advance

 

[OoohShiny]

The carving is extremely intricate and looks to have been smoothed off in places, with no other metal showing through from underneath, so my total guess would be that it is gold.

I like it - it would be a crying shame to melt it down for the scrap value.

 

[Bron357]

I would say it’s English and Victorian. It looks like it could have been a mourning bracelet. Back in the day people used to put braided hair of their departed loved one /s into brooches and bracelets. If so it would have had a frame with glass inside with the braided hair underneath. It could have been double sided ie two frames with glass.
As Victorian it is likely to be 9ct and it should be hallmarked somewhere.
the other “metal” it could be is called pinchbeck. This is an alloy of brass, copper and zinc which in the 1800s was used as it resembled gold in colour.
A pawnbroker or Bullion company can test the metal and tell you if it’s gold and what carat.
even if it isnt gold, Pinchbeck Victorian jewellery is very collectible.
And it is definitely worth repairing, it is stunning.

 

[IzzyP]

Many thanks for your detailed responses. Dropping it in to be evaluated next week. I agree it's a beautiful piece so will look to getting it repaired and hopefully sold as a piece of jewellery