Show me a piece (or pieces) that you wonder about

[stracci2000]

@YadaYadaYada @junebug17
The stones look bright in some lighting, but then they look dead in the middle in other lighting.
I guess I'll have to get it tested some day!

 

[CaseyLouLou]

Here's a ring I've wondered about.
It is 14k rose gold.
This ring belonged to a friend's grandmother.
I believe it is blue zircon, based on the color and the double refraction in the center. The stone is very abraded.
But what are the white stones?
They look glassy to me.
They don't have the blurry look of zircon, but maybe because they are so small?

I’m pretty sure they are white zircons. I have a similar ring and it has blue and white zircons. I also have a brooch with them too. They look blurry in the photos. Can you check with a loupe to see if there is doubling? The blue stone is almost definitely zircon.

 

[stracci2000]

I’m pretty sure they are white zircons. I have a similar ring and it has blue and white zircons. I also have a brooch with them too. They look blurry in the photos. Can you check with a loupe to see if there is doubling? The blue stone is almost definitely zircon.

I cleaned it really well and inspected again with a 20x loupe.
Some of the stones look a little blurry, but most of them are crystal clear. But they are small and it's quite hard to be sure what I'm seeing!
You are probably right, that the whole ring would be set with zircon.

 

[LightBright]

I wonder about my ring, if a dealer shoved a diamond too big into the setting recently or if it was a diamond upgrade for an anniversary of some one from the past.

IMO This looks like your diamond is Period Approriate, what PSers call a Transitional. It’s got a tiny open culet. To me, it is not too big, and IMO likely original to the piece. And I love it! Enjoy.

 

[Triplelock]

I did a reverse image search and found a few similar brooches although most are silver or gold filled. They seem to be called ‘target’ or ‘bullseye’ brooches.

I’m guessing you are dating it correctly.

Found this article

Antique Target Brooches

Brooches take many forms but a common shape is the disk or circle. It is actually one of the oldest shapes and was worn by Romans in the 1st to 4th centuries, and by the Franks and the early Anglo …

navettejewellery.org

Thank you so much, I was able to dig from that point and was eventually able to (I think) correctly identify it as a Victorian Etruscan Revival piece. After chatting with a neighbor who knows a lot more about jewelry than I ever will, she thinks that the Y on the back was put on there by an electro pencil (back when the police were telling people to mark their stuff in case it gets stolen). She also said that my pictures need serious improving, and after seeing it in person she knows why I am so fascinated with it (which didn't make sense just from the pictures.)

There's another piece I'm wondering about though now:



The XRF machine pegs it at 800 silver. It's hollow. The date doesn't seem to correspond with anything I can find, but FEBR + the 800 silver and the year does seem to limit where it came from.

The only two countries I can find that had a standard 800 silver *and* uses FEBR as the first 4 letters of the month, without legally requiring (at the time) hallmarking would be Spain and Romania. The crown seems to be appropriate for either, but the symbols (?) on the front doesn't seem right for spain.

My best guess is that they are a stylized form of the Dacian runes that are woven into traditional Romanian clothing.

Maybe someone here recognizes what the symbols are?

 

[Smith3]

IMO This looks like your diamond is Period Approriate, what PSers call a Transitional. It’s got a tiny open culet. To me, it is not too big, and IMO likely original to the piece. And I love it! Enjoy.

Thank you!

 

[shelovesinclusions]

I just got and cleaned up this vintage ring from Goodwill. It's 18k, with Swedish stamps from 1959.

Was sold as blue topaz, but RI indicates spinel. It's got a really wonky cut, and isn't showing any pink fluorescence like other synthetic blue spinels I've had- has anyone else seen that before? It has some light very tiny crystal inclusions internally. IDK if it's worth testing b/c it was less than $100.

Also- would this qualify as modernist style?

 

[LightBright]

I would love it if someone could weigh in on this piece with some guesses as to age. It’s a very heavy 14k brooch with a gigantic amethyst (not sure if it’s real). It has wires on the back so it can also be a pendant. I’m guessing mid century but no idea.

Whatever it is, it is magnificent!!!