I bought this item many years ago at a York antique shop. I am unsure what the markings are and was told it was old Victorian in age. Could someone tell me more about it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks
Does the stamp on the back read 90? or 90%? Neither of those are stamps that are commonly used in jewelry, particularly gold jewelry. Your best bet might be to start with a jeweler or pawn shop that can test for the type and purity of the metal used. I can add that by the Victorian era, most larger (more prosperous) European countries would have required any gold piece to include a stamp identifying where the piece was assayed, and a standardized gold purity stamp. I have read anecdotally of percent stamps being used in the middle and far East.
To me the hallmark reads "9ct". This is a common gold assay for the UK or its colonies (like here in Australia). However most antique gold jewellery is also hallmarked with a city mark and a date letter so you can identify its date and origin. I'm not sure how the seller could have substantiated the statement that's it "Victorian era" without the benefit of hallmark that can date it. Nevertheless it is very pretty.