Featured Sterling and moss agate bowl, signed. Help needed.

Some of you know I'm obsessed with moss agate, so almost fell over when I found these at a garage sale this weekend. At first I thought "antique". I could tell it was sterling, later found the marks.

Now thinking this is maybe vintage at best, but will wait to hear thoughts. Both pieces are marked 925 with a maker's mark that looks like an "H" with a line slashed through. I believe that the bowl is marked "Indonesia" as well.

When I go on Ebay and search "Indonesia Moss Agate bowl" I get 99 matches. When I search "Moss Agate bowl 925" I get zero matches under live OR completed auctions. I cannot find anything similar to these pieces on Ebay or online.

Tons of sterling and moss agate jewelry, there are modern spoons that are 100% moss agate, or sterling spoons with moss agate handles (usually antique) also many moss agate bowls, but no moss agate bowls with sterling bases like this.

Would it have been a custom piece? @Any Jewelry would you have ideas? Or anyone else? THANKS!








On bowl: This maker's mark, same mark appears on spoon:



On spoon same mark:


Also on bowl "925" and what I believe says "Indonesia".

 

Nice find! Found this with same mark.....

John Hardy Sterling Silver Buddha Belly Dot Earrings Omega Backs #18410 For Sale at 1stDibs

 

Only thing I can find remotely similar.....

A Sterling Silver Mounted Coconut Bowl by John Hardy (Lot 1160 - Jewelry & Silver AuctionApr 27, 2023, 10:00am)

 

Thank you, Brad.

While you were posting I thought to google-imaged the better photo of the the signature on the spoon and got a link to John Hardy as well. I think we found it! Thank you!

Here is a similar spoon:

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-...5BIt53zdlQbxRFgM4XmgTaeWmGE3qxfzJbKqa_HusyQv1

 

Now off to google John Hardy!

 

Beautiful! I would have bought it too.

"Made in Bali since 1975."

https://johnhardy.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooA2BbEhOWT-eM8wkoMMao_8Znz1wfFNAfDYYsYPg_WcZPTdGeG

 

Good grief!

Debora

 

quite the web site !!

 

John Hardy silver pieces is made in Bali. His work goes for good money if you can find it. I don't know his work that well, it's too new, but have run into it.

 

The set is just gorgeous! I would be keeping those. Can see why you're obsessed with moss agate. Wow!

 

I have a few of the bracelets & had no idea he did anything else. They are very well made.

 

He sure did. Some pieces had mixed sterling and 14k. The old ones had white sapphires, although I think he switched to CZs later.

 

Beautiful bowl and spoon. I’d have been excited to find them and would have a very hard time letting them go.

 

I was absolutely speechless with the find. Keeping, not selling.

It was at a group rummage/garage sale fundraiser on a table loaded with newer plastic, surrounded by absolutely uninteresting things. Zero antiques, zero vintage. The only thing barely catching my eye were 4 cheap small souvenir spoons laid out, nothing great. I always pause at souvenir spoons in case one might be sterling. Nothing worth even turning over to check. But the last spoon in the row had that cool handle so more out of curiosity than anything I picked it up. It was only as the light was shinning through that I saw moss agate! I couldn't believe my luck being obsessed with moss agate as I am!

Was about to leave with my spoon when I did a cursory loop around the sale, largely nothing of interest, when by some miracle out of the corner of my eye I spotted the bowl crowded together with inexpensive vases and plastic. It was in the shadows and dusty and full of cat hair and without light you don't easily see the moss agate, but immediately could see what it was. Felt like I won the lottery!

Yes, keeping the set, not selling!

 

So glad you found it, L.b, it was destined to be yours (as a collector who appreciates it). And aren't so many old things full of cat hair. lol!

 

Amen. Some of my best finds have been in weird spots at rummage sales. One year i spotted a little sugar and creamer etc set. It was plated, but signed Napier. They were a jewelry company who made costume, but it seemed they made barware when Prohibition lifted. Under the set was a mismatched tray. OKFine it goes with...sterling. It scrapped for double the cost of everything I bought that day. The crazy part was I started in the jewelry room and this was still sitting an hour or more into the sale.

Sometimes a good eye and hopeless curiosity come in handy!

 

wow, great score to find both of them Lucille they are beautiful!

 

Being thorough can turn up many great things that others missed. If someone asked me for sale advice that’d be it.

 

@Lucille.b
What a wonderful find! It's really gorgeous!
I thought John Hardy only made jewelry.