Featured before and after - earrings

Hi All!
I hope I am not the only person obsessed with before and afters, and since I have a fab story, I decided to show it off.
Some time ago, I posted here a picture of the earrings I was thinking about buying from an online seller. The suggestion was that they were dirty-af German earrings from approximately the 1900s. They were about £30, so I decided to give them a go.
They arrived, and I started cleaning them — two days of work — and… well… the hallmark still remains a mystery to me. But now I’m starting to wonder whether they might actually be gold (or maybe brass), and what the stone might be… or just green paste. I think paste, though.
I must say that I have never achieved such a transformation...
First photo is the photo for the seller.

 

Wow, they cleaned up beautifully! Well done!

 

We love before and afters, and this is a beautiful example. Great job, they shine/smile as they should.

I don't know if I said it before, but AD could be Amerikaner Doublé, so German or Austrian rolled gold (gold plated). I don't know what the + symbol would be together with AD. Maybe extra quality?

Paste is likely, often used in period jewellery. Excellent condition too. You can have them tested just to be sure.

 

They look fabulous, you did a great job!!!!!!

 

Considering the time I spent polishing and the few sessions in the ultrasonic cleaning machine, I would have expected the gold to start peeling off if they were plated, to be honest… I took a risk. On the other hand, AI says good-quality plating can survive quite a bit. I’ll go to a jeweller and have them tested.

 

Sometimes AI is right, in this case it is.

Excellent. Will you let us know what they say?

 

Loooool yay

100%

 

You are not:
The Before and After Thread

Wow, they look lovely!

 

You did a great job on these, @Dyrektoressa ! Thanks for sharing.

 

Your earrings are really beautiful. I love the green stone.

In looking at the photos, do you put them on from the back instead of the front? It looks like the wire goes into the top of the earring from the back.

 

yes it does.... weird huh ?

 

Yes, this style is inserted from the back. Not as difficult as you might guess. It's an older type of construction.

 

It is to me. Those back to front wires get lost in my earlobes and never reach the front. Pity, because some of those back-to-fronters are beautiful.

Yes, mostly seen ca 1900-1910, although some German and Italian makers continued making them a bit longer.

 

I think I have a pair somewhere here, gold filled. I couldn't figure them out! I'll have to find them and give back to front a try

 

Nicely done & they are beautiful