Featured Question about brooch

Hi all!
I'm looking to get a birthday gift for my friend. She loves antique English pieces, and I was thinking of buying a silver brooch. However, not all of them seem to have hallmarks, so I'm not sure how to identify whether they're genuinely English or not.
I've been looking at this fly brooch, but it doesn't appear to have any hallmarks. I also found this grouse-leg brooch, but the hallmark looks a bit unusual and doesn't strike me as English.
Any thoughts or advice?

 

The winged critter may be meant to be a cicada rather than a fly. The grouse foot has a very British registration mark, which some of our members are good at deciphering. The ones I've seen that were actual dried feet were Scottish. Someone will be along who can tell you more.

 

https://www.925-1000.com/registry.html

If the month letter is an E and the year letter is a D, then it's May 10, 1878
Or if it's a C instead of an E, then it's January 10

 

Agree re cicada. A popular symbol of transformation and rebirth in the Victorian era.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicadas_in_mythology



Debora

 

I'll just add that the grouse foot may be a kilt pin.

 

or hunters hat pin !

 

Possibly missing a stone
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-victorian-all-silver-bird-245238083

 

Good catch!

Debora

 

The cicada has a trombone clasp, marking it as continental European. The grouse foot is a Scottish design, and I agree missing its end cap.

 

Is there a text on one of the wings, or am I (once again) just imagining things?

 

Cicada brooches like this one are part of Provençal traditonal dress, and made in France. It will have a tiny mark, probably a crab mark for .800 silver fineness.

If the grouse foot has a registration mark but no assay marks, it may not be silver.

 

Another French cicada brooch thread:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/french-silver-cicada-brooch.77839/#post-9428709

From that thread:
Provençal costumes with cicada brooches on the kerchief:

 

Guys you are just the best! Learning all the time cool stuff with you! Thank you!
My search shifted and I went for a sweetheart brooch instead to make it fully English experience.

Tho I still think leg kilt pin is awesome!
And French cicadas just sooo beautifully weird

 

English sweetheart piece. Silver on the back with gold overlay. Birmingham anchor with the lion .. 1899? date mark. Someone who knows what they're talking about will be along shortly.

 

I think it's
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/Birmingham-SB-SG.html#SB

And indeed
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Birmingham/Date Letters Z.html

 

Yes! That’s about right.
I was wondering if I can clean safely. This rosy metal on the rope it won’t be plating right? I was planning to clean it with the ultrasound machine and polish later…

 

can't see rosy.....should be sterling.
should clean up nice , too !!

 

I don't see rosy metal on the roping either.
The decorations on the front are rose gold applique's. Cleaning the front is fine, but no rubbing on or around the appliqués. If you're scared to damage it, use silver foam, that is perfect for delicate pieces.

 

Or Ye Old sunshine cloth, if you have one. I'd use Wright's silver polish. It's generally a pink paste, but it foams up if you put some on a damp/wet sponge. The alternative is to use it like a worry stone. It gets your thumb all black, but the tarnish comes off.

 

I'd also use Wright's silver polish. It washes off so no polish gets caught in the crevices, which can be hard to get out!