Featured Brooch

Hoping someone might recognize this one. Seems nicer with how the stones are done. The only marking I could find was a small diamond/lozenge shape.

 

French makers' marks are in tiny lozenge shapes. Doesn't preclude others from doing the same thing, of course, but agree it is well made, which may also argue for French.

 

Does the brooch show a silver color coming through (as if the gold finish is worn) or is that just the lighting?

 

The section that the blue stones are mounted on is a separate piece and seems to be a silverish color, attachment points being seen on the back with the two small holes by the hinge area for the pin. The rest is gold color from what i'm seeing.

I found another small mark that looks to be just three dots in a row.

 

The pin has an older style rollover clasp on it - Titanic-era, but I think the pin is later. Somebody probably had them on a factory closet shelf. Late 40s? If the stones are glass, real ones changing the game entirely, I'd wonder if the pin isn't gold-plated sterling. They did that during and right after the war too when no one could get brass.

 

Do you have a way to test for gold? To rule that out? From the photos it looks likely to be costume, but it's a bit unusual of a design.

 

Need to get a new testing kit. The white/clear stone seems to have some "brilliance" to it. Since there's no foil backing, i'd assume that means its something other than glass, but I dunno.

 

Absence of foil is no guarantee it is not glass. Crystal, perhaps, but it will not be a natural stone.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be the real thing, gold with sapphires and diamonds.
It's really nice!

 

the way the stones are prong set......I'd give it a good going over..!

 

I agree, it looks like costume and that thickness of the metal usually means plated or goldtone. But when in doubt, have it tested,

 

I love it!
Its a little bit hard to see the stones, because it looks like you used a flash on your photos.
However, if you inspect them with a loupe, you might be able to tell if the sapphires are genuine. There will be slight color differences and inclusions.
High quality gold plated pieces sometimes do have genuine colored stones. The fact that the stones are set into white metal is a good sign.
I still would have it tested for gold.

 

Exactly, too much extraneous metal.

 

Dug out my old presidium gem tester. Blue stones pegged around sapphire and white stone went to Diamond. Tested a junk glass piece and it read correct. So did the test simulants.

 

that's what I figured...

 

You better get the metal tested then