Featured Old China Stone Brooch

This is an old brooch that I purchased a couple of years ago. It's about 2 7/8" in length and about 2" in width and is stamped "China" and has a small design on the stick pin.

There are a lot of different stones in it, some I think are turquoise, coral, quartz, I think jade and others that I don't know. There is one stone that looks like it has old button holes in it (think pinkish one) so I think that stone may have been re-purposed to use in the brooch.

Does anyone know what the other stones are, and how old the brooch may be? I was thinking it could be mid-century or earlier.

Thanks!
Kevin

 

Breath-taking! Very memorable. Good luck with it.

 

Thanks GaleriaGila!

 

My WAG would be early 80s Chinese export ware. It was probably made new of new parts and made to look older. Stone necklaces made the same way were popular. A lot of those were agate, but other stones found their way in too. What the metal is...no idea.

 

Kevin, I don't know much about jewels so I can't help but wanted to say your photos are great

 

Cxgirl, Wow, thank you for the kind complement! Evelyb30, thanks for the WAG!

 

Most of the stones appear to be some type of quartz.White stone with blue specs maybe calcite with lapis, turquoise(mystery dyed something).The pink button may be old San Diego county tourmaline which was favored by the Chinese empress in the late 1800's-early 1900's. http://www.gia.edu/tourmaline-history-lore

 

It looks to me like the settings must have been custom made for the stones - all those irregular shapes. What a lot of work! I think the use of a button is really cool.

 

Very nice piece, I agree --the use of the button is unusual and would suggest this is not a mass produced item.

It's unique. Love it!

 

Hollyblue, thanks for the ID on some of those stones. You may be right, the pink stone does look like it could be tourmaline. The link you provided was interesting. Thanks all for the comments!

 

I think the deep orange-red stone in the top left of the first photo is carnelian. The one on the lower left may also be. The re-purposed purple stone may be amethyst. It's difficult to tell without seeing them up close. You might want to check with a local gem & mineral dealer.

 

Brenda, thanks! I was thinking those 2 stones might be carnelian.

 

Maybe that dark blue stone is lapis lazuli.

 

GaleriaGila, I think you may be right, sure seems like a nice variation of stones accumulating here, thanks!

 

Is there something written on the pin stem or is that just scratches?

 

There is a design on the stick pin.