Featured sterling crafts show earrings - stones?

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by SBSVC, Jun 17, 2018.

  1. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    As I've announced on this forum many, MANY times, I know absolutely NOTHING about silver jewelry, costume jewelry, or any other jewelry, other than the few specific items that I've had for years & years and wear daily... (I'm a creature of habit, so when it comes to other kinds of jewelry, I don't buy it, I don't wear it, etc, etc...)

    My older sister, however, is both a high-end crafts show jewelry AND a QVC jewelry fanatic. She knows better than to give any of it to ME, but my daughter has been the recipient of many pieces of it over the years.

    Due to medical issues, DD can't wear any kind of jewelry these days. She's here for the weekend (Father's Day) and was going thru one of her old jewelry boxes last night.

    She asked me if I might be able to sell some of the unworn excess for her. There's a LOT of it... Unfortunately, I don't even know what the stuff is!

    Just for a start, here are 2 pairs of earrings, likely from high-end crafts shows, given to her by my sister. Both pairs are clearly marked for sterling silver, but beyond that, I haven't much of a clue. I'll just refer to them as "purple" and "light blue":

    PURPLE:
    img0 (52).jpg
    img0 (54).jpg
    LIGHT BLUE:
    img0 (58).jpg
    img0 (56).jpg

    Can anyone give me an idea what these might be? The purple ones are smooth, but as the 1st photo shows, they're not clear like glass... The light blue ones are multi-faceted, with small black spots, here and there.

    Thanks SO much for any help!

    -C-
     
  2. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Anethyst & blue topaz & probably artisan made. The topazes are faceted; the amethyst is cut en cabochon.
     
  3. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    The purple are amethyst and can't tell what the blue is from photos.I assume you live in the USA which would make the sterling marks illegal since there is not a trade/maker's mark or name scratched onto them.
     
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  4. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    Thank you, Bronwen! That helps a lot!

    Thanks, Holly - I didn't know about the sterling thing(?) Yes, I'm in the US, and as mentioned, I don't "do" sterling jewelry, but I do have quite a horde of household sterling, some of it with no maker's marks... That's not legal?
     
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  5. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    According to the Gold Stamp act and the FTC jewelry regulations there needs to be a maker's/trademark on all silver/gold etc. pieces which are marked for metal content.But there are probably 10's of thousands or more pieces made by hobbyist,students etc. who never read the regulations or didn't care.
     
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  6. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Those may have been bought at a craft fair, but they look like they were made in a factory outside of the US; my guess would be India. Those often don't have full marks.
     
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  7. reader

    reader Well-Known Member

    I was thinking India too or Indonesia.
     
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  8. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    Indonesia would be my bet. Amethyst indeed and either aquamarine or blue topaz.
     
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  9. reader

    reader Well-Known Member

    I remember an event vendor at Costco years ago with very similar sterling and semi precious stone jewelry-all from Indonesia. I actually bought a pair of earrings that I still wear.
     
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  10. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    Thank you ALL for the input - I truly appreciate it!
     
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  11. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    The blue ones are made in India. They are typical of recent Rajasthani jewellery, inspired by the traditional styles with clusters of stone or glass, like Polki and Kundan.
    The amethyst ones could have been made in Thailand or in India. Although Bali, Indonesia, copies some other styles, these don't look Balinese made to me.

    Kundan necklace:
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2018
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  12. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    Thank you, AJ!
     
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  13. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    @reader - Yes, I've seen a lot of this stuff at shows and on shopping channels, with the origin being clearly given as Indonesia.
     
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  14. LIbraryLady

    LIbraryLady Well-Known Member

    Yikes. Most of silver pieces I buy - crafts shows, T.J.Maxx- are only marked for content. I had no idea.
     
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  15. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Tons of Native American pieces just have a Sterling mark. I don't think there's a standard for artisan pieces; the last I looked they didn't have to be marked at all. I have a heavy bangle here that's definitely silver but doesn't have a mark to bless itself with. Some bloke in a shed didn't want to be bothered, or didn't want to pay for the stamp.
    DSCF9403.JPG
     
  16. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    The rules have been changed a number of times and they are now looking at rhodium plating disclosure. Link to MJSA ................. https://www.mjsa.org/publicationsmedia/compliance_guides/stamping_and_marking
     
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  17. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    IOW it hasn't changed all that much.
     
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  18. SBSVC

    SBSVC Well-Known Member

    Well, duh... You know what? I'll bet that my dear sister bought these (and some of the others I was going to ask about) on QVC - in other words, NOT at a crafts show (as I had originally - and apparently quite mistakenly - surmised.)

    I started off by saying:

    My older sister, however, is both a high-end crafts show jewelry AND a QVC jewelry fanatic - and I just chose the wrong one of her shopping obsessions!

    I looked up QVC jewelry and found that they have sold TONS of their "Global Artisan Crafted Sterling Silver Jewelry" with collections from both India and Indonesia, among other countries. I saw many items similar to the earrings I was asking about.

    Without all the input from everybody here, I still wouldn't have had a clue!

    Thanks so much to all!
     
  19. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    There you go. I've never bought from QVC - overpriced! - but I like looking at bling.
     
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  20. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Same here.
     
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