Alabaster? Candle holder leaves thingy.

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by KSW, May 20, 2019.

  1. KSW

    KSW Well-Known Member

    Is this likely to be Alabaster?. Any ideas on date please or is it modern (or old!) tat?.
    3B8F0EF8-3F1B-41FF-84D5-DAD599DCCF6C.jpeg 91EA548D-3B09-40CD-8ABD-CCB6575197C8.jpeg 16F408BF-32AC-4CEC-96A1-0EAE98EE043C.jpeg 76D25662-2764-4D55-BA52-07B7823045BD.jpeg 1E3D1B2B-0068-49C4-953B-F43B2526146A.jpeg C74BB1B0-E03D-4C4F-974D-7A591880AD3C.jpeg
     
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  2. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

  3. KSW

    KSW Well-Known Member

  4. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

  5. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    @i need help, I just don't get how you do that SO DURN FASTTTTTTT !!
    NICE JOB!!
     
  6. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    Well, I disagree. Not Alabaster.

    Chinese.
    Soapstone or jade. (Keep in mind many different stones are called jade)
    If it is easily scratched - Soapstone.
     
  7. kyratango

    kyratango Bug jewellery addiction!

    Vote for soapstone, it can easily be scratched with a needle, very soft stone.
     
  8. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    May not be Chinese, some of these were made in Italy - those are alabaster.
     
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  9. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    There are two different stones known commonly as alabaster, both based on calcium. One is related to gypsum; the other to calcite (travertine is one form of this). Soapstone/steatite is fundamentally the mineral talc. All three stones are soft (steatite especially so) & have been used for carving for thousands of years. A lot of Egyptian scarabs, from the most ancient to ones being made today, are steatite. It can be smooth, but I've never seen it with this high a degree of polish or translucency. I would vote for calcite-type alabaster. A large part of why jade is so valued is its hardness & a structure that makes it resistant to fracture. It would not be worthwhile to make this sort of item from jade, a mineral completely unrelated to the other three.
     
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  10. KSW

    KSW Well-Known Member

    Thankyou. I'll give it a wash and see how hard the stone is and report back!.
     
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  11. KikoBlueEyes

    KikoBlueEyes Well-Known Member

    Do you live near me? One of these was in my favorite resale shop for a couple of weeks. Also with only one flower. :)
     
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  12. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    Well if it is alabaster and you wash it, you will dissolve any details off.
     
  13. KSW

    KSW Well-Known Member

    Just tested it with skewer in a discreet place and it scratches but it takes a bit of effort so not Jade but I don't think zsoapstone. I've got a piece of soapstone and it's harder than that
    No I’m in the UK!. It was on a table at a car boot sale- don’t know if you have those in the USA or if they are a uniquely British oddity!
     
  14. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    I've washed alabaster - Italian - with no issues.

    I find these quite often at car boots, to.
     
  15. BoudiccaJones

    BoudiccaJones Well-Known Member

     
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  16. BoudiccaJones

    BoudiccaJones Well-Known Member


    Dunno how I quoted meself but there ya go :O
     
  17. KikoBlueEyes

    KikoBlueEyes Well-Known Member

    We are continents apart in distance, but close in our love of old beautiful things.
     
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  18. KikoBlueEyes

    KikoBlueEyes Well-Known Member

    Gem trees are also plentiful here.
     
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  19. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Suspect, then, that it is not soapstone, which is extremely soft, as stones go.

    You would think in a car mad country like the US, these would have caught on big time, but have yet to hear of one. What some people do is get in their cars on the weekend & drive around looking for signs announcing yard/garage sales. I was so envious the first time an English friend showed off her finds from that weekend's boot sale & explained to me what she meant.
     
  20. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    Isn't that what we call Flea Markets?
     
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