Featured Acid testing gold and pearl brooch

Hello!
I picked up this large-ish (1½" by 2") brooch/pendant last fall at a thrift shop. The pearls, which feel real on my teeth, dangle inside of holes cut in the curved gold rectangle. The holes are unevenly placed in the rectangle and it has the look of a jewelry class project ... except that it tests as gold. I've rubbed it many times on the glass "stone" of the test kit and the scratches are not dissolving at all w/ 14K acid (they disappear w/ 18K acid) You can see how much of the metal was scratched away onto the stone in the close-up pic of the corner.

It makes no sense that this is solid 14K, but even if (by some miracle) it were, I'm not sure too many people would find it attractive. I like that someone went to the effort to create this piece, but doubt others will.

How would you go about testing whether or not it was a very heavy gold plated piece? Has anyone tested directly on a piece of gold or gold-plated jewelry?
Do you scratch the back and just drop the acid on the scratch?
What should I look for? Bubbles?
If I go this route, will baking soda in water be enough to stop any reaction on the metal?

Thanks for looking and for any suggestions how to proceed.

front

side

back

pearls are not drilled, but glued to jump rings

corner showing how much rubbing took off (also visible in above pic)

 

Why does it make no sense that it could be 14K gold. Any one can buy gold, rich kids in college have their parents to give them anything they want. Have it tested by a professional and see what it is.

 

The wires do appear to go into the pearls

 

Maybe not a jewelry class project, but studio artist.

MCM in style.
But the loops on the back for a chain or ribbon to go through and make a necklace make me think 1980s. Isn't that when chokers were popular again?

 

I like it!. I wonder if it was one of those projects that looked straightforward on paper but proved to be more tricky in execution.
Have you used a loupe to look close up at the area you have rubbed on the stone?. I've had a few bits that resolutely test as gold but when you look through the loupe in good light you can see the base metal.
Failing that, take it to a jeweller when they are open.

 

I think its fabulous. Just for a little perspective on unmarked jewelry ...I once was at this skeevy bar (I loved skeevy bars!) and I was playing pool . I reached into a pocket to retrieve a ball and I felt something at the bottom,wich turned out to be an enormous skull ring. It looked gold but there was nary a mark so I truly didnt think much of it and stuck it in my pocket. Fast forward a few years and I dug it out of my jewelry box and decided to get it checked. Lo and behold it was in fact 14k and brought me a much needed and tidy sum of money . Since then I never say never !

 

Great find!

 

Seems like a risky way to attach them. My guess is that there is a pin inserted into the pearl, but someone reinforced with glue.

 

Sorry, I should have stated that it makes no sense to me that this was crafted of solid 14K.
I would have expected the design to be better thought out and executed. The pearl on the upper right-hand corner is so high that the thick rim around the piece had to be cut away to make room for the hole where the jump ring is inserted.
The soldering doesn't look horrible to me (you may have a different opinion on that), and I would think that if someone could handle the soldering, they could have planned out the placement of the holes more carefully.

I guess stranger things have happened, huh.

I can do that when it's safe to do so.
Thank you for your thoughts on this.

 

Thanks for looking Terry. I'll take better photos close-up tonight.

 

What is the mark on the edge below the southwest pearl in the 1st. pic.?

 

I remember that look. I worked in a jewelry store through the 80's and early 90's and yes, chokers did make a comeback then.

 

Yes. Still looks like gold to me.

I can. I was hoping to figure this out on my own (without ruining it).

Thanks! That makes me feel better

 

Thanks! Starting to feel even better about it
Cool find on the skull ring! That brought back a memory of a regular customer of mine, a biker, who would bring in his gold and silver skull rings to have our in-house repair person set precious gems (which he would supply), in their eyes.

 

That it does. Thanks for looking! I'll take more close-ups tonight to try and show what I'm seeing.

 

Not sure. (pic. #2?) it looks like a very tiny gap not filled with solder between the thinner front piece and the thicker rim on the edge. There's a second similar spot on another edge.

 

and stuck it in my pocket

with narry a glance around for a 6 foot 3 inch tattooed biker, looking for his lost ring ????
Yer brave !!!

 

I guess I was drunk ! This wasnt the kind of bar where you took a lost and found item to the bartender. Itd have ended up HIS nose . I quit going there after 3 different people I knew from there got killed right around it . Ah crazy misspent youth .

 

Got some close-up pic.s of the pearls and examined them more closely with a loupe. Two of them look drilled but the others still look like they're glued to a jump ring. Sorry, either the camera or the pin itself kept blocking the light ... these are the best of the bunch.

photo of one of the drilled pearls.

the rest are what looks like jump rings glued to pearls