Featured Brooches and a Bolo tie clasp

Now that I've found an antiquing forum, it occurs to me I can maybe find out a little something about some jewellery I've had for a while. A couple are brooches(likely costume jewellery) from my grandmother, and one is what I am guessing is a bolo tie clasp from my grandpa.

Enamel Pin by B.Stirling posted Mar 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM

Identified as potentially a piece by Ivar T. Holth of Norway; possibly 1950s Etsy link posted down in the replies. Big thanks to Debora. I looked over my pin and the images in the link and although mine is lighter(and slightly damaged), almost everything else is identical.

Brass Fower Pin by B.Stirling posted Mar 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM

Lovely costume piece, and by accident roaming through these threads I discovered it's probably an attempt at a Cartier knock off(looks an awful lot like a lucky score another member found). Definitely no markings though, and looks like it's brass because there's some green tarnish on the back.

Bolo tie clasp front by B.Stirling posted Mar 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM

Bolo tie clasp back by B.Stirling posted Mar 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM

I am guessing this is a bolo tie clasp, looks an awful lot like one. I'm just curious about the green stone. (I'm not thinking that's a gold chip though, since I don't see any indicator of it being real).

 

This looks like your top brooch.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/236705...how_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details

Debora

 

I'll show you the brass one, because the link Debora posted matches the one I have exactly. Thank you @Debora

Brass Pin Back2 by B.Stirling posted Mar 23, 2025 at 8:43 PM

Brass Pin Back1 by B.Stirling posted Mar 23, 2025 at 8:43 PM

 

The top one could be 1920s, but we really need to see the back. The Czechs did some enameling like that, but so did lots of other countries. If it's sterling I'd be thinking Norway. The brass one is American, probably, and not an unusal design. The stone chunk was definitely a bolo. It wants to be jade.

 

The only reason I am not posting anymore on the top piece is because it's been identified. I don't want to take up too much space I guess? Debora posted a link to a seller on Etsy and the brooches are identical. The seller claims it's a piece by Ivar T. Holth, Norway, from the 1950s. My dad will be jazzed, he has a fascination with that culture and that brooch was his mother's
Funny that you say wants to be jade for the stone. Are you implying it's an imitation, maybe glass? I wouldn't be shocked at all, especially since nothing about it really screams expensive; like there's nothing indicating the karats in the gold used.

 

Here's your second brooch. Seller can't identify maker either.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1137301808/vintage-real-pearl-golden-flower-brooch

Debora

 

Wow, you are fast! Thank you very much for helping me. I had no idea etsy was somewhere to look into antiques, I always thought anything sold on there had to be craft work. I'll definitely be looking into things more on that site.

 

I would think your brooch was vintage rather than antique because it appears to be less than 100 years old.

Debora

 

Ah, fair point. I guess I have to be more careful not to use the term so loosely. I guess a good reminder to myself would be: antique = anything 100 or older, vintage = anything 50-100years old.

 

Welcome on board B.Stirling!
I have nothing to add about the brooches at others said above.
For the bolo, I’m thinking real British Columbia jade and gold
You need to have the metal tested, all gold isn’t marked.

 

gold nuggets are never marked , & they come in different carats .... but it's BC nephrite jade....




.

although the nugget jewelry is mostly from Alaska !!

 

I agree with @evelyb30 that this is older. I checked out the link and that seller says they didn't know when/who, just that they saw some OTHER unknown seller make that claim.

I have a much earlier flower enamel brooch (1910s). If it's as the etsy link, a C-clasp and a tube hinge combo is not from the 50s but from around the early 1900s and earlier.

Enamel brooches had a come back mid-century from Sweden, Norway, Demark and they have a very particular look. They're also always clearly marked with the country and often the maker name.

Agreed with others your nugget may be gold. That was a thing with the nugget jewelries.

I don't think your brass flower pin is a knock off of Cartier so much as big flower pins were en vogue and produced by many. It's very pretty.

 

Pretty pieces, and agree, the nephrite jade is BC.
For the possible Holth brooch we need to see the back, including a closeup of the marks please. It is bound to bear the Holth mark.

It is not a knock-off of the Cartier brooch, for one it has filigree leaves. A design in its own right.

 

See you're a new member, so welcome.

You've been asked more than once to show the back of the enamel brooch - it is important to give as much information as possible to aid in correct IDs. As already mentioned, there is no evidence shown that the one linked is a Holth piece, they typically clearly place their mark by the quality mark, but it is almost certainly Norwegian and could easily be mid 20th century.

Tube hinges and C-clasps are very common on Scandinavian and other countries well past the mid 20th century, I was given a Norwegian brooch with those findings, purchased new in the late '70s, and have Ivar T. Holth (firm founded in 1943) brooches with the same.

Would have to disagree on "always"...

Agreed.

Agreed.


~Cheryl

 

Forgive me I shouldn't have assumed the matter would be settled as quickly as all that. I thought that since they do look so similar I had found my answer.

Enamel Pin Back1 by B.Stirling posted Mar 24, 2025 at 9:17 AM

Enamel Pin Back2 by B.Stirling posted Mar 24, 2025 at 9:17 AM

That's the back of the enamel pin to the best that I can get the shot. I added photos of the back of the other pin a few posts up.

I didn't realize that the bolo tie wouldn't have to identify karats. I have a good jeweller in my area that might be able to shine some more light on it. Cool to know that it's likely BC Jade though I have a lot of family in that province.

 

I bow to your expert knowledge on silver lol. All the pieces I've seen were as I said so that's what I went off of. Good to know for future research.

 

The sterling and enamel brooch probably is 50s. The Swedes and others were still using the tube hinge sometimes well past WWII and the 925 mark is generally an indicator of post-War manufacture. Beyond that, dunno.

 

Miners regularly come into the Alaska Mint to sell natural gold that they have found in different parts of Alaska and Northern Canada.

This type of gold is called placer gold.

Natural Alaskan gold is typically 75% to 95% pure, or 18k to 22k.

The gold purity will vary from rivers and streams. Gold Nuggets can be found from 70% to as high as 95% pure depending on the mix of other minerals with the gold

 

A couple gold and sterling nuggets I made years ago.....