Featured Lockets: How often are hallmarks faked

I've begun collection antique lockets. Specifically those with Birmingham silver marks. My question is how often are these things faked? Should I assume the marks are reliable. I was reading about some fake Unger brothers items.. and I'm always paranoid of it.
I bought a locket prior, prob from the 70s. It's marked "sterling" but when I acid tested it's def not sterling throughout. possibly plated or sterling only certain parts.
It's still nice locket, but not worth prob what I paid. I found several other lockets like it on eBay all maked "sterling". Possibly faked by the same maker around the 70s I'd guess. Anyway it got me wondering about how much other lockets are faked or if I should be worried about more expensive older locket. For ex. the one I got is from the 1890s, full marked etc. Seems legit but....
If hallmarks are faked where can I learn about them to tell the difference?

 

Welcome to the forum @abbypanda!!

The one thing I can tell you is that you should never rely on any type of mark regardless if it is on jewelry, porcelain, pottery, silver, etc. The best advice I can give you is to invest in some good reference books on the items you are collecting. Also researching on-line might help some but the only thing that is really going to help is experience. You eventually learn the look & feel of the real deal without even having to look at the marks.

Every collector has their list of mistakes made early on that they would truly love to forget. I know I had my share, but you learn & you eventually sell off your mistakes so you can invest in something better.

You could also hang out here on the forum. You would be amazed at what you will learn by just reading, looking at photos & asking questions. The folks here are happy to answer questions & freely share the knowledge they have gained.

 

Hello and welcome.
Are you aware of this site?
https://www.925-1000.com/americansilver__Icon.html

 

You can find the 'sterling' mark on silver, silver plated, and silvertone metal. Unfortunately it is one of the most unreliable methods of marking, a 'sterling' stamp can be bought by anyone.
Since the renewed opening of China as a business model, we have a new problem. They are faking vintage and antique jewellery styles, and these fakes even end up in antiques shops all over the world.

The best thing is knowledge, also of fakes, keeping your eyes open, and of course testing, as you did.
Check sites like ebay to see if you can find several or even many listings for the same locket you are interested in. If you do, that should set off alarm bells.
And we can't spot everything, consequently we all make mistakes. Ask a refund from the seller and return an item if it is not as described. You have every right too.

 

I appreciate the replies. I heard 925 and "sterling" was often faked as mentioned. as I began to look at the Birmingham marks I concluded those could probably be faked easily as well....They are quite tiny and dont have much detail I dont think it'd be hard.

That said my hallmarked lockets came from UK sellers and I heard it's highly illegal in UK to fake them... but who knows.... Those 2 lockets I got are quite hard to find, in fact I've not found any others with that pattern. I'm inclined to think those are legit. They also come with the little fabric and all that inside. One had old pictures in it. Those can be faked also but nonetheless....

Now he's another one I question. Picked this up recently. This locket "design" is quite common, though the etchings are always different. All sellers claim the same "sterling silver, victorian era locket". Likely 1800s (late).
I began to inspect mine and I'm starting to wonder if it's really a late victorian locket or a reproduction.

The hinge is not silver. It's magnetic.
Neither is some of the inside. It def acid tests blue whereas other areas test red.
I'm not sure, I dont believe its plated, probably just silver outside and not inside? I've found other lockets from other sellers with the exact same model design, none are marked, and all different engravings. All the same claim from the sellers: silver, late victorian...
I'm not sure the bail is correct though to be late 1880s nor the little hinge the bail attaches to. I only found 1 similar locket slightly different with a hallmark on it but the bail was different.

My owl locket certainly mimics this, which has a hallmark. Right down to the 20 groves it has on the outside (I counted). Its possible the metal soldered inside covers a hallmark. I notice these styles of lockets all have scratchings usually Roman numerals on the inside also.

I notice mine looks roughly soldered on the inside.
After acid testing again, there's a ring inside that looks to be a separate piece the locket is soldered to that holds it's round shape. This ring is not silver but the locket parts appear to be.

https://www.rubylane.com/item/896152-003122/Victorian-sterling-silver-locket-chain-Sydenham

thoughts?

 

Having a bit of a problem following all your concerns, and suggest if you're asking about problems with marks, they should be posted, but I'm unclear as to whether this piece has any (no?) - anyway, under a certain weight (around 7 or 8 grams, my brain is fuzzy right now), British silver was/is not required to be hallmarked.

Personally see no' fakery', looks to be a late 19th century piece that's maybe had a bit of a rough life - suspect the front was damaged, perhaps stepped on, the repair looks good on the outside (cute engraved owl), but there does appear to be quite a bit of soldering around the rim interior, as well as on that odd 'star' bit that is probably a reinforcement (it's kinda cool to me).

The bale looks like a replacement, and is a bit large, but wouldn't consider it an issue (you say the bale is attached to a hinge?). The hinge likely has a steel pin, the reason it attracts a magnet, not anything particularly out of the ordinary, nor would it be unusual for the interior frame that held in the glass to be plated base metal.

Please post your images as 'Full Image' - awkward having to keep clicking on thumbnails...

~Cheryl

 

Love the owl!. Doesn’t look like a repro or fake to me but that’s said with very little (no, even less than that) experience or expertise in recognising either so take it with a pinch of salt.
I’ve got a bit confused here. Are we considering if this is a modern fake/repro or a vintage fake/repro?.

 

With the excess solder and theme of the owl,I believe the cover was replaced.

 

What would the owl have to do with it being replaced rather than repaired?

~Cheryl

 

Hunhhh, not sure why that 'star' is actually there, but have to think it original - below is the same style locket, different owl, doesn't have all the messy soldering, but the same 'star' inside, and a similar bale as well.

Perhaps @Ownedbybear has seen similar...


https://www.etsy.com/listing/639130...how_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details








~Cheryl

 

The OP's images:

 

Yes, I found that owl on etsy while I was looking around before purchasing also. Many of this style of locket has something soldered inside. Not necessarily a star. After looking at it, I believe it's to keep the cover and back (its on both sides) from rippling or bowing. the metal kinda looks like it wants to start to bow on mine and I could see with no reinforcements how it might. It's a larger locket. Its def not as thick as some of the more expensive ones Ive found (which dont have something soldered to prevent bowing)...

I've found other lockets in this exact style with larger pieces even soldered on the inside. Some in a star shape, some in other shapes.

Mine has Ivy on the back, this owl on etsy had swallows. I would have liked the swallows.
I'm inclined to agree that it probably was crushed in some way as mentioned and repaired. That's ok.
but so you all think these models of lockets are truly antiques and not reproductions? There are quite a # of this exact style, but I've found no exact duplicates. I've searched high and low bc I would have loved to find info on the possible maker but just haven't found it.

 

I was originally asking several things

1. when it comes to birmingham (location) hallmarks, or the lion etc (they are often 3 together for the year, location and silver) if theres any known fakes. I found blogs on fake unger pieces, etc, showing the differences in the fakes and real marks and all that. I simply wondered if there was such a thing with the lion marks, for ex. I know with coins, for example, there are blogs showing pics of fakes and the small altercations. I was curious if that's a known thing with the lion, letters, etc on late 19c jewelry or if it's largely not a problem and should be assumed as legitimate with the markings.

2. I was also asking about this locket specifically (owl) since it had no hallmarks. I was curious about it since i find such a large # of similar lockets in this exact style but no info on the makers to be found anywhere I've looked.

 

Look at hte branch the owl sits on in both. On close inspection the pattern of the branches and leaves off the main branch is almost exact... subtle differences but the idea is the same, same loations they branch out, same # of leaves "almost". The bamboo at the top is not the same, but I find that interesting now that I look. As if 1 was trying to copy the other? OR perhaps the same maker.

 

I'm wondering if tehy are possibly reproductions of this style: note this is hallmarked and the top is different
https://www.etsy.com/listing/785403...idUekebGiBeMb_K_pahfYl0fo1DF5-4MaAgsREALw_wcB

 

You are asking an impossible question.The jump ring on yours has been replaced,the inside appears to have had repair work.There are no visible hallmarks or company name on your piece,what does the reverse side look like?
There are companies making jewelry today with the original dies from the the late 19th century,would that make a piece an original or a reproduction if the same die set was used?

 

Abby, I think you are worrying too much. Your locket is lovely, and it is period. It has had a life, and the hinge has probably been repaired. Nothing unusual there.

Nothing wrong with ivy, and it is there for a reason. In the 19th century ivy was a symbol for marital love and fidelity. Yours may have been a gift from a husband to his wife.

 

Excellent advice for life at the moment
I must follow this.
Any more pearls of wisdom @Any Jewelry?. That’s an idea for a new thread- Daily ‘food for thought’ quotes!

 

Too many.

 

I’m sure Confucius wouldn’t mind if you cribbed a few quotes to get you started