Featured Please tell me I found something good :-) Coral

I hope so!
Spotted this clasp in a job lot together with the brooch and some other lovely necklaces.
Necklace has been restrung so I don’t know if the faceted coral and the clasp started out together or have been married.
The small green beads are glass but the larger ones are another as yet unidentified green gemstone .
Do the facets help date the beads?

The clasp tests at around 18k using my amateur deduction. The brooch is GP base metal with possibly a replacement pin of unknown metal- the acid went browner not red but the test streak metal went all flakey in suspension which I’ve not seen before.
Id love to hear how old you think the coral beads or clasp are and the brooch. Will need to be restrung with knots but do these beads go together?!.
Almost don’t dare to ask about what the green beads could be!
Thanks for looking

 

Woahh! Not only good for the coral beads in the necklace... Excellent!
1820s clasp and facetted beads as on this era tiara/combs
The green beads have nothing to do with them, modern restrung. Biggest seem to by the famous green dyed agate, smallest are glass (uneven rough shape).
The brooch is old coral too, but less exciting to me

 

Ha, just read your description, you got the main points

 

Yay, I'm learning from good teachers!. It was on a buy it now and I couldn't hit the button quickly enough as it wasn't much money for what I thought it was. There are some stunning carnelian and Amethyst faceted beads in it too I will post tomorrow as I've flooded the forum tonight. Whoever it came from had some really beautiful beads but restrung them with mostly cheap modern clasps.

So I can cheerfully ditch the green beads and use what?, faceted glass?, rock crystal? Pearls?. My stock of 1820 beads is a trifle low at the moment . In fact I don't think I have anything that old.
How old is old for the brooch do you think?
Thankyou

 

1850/1870 for the brooch (more on 1870s to me!) from this useful site:
https://www.realorrepro.com/article/Dating-brooch-fasteners

 

Gorgeous coral, Med red, faceted beads, OLD!!! I'm with kyra on the dates, brooch 1860s I think.
Great photos, K!

 

Classic, and beautiful, I think, but I like beads. ❤️Maven

 

Thankyou Maven. Beads are just wonderful, such craftsmanship and care goes into some of them and they are so versatile and beautiful.

 

Thankyou M!. I wouldn't have spotted them without help from you,Kyra and others on the forum .
(Talking of which, I'm having @Jivvy withdrawal symptoms again, I hope she is making good progress, have you heard from her?)
There aren't quite enough beads to make up a complete necklace- are there any type of beads that traditionally went with coral or were used back then?.I'll restring them as those green beads are not complimentary. Pearls?, proper ones,not faux.
Is it ok that the clasp isn't hallmarked?. Would that be because of the age or because the clasp is small?.
Amazing to think they were made 200 years ago!

 

I have been thinking about her a lot lately and all day today. I have been meaning to ask @Bronwen , her forum contact. Bronwen, any news? I hope she hasn't had another health issue, she was only just recovering.

 

I have not had contact & have also been wondering with concern. I can imagine relatively benign reasons for not having time/energy for her typically enthusiastic participation here. Hate to nudge at her if she's not well.

 

She’s missed. Maybe a little note just to say we miss her and hope she’s on the mend?

 

I understand.

And maybe add that she doesn't have to reply, just that we are thinking of her?

 

I feel too a strong Jivvy withdrawal...

I'd complement the length needed with old coral chips, you may find them cheap in broken necklaces like those:
https://picclick.co.uk/Lot-22g-Vintage-Genuine-Natural-Coral-Beads-For-352972557395.html
All coral is what would look as close as original

 

Old coral branches maybe? I mean those short branches that were also used at the time of the original necklace. And later as well, which makes them easy to find at a car boot sale etc. As long as they look old, no modern .... .

 

Yep!

 

Or gold/gilt beads
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/estate-18k-gold-coral-beaded-bead-necklace-italy

 

Wow, that looks amazing!
Not sure the bank account will run to that many 18k beads . I'll see what I can find from the slightly more bargain shelf. I've got several bags of old branch coral bits so I'll look through those.
Thanks for the suggestions.

 

@Any Jewelry and @kyratango I know we don't do values on here but I suspect these are worth doing properly?. I'm not keen on the branch coral, I've put some bits next to the faceted beads and they look like a frumpy cousin. It would be expensive to do them with 9ct gold beads but if they deserve it and the return would be good then it's worth it.
I'll see if I can find a reasonably priced supplier.
Not that I'm good at selling things I like but looking long term if I was to sell them would it be a reasonable investment to use some 9ct beads, maybe spaced with some seed pearls?. I've been practising my knotting and French wire!
Before and after- every bead is knotted- the pink and yellow are original, the rest salvaged from a faux pearl necklace.