Featured Rediscovering an amazing piece of jewelry?? French 18k bracelet?

A few years ago when I was relatively new to jewelry I bought this bracelet because I had seen some weird markings on the clasp but never took a loupe to them. After I had bought it for $2.00 I immediately took it to a snobby higher end jewelry store and the rude guy there told me it wasn't marked 14k or anything and he didn't want to waste acid testing it. Obviously defeated I just put it in a box full of junk. Well just today I was sifting through junk to find something to sell on ebay and I happened to stumble across this bracelet again. Curious I took my own loupe to the mystery marks and low and behold they are the mark for French 18k used since 1839.... Now with that said the bracelet is marked twice, once on the clasp and once on the actual bracelet part. However, I noticed a few spots on the bracelet where it looks like the metal changes color? If you click on the second picture you can see on one of the fourth link that the metal changes to a silver color, almost like wearing down like gold fill? It's weird and I'm not sure what to make of it.. What do you all think? I am going to try and have it electronically tested if I can.

 

I cannot help with the bracelet, but wanted to sympathize about rude jewelers. My first one hated anything he didn't sell to me! Totally unhelpful!

 

Watch chain...

~Cheryl

 

It may have been a watch chain but it is incredibly short and the one end has no clasp....

 

It does look like a watch chain missing bits. Why don't you provide us with the length?

Debora

 

I used to wear a nice gold watch chain as a bracelet, but it was still a watch chain (if it's long enough for a bracelet, it's long enough for a watch chain).

~Cheryl

 

Agree with the above. This is a watch chain. However, if you can wear it as a bracelet, do so. It is very nice looking.

Your chain is missing the bar and the shorter piece that had the fob.



This shows different watch chains. Believe yours would be considered an Albert chain. These are new, not old.
https://www.pocketwatches.com/accessories-c185/pocket-watch-chains-c216

 

Is there any nifty way I can shorten it just a bit to wear as a bracelet? I dont want to take links out or anything.... right now as is it's a tad long

 

Is there anyway that you can hook it through the middle of one of the rings?
Getting it to hook will be easy. It's going to be hard to get off with that clasp.



Or maybe get a large jump ring and put it through the ring, then hook to the jump ring.

 

powerlifting.

 

It is a beauty, spart, and 100% watch chain. I have no reason to believe the marks aren't legit.
Continental watch chains didn't always have fobs btw, so not all watch chains had an extra fob chain.
Here in the Netherlands some people had an extra chain with a watch key and a signet, but no decorative fobs. That extra chain etc is usually seen with traditional costumes, not with regular (city) dress.

Buy a nice watch and the bar for the other end of the chain, and wear it as a watch chain. My brother has our great-uncle's gold watch and chain and wears it on festive and formal occasions. It looks great.

 

A French chain would more likely have a large spring-ring rather than a toggle - may or may not have had a fob/charm...

From a 1913 Savard & Fils catalog (gold-filled):




These are all also gold-filled rather than solid gold:








~Cheryl

 

True, the same as Dutch watch chains.

 

On first look, I had no idea this was a watch fob! Thank you all!
Shame on the jeweler for not knowing or not telling you...

 

Just send all your 'junk' to me Spart! A joblot will do just fine to take it off your hands

 

I wouldn't mind a piece of "junk" like that! Dunno about you, but I'll take that sort of costume jewelry any day all day.