Featured Sterling Bracelet - what are the stones?

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by wildrose, Mar 27, 2019.

  1. wildrose

    wildrose Well-Known Member

    can anyone enlighten me as to what these stones are? and maybe some general info about this piece only marked STERLING. Thank you! bracelet.jpg bracelet1.jpg bracelet2.jpg bracelet3.jpg
     
  2. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    It looks like some sort of chrysocolla variant. Beyond that...dunno. The bracelet looks Mexican.
     
  3. wildrose

    wildrose Well-Known Member

    never heard of that so I am off to google! Thanks!
     
  4. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    Agree Mexican sterling bracelet
    1940s-50s.
     
  5. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    Have the metal tested, a lot of these type of Mexican pieces are alpaca with false silver marks :(
     
  6. reader

    reader Well-Known Member

    I think everything should be tested but that looks like old Mexican sterling to me.
     
    scoutshouse, KSW, i need help and 3 others like this.
  7. verybrad

    verybrad Well-Known Member

  8. wildrose

    wildrose Well-Known Member

    Thanks Brad! mine are so dull.
     
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  9. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    The only thing that can be said about the stones is they are green without testing. Most of this type of jewelry is dyed travertine/Mexican onyx which is much softer than a quartz based stone like chrysoprase.The amount of abrasion points to a softer stone.
     
  10. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

  11. reader

    reader Well-Known Member

    It doesn’t look like chrysoprase to me either but I sure think the OP’s bracelet is far more interesting than the other pictured ones and I love the mattness of the stones. It really screams vintage Mexico!
     
  12. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    The OP's looks less Mexican Souvenir than Been There Done That. Most antiques junkies prefer the latter.
     
  13. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

  14. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    Buyers love this style so they are very saleable.

    But I am sorry, I have to reinforce, I have often had this styles of bracelet that was falsely marked as silver. Hopefully your piece is silver, but protect yourself and have it tested!
     
  15. clutteredcloset49

    clutteredcloset49 Well-Known Member

    Christmasjoy, scoutshouse and Bronwen like this.
  16. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    I think Holly is not being inconsistent. The stone is travertine, but the trade (jewellery trade) & commonly used (inaccurate) name is Mexican onyx, green Mexican onyx. Because it is so commonly called that, onyx is more productive as a search term, but if you're trying to be more mineralogically correct, a better word is travertine. She was saying there are many examples of travertine to be found, but they're found under the name Mexican onyx.
     
  17. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

  18. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    I don't feel entirely satisfied with anything we've suggested. For color, chyrsocolla seems closest. It's really very odd, for color & finish. I'm starting to wonder if it's a stone at all. I let my photo editor have its way a bit to see what it would make of the color. It often punches up shades not so obvious to the eye. The stones do not fit tightly in their places. There looks like a chip of something stuck at one edge:

    upload_2019-3-28_19-46-33.png
     
  19. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    It is only one stone not 3.
     
  20. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Interesting. Could it be ceramic?
     
    Christmasjoy and i need help like this.
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