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Thread: Help needed with gemstones please !

  1. #1

    Question Help needed with gemstones please !

    Hello all,

    I am hoping that someone with a knowledge on gemstones can help me if possible. I have some jewellery items from approximately the 1940's which are handmade from India . They are made from silver but are not hallmarked or stamped and contain what I was told are real gemstones. I am wary of putting these items up for sale just in case there is a possibility that they are made of glass ! Can someone help me with advice on how I can determine if they are indeed the genuine article? Thanks in advance :-)

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    Hi Indian silver is very different to UK standard- most of it is called Tibetan silver now and is used for charms, etc. As regards to the pieces you have, I would suggest taking them to an Asian jewellers for an appraisal; there are plenty in Southall (fairly close to you?). As to the stones themselves, it really does depend on the cut, grade and opacity as to their value, and if they are glass or crystal you could always sell the pieces as costume jewellery.
    Hope that helps!
    Cheers

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    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    Good advice above & I agree - take it to somebody who would know.
    It's very difficult to give an opinion without seeing it in the flesh so to speak.

    The so called Indian silver would most likely be pure silver & not an alloy like Sterling.
    They use pure silver because it is soft & easy to work.
    However, being soft results in more wear, & it also blackens quickly. (tarnish)

    If you have a strong 10x magnifier, & the items are transparent, if you see perfectly spherical bubbles inside - they are definitely glass.

    A local jeweller, lapidary club or jewellery school may be able to help.
    Put up a photo here?
    Cheers & hope this helps.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    Thanks JD...yes , I did realise that the value would probably not be there and that Indian silver is usually a lower grade than sterling, but having said that, the metal quality on many of the pieces actually seems pretty good. They are fairly simple artisan pieces and the cut on the stones is very basic. I do know that in India semiprecious stones are incredibly cheap to buy (and especially would have been I suppose from a local seller back in the 40's, I think my great aunt may have had these made for her by someone whilst she was living out there) I think what I may try first is taking them with me to an antiques market and speaking to a vintage jewellery seller, as a lot of the Indian jewellers I have seen seem to specialise in new pieces, especially gold. Thanks very much for your response :-) I don't mind if they do turn out to be glass, as long as I know !

  5. #5

    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    Quote Originally Posted by Oldandintheway View Post
    Good advice above & I agree - take it to somebody who would know.
    It's very difficult to give an opinion without seeing it in the flesh so to speak.

    The so called Indian silver would most likely be pure silver & not an alloy like Sterling.
    They use pure silver because it is soft & easy to work.
    However, being soft results in more wear, & it also blackens quickly. (tarnish)

    If you have a strong 10x magnifier, & the items are transparent, if you see perfectly spherical bubbles inside - they are definitely glass.

    A local jeweller, lapidary club or jewellery school may be able to help.
    Put up a photo here?
    Cheers & hope this helps.
    Thanks , I am going off to check for bubbles. I am having trouble uploading the pics,it says the file is too large...need the other half to help,lol

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    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    Quote Originally Posted by LovesVintage43 View Post
    Thanks , I am going off to check for bubbles. I am having trouble uploading the pics,it says the file is too large...need the other half to help,lol
    Resizing on picmonkey is free, quick & really easy



  7. #7

    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    Quote Originally Posted by cheaver View Post
    Resizing on picmonkey is free, quick & really easy
    Thanks Cheaver, I will check it out.

    Anyway...regarding my gemstone jewellery, I cannot see bubbles so I do think they are genuine rather than glass- some of them do have damage around the faceted edges but the colours glow and I have found a silvermark on one of them as well. Will attempt to get the pics resized and posted...

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    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    You can also do very basic photo editing (like re-sizing) at Photobucket if you host your pic's there.

    Just because there are no bubbles, doesn't mean it's not glass, only that if you do see spherical bubbles, it definitely is.
    The old TV screens don't have bubbles.
    Last edited by Oldandintheway; 24th September 2013 at 09:39 PM. Reason: added info

  9. #9

    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    Quote Originally Posted by Oldandintheway View Post
    You can also do very basic photo editing (like re-sizing) at Photobucket if you host your pic's there.

    Just because there are no bubbles, doesn't mean it's not glass, only that if you do see spherical bubbles, it definitely is.
    The old TV screens don't have bubbles.
    Oh poo. Well how do jewellers test gems, is it a chemical test or something ? I can't seem to find out.

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    Default Re: Help needed with gemstones please !

    Hi, LV. think they use a Moissanite Tester - an electronic tester. The proper ones are quite expensive but you can buy cheaper ones from you know where (haven't checked to see if they are on this site) from hongkong/china. I have a mizar diamond tester - though it does tell me if a diamond, it doesn't tell what other stones I have. As far as I know if the range moves its a gem - if still then glass; might be wrong on this prognosis but that is what I thought.

    No doubt someone will tell me I am wrong. Otherwise, I don't think there is any other way of being sure - glass, crystal or rock crystal are my bane.

    Hope this helps. Willo

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