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 Silver and Enamel Brooch
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| Author | Topic: Silver and Enamel Brooch |
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CinciBob1 Posts: 4 |
posted 04-14-2018 05:38 PM
  
Hi all - I am new to the forum and am looking forward to learning from everyone. I have a enamel brooch and I'm pretty sure it's silver. There is a maker's mark on the back along with 7 small holes in one corner of the piece. It has been suggested that it could have been made in Bergen but I'm hoping someone here will recognize the maker's mark. Thanks for the help! IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 04-15-2018 09:22 PM
Hi and welcome, CinciBob. I am not sure I know the answer but you might get a better response if you were to go back and re-read the guidelines of the forum and briefly introduce yourself. For example, if you click on the link in the big green box at the top of the page that reads: "To successfully join in, you must know the following!! there are some pointers in how to get started on the forum such as: Please introduce yourself warm regards, IP: Logged |
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CinciBob1 Posts: 4 |
posted 04-16-2018 12:08 AM
Thank you for the warm welcome, Kimo! I am relatively new to collecting silver and started off by inheriting some sterling flatware and hollowware from my grandmother. I wanted to find out more about where the pieces were from and who made them, and found the library and the internet to be fantastic resources. I had no idea how much there was to learn about silver and it has turned into a fun pastime for me. I have found myself checking out silver items at estate sales and consignment shops in my area and buy the pieces I really like. Then the research part kicks in! I really enjoy trying to solve the mysteries but as a novice I realize my knowledge base is very limited. I've checked out this forum before and thought it would be a good place for me to tap into a community of knowledgeable collectors who might be able to help me when I run into a dead end. Which leads me to this brooch... I have tried all the resources at hand and have had no success figuring out who made it. It's a mystery that has been driving me crazy and I hoped someone here might recognize the maker. I am pretty sure it's Norwegian but that is a guess, partially based on the seven holes which are on the back. I think I remember seeing something about Bergen silver having seven dots but frankly I don't know for sure. What I do know is that I don't think I can get any further on my own. I'm really looking forward to learning more here - not only about this piece but other silver mysteries that have been plaguing me. Thanks again for the welcome!
IP: Logged |
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asheland Posts: 935 |
posted 04-16-2018 10:20 AM
Welcome to the forums! IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 04-16-2018 10:40 AM
Welcome. The holes are most likely there because the item is hollow. When firering the enamel the heated air needs to escape or the piece will become distorted. IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 04-17-2018 11:36 AM
Hi Cincibob. Thanks for the great introduction and welcome to our group! As our moderator, Scott, points out the littles holes appear to be vent holes for the enameling process since the brooch looks to be hollow. Firing enamel on one side of a piece of silver will normally result in warping and unsuccessful melting of the glass enamel unless there is some kind of stress relief on the opposite side. In this case since the metal is hollow the air inside needed to vent during the firing. As for the markings, as I mentioned I do not recognize them but they appear to be either HHL or just HL. Are there any other markings on the back? Normally, silver is marked with the silver standards of the country in which it is made and that can provide a good clue on where to look for the smith who made this. IP: Logged |
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CinciBob1 Posts: 4 |
posted 04-18-2018 09:19 PM
Thank you for the helpful information! I have a few pieces of enamel and sterling jewelry and haven't seen this kind of venting pattern before. There are no other marks other than the artist's initials and seven holes, but I did bring the pin to a jeweler who tested it and it's sterling. It seems like a really nice piece so I would think it was made by an experienced jeweler but wish I had some definitive information. I really appreciate all the help! IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 04-18-2018 10:05 PM
How did the jeweler 'test' it? If they put a drop of acid on it, or if they rubbed it on a stone and put a drop of acid on the mark it left on a stone that is not a reliable test for silver. Both techniques will only tell you what is the metal on the surface of the object. There are two reliable tests to tell what the metal is - specific gravity or ED-XRF. Specific gravity involves weighing the object dry, submerging it in water and getting the new weight and dividing. This would not really work for this brooch since it has enameling and that would throw off the calculation. ED-XRF stands for Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence and that is done with a hand held electronic machine that looks a little like one of those old hand held Star Trek phasers. These are quite accurate and very fast (point and shoot) in telling what the metal is. Not all jewelers have an ED-XRF tester as they are quite expensive [think the price of a new car). While it is possible that your brooch is solid sterling silver, especially since it is hollow, the lack of the appropriate silver content marking is a bit concerning since such a marking is legally required in some countries and is a major marketing point in all countries. IP: Logged |
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CinciBob1 Posts: 4 |
posted 04-18-2018 10:16 PM
That makes sense to me, Kimo. I don't know the method she used but the ED-XRF tester definitely sounds like the way to go to confirm the metal content. I will check in with her to see if she used acid or the ED-XRF tool. Thanks for the expertise - this has been so helpful! IP: Logged |
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