Basket of amethyst

[launcher123]

Picked this up at an auction with some other jewelry. Got it home and discovered there was a signiture on it. Held a certain way you do not see it. Is it the makers name or did someone just scratch their name on it??Hunted google to no avail for the name 'Lilas', Lelas', 'Leles', 'W Lilas', etc.

Is anyone here familiar with this name? Any ideas? 
It is about 1/2" deep and tests to 10k. And I believe the stones are the real thing.

It weighs 9.8 grams. Thank you for any help.

[don-franciscos-sister]

Hi - First of all, very attractive piece!  I read “W. Lelas,” but that got me no farther than you.  In general, however, you’ll find that the settings of most of these pieces are electroformed, meaning that the outermost (very thin) layer will be 18K, but the remainder of the setting will not be gold.  What method have you used to test this piece?  

In general, look through listings for “amethyst geode” jewelry.  [Note: this is NOT the correct terminology, as I understand it, but it seems to be employed frequently on eBay!]  Also try “amethyst druzy” and “amethyst rough”…

[southernmermaid8]

Yes I agree with DFS.  I have sold these before as amethyst druzy.  💜  I would say it is the maker’s name.  

[flipping_treasures]

All the pieces of this type I have seen are artisan pieces.  My bet would be your signature is the artisan's signature, unfortunately, the likely hood of actually identifying them is very scarce.  I like this piece.  It's one of the nicer ones I have seen.

[launcher123]

I tested with stone and acid. The scratches faded right away with 14k acid but the 10k just stayed and did not fade. I do not have any 12k acid.  Therefore, I am assuming it is 10k or possibly 12k. 

I checked both of your suggestions (geode & druzy) and found a couple very similar in both. However, none showed a signature. They are listed as 'gold tone'.  I have looked at this piece several times and not until today did I notice a signature. It is amazing how the signature just shows up when it is turned a certain way.

[treasureislandpearls]

Hi, yes, it lovely ! nice quality amethyst, - the name could also be the owners name, sometimes people do this so they can prove it is theirs, or the person gifting it wanted to make it more personal. 

I too am leaning for gold electroplate, I see many of these at the trade shows, thay do use real gold electroplate, it is just a thin skin though.  No other way to get it to mimic the shape so closely.

kinda like Spandex, ! 

[launcher123]

OK. I took the bull by the horns and filed down a good piece of it on the side. I then scratched the piece I filed down on the stone and it still tests 10k. The scratches on the stone did not fade. So is that still electroplate?? I filed through a good several layers. I did not see any change in color either when I was filing just a smooth gold color..???

[thirry]

Stop -- please don't file any more!

The plating is all you need to look at. It's 10k all the way to the stone and,? I'm assuming, it's evenly plated? You don't need to do anything else but enjoy it for yourself or sell it as you like. 

Best of luck with it!

A. 

[thirry]

Looks like a very special Reese's cup. That's probably how the gold was formed. 

Tasty that!

[flipping_treasures]

The value of this piece is NOT in what it is made of, but in the beauty of the piece.  I can't tell you how many pieces I have come across that were ruined by "testing" an item either by filing, nicking or just acid testing pieces.  I have always taken into consideration, what am I planning on doing with the piece and is the value of the piece in the materials or in the piece itself.

[launcher123]

I understand the value, to an individual, is mostly in the beauty of a piece itself. My filing of this piece has left no mark whatsoever. I restore lots of scratched and goughed jewelry and was very careful with this particular piece.

However, I do plan on listing this piece for sale, so in order to set a price on it and write a listing explaining what it is, do I not need to know if this is solid gold thru and thru or just gold plated? So I can state this in the listing for sure?? 

[dream*peddler]

Try one more thing, launcher...  I've watched several gold testing pro's make a little puddle of acid on the scratch stone, dip a small area of the piece in the acid puddle and then quickly wipe it on a white napkin or tissue.  If no green bleeds into the napkin, it might be solid gold.    Or, if you live near a jewelry store or pawn shop that uses an XRF machine you could have them check it.  It is a pretty pendant.

[launcher123]

Great suggestion. I tried it and no green on tissue. Then tried it again and left it on the piece. Still nothing. I think I am convinced it is solid 10k...No? Yes??

[thirry]

It looks to me that it was made with a candy paper sort of mold. That makes me inclined to think it's solid gold. 

Probably made by an artisan or lapidary -- or artisan/lapidary. If the gold simply conformed the the outside of the stone it would likely be electroformed/plated. Having carved a couple of wax molds for lost-wax casting and watched someone cast them, I believe your pendant looks exactly like a lost wax casting. 

I believe you're correct in seeking it as solid 10k gold. It's beautiful,  and it's worth a lot more than the rock bottom price of the gold itself. It's certainly worth more than a similar item that's only electroplated. 

A. 

[dream*peddler]

I keep pondering this piece because so many of us are relating it to the druzy pieces that are mostly set in plated metal.  There's something about the quality and saturated color of the amethyst crystals.  To me it's druzy yet not druzy as the points are bigger than the usual druzy.   Also, the bottom of that piece sure looks like real gold.   The little vine flourish across the top of the piece also elevates it somehow.  Maybe further research into the signature will turn up something.  

I had a piece last year that I almost threw away because I thought it was junk metal, but it had a flourite cystal attached to it, which I broke off to keep.  Something made me test it and it was 45 grams of 18k!  It was re-tested with an XRF gun and sure enough, it was 18k.  I'm attaching a very poor picture of the piece after I broke off the flourite.   Sometimes jewelry can be surprising.