A sterling and other metal tie clip?

[authenticvintageselect]

Hello, I'm back again to ask for help with another jewerly item.  I think this is a tie clip, the top parts are some unknown metal and the bottom part (man/sled/dogs) is marked "sterling" on the back.  I have not tried to clean it up, but I did use a silver cloth to buff a little bit around the sterling mark on the back, when buffed with the silver cloth the tarnish disappears revealing a color not silver but more the gold/brassy color of the top parts.  So I'm wondering, is this for sure a tie clip?  Any idea of age?  Would you recommend I try to polish the whole thing or just leave it as it is?  Thanks in advance for any input you might have!

[scifidaughter64]

My 2 cents worth. The top is a tie clip. I'm not sure this started life out together. To me the chain ahd the dogsledder look like they have been added. Not matched well at that but that is just my 2 cents worth.

[authenticvintageselect]

Ohhh I think you are probably right Scifidaughter!  Thank you for your help!  It doesn't seem to make sense that the metals are different, unless that was common to do at some point.  I wonder if there would be any interest in the sterling piece, though I don't know what to even call it.  .  Thanks again! 🙂

[mforjan]

If it were me, I would shine that puppy up and attach it to a silver chain to make a necklace 

[dream*peddler]

I'd also test the gold in that chain.  It looks like gold from here or maybe gold filled.  I'll bet the clip on that will shine up, also.  Dog sleds remind me of Alaska, and Alaska reminds me of gold nuggets.  The person who made this may have won a dog sled competition and wanted to fashion a piece of jewelry out of it.  Just a WAG!

[authenticvintageselect]

Mforjan I was considering polishing it up but I know some people like to do their own cleaning so I was waiting on that :).  It probably would look cute as a necklace!

Dream*peddler it's funny you mentioned that, this was purchased at an estate, and in the same lot was a cufflink and tie clip set that was titled "Alaska Gold Nugget" with real gold nuggets on them which I sold here just a week or two ago, so maybe this family had ties to Alaska.  I'm kind of worried about trying to clean it, I don't have a tester, would anyone be able to recommend a good tester?

Thanks again for all of your help!

[bat197]

Maybe the previous owner was in the Ititarod, a race thats run in Alaska, in March, with sled dogs. Looks like  kind of a commemorative item.

[evelyb30]

That tie clip is probably 50s. Back then using a sterling bit on costume findings was dirty common, so I'd imagine it's all original.  The original owner may have raced sled dogs, if not in the Iditarod, or just may have been old school Alaskan.  Or it could just be a souvenir.  Way back in the wayback, guys wore ties to work.  Something like this was a common graduation/father's day/birthday/whatever gift. 

[debora_34_]

You should be able to date it by width.  Generally, ties were wide in the 1940s and narrowed in the mid-1950s.  (Details on widths can be found with an internet search.)    Your vintage tie clip appears to date to the period before Alaska was a state.  There wasn't a great deal of tourism to the territory then (and the Iditarod didn't even begin until 1973) so could very possibly be Canadian.

Debora

[authenticvintageselect]

Thanks so much everyone for all of your help!!! 

I think I have solved the mystery...I had bought this item at an estate sale of a lady who lived in my neighborhood, I talked to another neighbor tonight who knew them quite well and she told me that the husband had been in the military and was stationed in Alaska around the late 40's early 50's.  So that explains the Alaska-themed jewelry!  I had almost forgotten I have an Alaska charm bracelet from that sale too :).  

Again thanks all for your help!!!