05-06-2023 11:32 AM
First are the backings on quite a few pieces listed with Czech stones. The fronts do have beautiful rhinestones, but the backs look a little funky to me. Almost like they were replated with something. Also, the prices for these brooches are way low. I would expect these to sell much higher. Here's a couple examples:
Next, not sure if any of you have done a deep dive into a very large new website that's selling everything under the sun for practically nothing. Begins with a T and ends with a U. They're selling silver plated jewelry marked 925. And shame on Danecraft for selling 10% silver jewelry and calling the line "Pure 100." It is 10.0% silver. If you blink you'll miss the period between the 10 and the 0 on the tag (enlarge the pic), but the clasp is marked .925 Italy. Most people don't wear their jewelry with tags still attached, so the clasp may lead you to believe you're wearing solid sterling silver:
New jewelry backs. Vintage jewelry was often assembled with individual pieces and soldered together, but the newer jewelry uses poured "run on" settings and glued in stones. Here's a couple examples of the one piece settings:
05-06-2023 11:56 AM
on the costume pictures, there are a few companies that I see at the jewelry trade shows that sell super blingy 'vintage look' items, that are built like that. someone could be unknowingly listing them as vintage, because they found them at a yard sale, or thrift store.
05-06-2023 11:58 AM
That first pc almost looks like it was spray painted! LOL
I agree with you on shameing Danecraft..they should know better....but 'bottom line greed' will get ya every time! 😉
05-06-2023 12:14 PM
As to the two silver items, the first unbranded one looks like cheap fake jewelry, usually sold on those discount type of sites, and even here on eBay. So much jewelry is marked 925, when it is barely even plated. I bought a few costume rings from China a few years back, just because it is hard for me to find rings to fit my un lady like large fingers - lol! All of them were marked 925. They had no reason to mark them that, they were so cheap, like 5.00 or less shipped, I knew it was going to be cheap but pretty costume junk. But now, when I am done with them or when they get passed down or whatever, someone else might get duped into thinking they are silver. Any time I find things that are mismarked, if they are cheap without any real aesthetic value, I just throw them in the trash. If I think they are pretty enough to be jewelry on their own, I will scratch or hammer out that mark so no one else gets taken advantage of.
As far as the Danecraft bracelet, if the tag and not the mark is correct, they are essentially selling counterfeit goods. I wouldn't think that they would do that, and after a quick google, I don't think that bracelet matches the tag. From what I could see, none of the pure 100 pieces are marked 925 on the piece itself.
05-06-2023 01:07 PM
I stumbled upon the cheap Czech and was wondering also. They look way to new
05-06-2023 01:25 PM
I don't know, cristine. I pulled that picture off the net a while ago. I can't remember if it was an ebay listing or where it came from, but that tag is pretty crafty. Why would someone put a tag for a lesser piece of jewelry on a sterling bracelet? None of the jewelry on the Danecraft site shows any markings.
Here's how they word this line:
"Pure 100, brought to you by Danecraft, is an alternative to sterling silver to keep prices steady and designs bold. A minimum of 10% fine silver is infused into complementary base metals for durability and plated with an e-coat for color and to ensure its lasting luster."
05-06-2023 01:36 PM
Believe me, treasureisland, there are many listings on ebay calling this type of jewelry vintage, whether knowingly or not.
05-06-2023 01:39 PM
Thanks, liwa. Yet the stones on the fronts of a lot of pieces look really nice and they are prong set. Maybe NOS? It's the low prices that throw me.
05-06-2023 01:55 PM
I cropped a picture of one of the pieces with the "spray painted" backs (haha! Sarah). The piece is larger but I don't want to give the seller away. The stones on these pieces look vintage and many of the brooches are quite beautiful. It's the backs and the price that stops me from buying a bunch of them.
05-06-2023 02:45 PM
I'm looking at listings here on ebay, the other e, offer up, etc... they all are marked Italy, I saw one marked Danecraft as well, but none of them had the 925 mark. I think someone may put the tag on there because a Danecraft sterling bracelet might sell for a little more than a regular one? I honestly have no clue why someone would do that. After googling Danecraft pure 100 figaro bracelet, I am seeing this exact same bracelet other places without the tag, selling as sterling silver, and I didn't see this style at all for the pure 100 line. Just a thought, you never know what goes through some sellers heads!
05-06-2023 03:37 PM
It's a head-scratcher, for sure 🤔.
05-07-2023 03:36 AM
There is a pretty good article on identifying Czech glass jewelry. On Zanathia.com. Brown , red, blue and green were the primary colors used and the metal was a tin lead alloy sometimes with a thin plating of gold. I’m not super tech savvy and couldn’t give the link lol.
05-07-2023 04:29 AM
The book Costume Jewelry by Fred Rezazadeh states that a large volume of Czech jewelry was exported between 1918-1939 (between both world wars) with some in the Victorian tradition, with much of it showing an art deco influence using quality rhinestones, molded and faceted glass beads and geometrically cut colored glass imitating gemstones along with the export of Bohemian garnet jewelry set in gilt silver.
It is often marked in hard to see places. On brooches the mark might be on the pin stem or side of the catch which holds the pointed end of the pin stem.on necklaces, on the back of the clasp or safety catch, but most often on the jump ring or last chain link secured by the safety catch.
Hallmarks on silver include a woman’s head with scarf or bonnet and a rabbit or goat head. After 1955, the goat head was used for silver with fineness of .925 or better.
Assay marks were also introduced after 1955. Among the 5(initially 6) assay marks used, the most frequently encountered is the letter J in a square, standing for Jablonec
05-07-2023 05:17 AM
Interesting liwa, thanks. I'll add that Gablonz is the German name for the city of Jablonec. I wouldn't be surprised if Stephen's grandfather ordered many stones from the area.
05-07-2023 05:41 AM
Great info, liwa! I appreciate the further research 👍.