www.925-1000.com

I picked up this brooch at a rummage sale around 40 years ago and I've never tried to find out more about it (the stone - glass, most likely - has always been scuffed as you see in the photo). The maker's mark is cut off, but the lettering in STERLING looks similar to some Mexican pieces I have ...

Hello all! I hope everyone is keeping well in this unusual timeline.

I got this thrown in with a lot of various cocktail paraphernalia. It's about a 1.5" long and doesn't seem like it would be useful as an olive grabber or similar. I'm sure it's not actually a roach clip, but does anyone know what ...

I believe your pieces were made by Elizabeth Allen, whose studio is in Camden, Maine:

http://www.maingem.com/id27.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The bird is actually a loon, not a duck.

They're very nice! Perhaps a bit ungainly to wear around one's neck, but great just the ...

I will add that in the mark on my bracelet, the letters are closer together than in the Scottish mark above.
.

The M&S is in a serif face - the mark is very similar to this Scottish one:



with the ampersand the same height and weight as the letters.

(Sherlock Holmes is out making movies - I think we must do our own research!)
.

Many thanks, Jakjo and silverport - I do appreciate all the information.

If indeed it's Austrian, what significance do you suppose the "MS" mark might have? Such a mystery, this little bracelet.

Thank you again!
.

I can't help you identify it, but rather than "STR", I might try turning that mark upside down, and reading it as "JS" with a sword separating the two letters.

I hope I'm not going to wear out my warm welcome here, but after getting such great information from my "Scottish mourning bracelet" post (said bracelet turning out to probably be Austrian rather than Scottish) I'm inspired to ask about another bracelet I've had hanging about and can't trace.

It ...

Hi Bisquit,
The cross could be the pictorial mark of the Viennese goldsmith Josef Zauza.
Look for the letter A in the lion head mark.
Best regards/JAKJO

There's definitely an A, just to the left of the lion head. Where could I learn more about Josef Zauza? Googling isn't turning up very much ...

(Actually, I just realised it's in the correct forum already)
.

Interesting - so it's Austrian, rather than Scottish!

I'll move the question to the appropriate forum so as not to keep things off-topic here. Thanks very much for your guidance!
.

Thanks very much for taking the time to enhance the picture! I don't think that the Swiss mark is a contender, as I'm fairly sure the bracelet was made in the mid-to-late 19th century, but the mark is very similar to that one in shape. Interesting!
.

Hello, and my apologies in advance as I cannot get a clearer shot of the marks with my current camera. I bought this very pretty bracelet at a junk shop and would love to know its origin:

http://i50.tinypic.com/wr2aw.jpg http://i48.tinypic.com/11t1ys5.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/2441qmq.jpg ...