www.925-1000.com

Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah to one and all! Cheers

Here they are called "Wedding Cups". Supposedly an old Germanic tradition, the groom drinks from the larger cup, the bride, from the smaller one. I am unsure how well this is documented as historical fact. Their popularity ebbs and wanes.

These rings are still being made. I am asked to make 2-3 sets as wedding bands each year. The coins are typically from their birth-year (lucky are us older folks born before 1964 when the US switched to clad coinage). For younger folks the bands have to be plated (usually with platinum) to prevent g...

The T-lion and 925/1000 marks have been in use for more than a century. Those spoons were still in production in the 1970's.

Gold-filled does not mean it is yellow gold-filled. The case is obviously 14kt white gold bonded to a nickle base.

I would hazard that the initials are spurious at best. Napoleon's cypher was a N surmounted with an imperial crown. Those initials do not fit well in their space which is at odds with most imperial items. Even as he was dying he requested that hhis headstone be marked with just Napoleon (like most k...

The standard process would be to engrave after plating. Some item, such as huge-run flatware for corporate clients, may have monogramming or corporate logo as part of the dies with which they are made or as a specialty stamping before plating. But this is rare and very obvious by the width of the st...

If I saw it without marks I would be looking to Russia first, mainly the Kiev area. the engraving reminds me of the prep for niello work, not really popular in England... though in that work the turquoise would be in separate rim that was applied with wires or small tube rivets. curiousner and curou...

Maybe a tea infuser. For herbals or larger teapot.

Indeed Trev.

Excellent deduction Oel. I agree

It looks like a badly damaged half of an engraved, hinged bangle bracelet. length and width are about right, that end could be for the box catch, and I have seen them marked with partial marks on one half and full marks on the other.

I can't make out the mark. The item could be a butter dish, it certainly looks like one.

A cigar lighter?

Quite honestly, if I saw that mark I would put the item down and back away, quickly. I have my doubts about the Tiffany & co mark let alone the extra stamped in lettering. Clearly an item to avoid.

Thank you for the link. As a jeweler I can appreciate the workmanship that went into those pieces. I find them quite exquisite understanding the limitations of the time.

And to you as well!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Cheryl - I added it to my list of things to do, too, LOL some day. I can shed light on your odd letters on footed and covered pieces from Towle. They are internal record marks, used by the silversmiths (I was one once) to keep pieces together when working multiple pieces of the same style. Feet, lid...

Hi Cheryl - That is an interesting idea, and sounds like a good paper to write. It could be an industry aberration worth studying. On the first example with the "A" and "J" the pattern is two companion pieces. One would expect the patterns to be sequential in their letters, or at...