I recently discovered a very tiny hallmark on a silver-topped amber pendant, and I thought it was too interesting not to share!
The hallmark is less than 2 mm, in raised relief (like a miniature floating portrait).
It depicts a right-facing female profile, reminiscent of early Imperial Russian silver marks.
To the left of the portrait is a letter resembling “W” (possibly the Cyrillic Ш, which could indicate Warsaw).
There is no numeric silver mark, which is unusual compared to standard marks from Nicholas II’s era.
Based on these features, it might be an early or experimental mark, possibly from the reign of Alexander III (1881–1894), before hallmark standards were fully formalized.
I’m not looking for a formal appraisal—just curious about the mark itself. Has anyone seen something similar, or have insights on miniature Russian silver hallmarks or relief engravings?
Thanks for any thoughts!
