🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Any idea where this may be from and possible age?

[Prymelady]

Hello. I have recently come across this piece. It looks like a pendant and was in a jewelry lot I recently purchased. The lot contained items from the early 1900's-1980's. It tests positive for both gold and silver. I cannot find any markings and I cannot see anything similar anywhere.

I have spent countless hours online trying to identify it. I do know that it is a scarab and most likely a pendant, although it would hang upside down and I have not seen any others made that way.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!

 

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[ARC]

Very nice.,, first thought is an Egyptian Revival piece.

You said you tested... what Karat is it ?

 

[Prymelady]

Very nice.,, first thought is an Egyptian Revival piece.

You said you tested... what Karat is it ?

Well the silvertone metal tests to be at least sterling. The goldtone body and wings are somewhere between 14 and 18. On a touchstone, it VERY slightly lightens at 18 but stays pretty well.

 

[Prymelady]

Do you know what settings are made from? Stones, glass, epoxy/plastic?

You mean the stones? Definitely gemstone.

 

[ARC]

Yeah... i can tell they are real stones... black tourmaline IMO... the green is iffy... perhaps a peridot... and the "head" would be either aventurine OR jade.... or something similar.

 

[ARC]

Ok... just my opinion... I think its an artisan piece... a nice one... perhaps an arts and crafts jeweler did it and wore it... hence no marks.

This is purely speculation... i say this due the karat and the overall "look".

Its a super great piece.... further research should be taken to verify.

 

[Prymelady]

Ok... just my opinion... I think its an artisan piece... a nice one... perhaps an arts and crafts jeweler did it and wore it... hence no marks.

This is purely speculation... i say this due the karat and the overall "look".

Its a super great piece.... further research should be taken to verify.

Yeah, I'm working on that. I have a couple emails out to appraisers I know. See what they say.

 

[Emil W]

The green upper part of the body and the black lower part are both tourmaline. The top stone looks like chrysoprase (green quartz). Definitely a modern artisan piece. Very nice.

 

[GoldieLocks]

Avon?

 

[tamrock]

Nice piece.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Did you scrape it to see if it is plated?

 

[opalboy]

Agreed on the tourmaline in the body of the beast.

 

[Prymelady]

Did you scrape it to see if it is plated?

It's not plated. It's all solid.

 

[Prymelady]

Agreed on the tourmaline in the body of the beast.

Yes. It's definitely tourmaline.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Awesome piece.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Maybe it belonged to someone who believed in reincarnation.

Winged scarabs, meant to guarantee the rebirth of the deceased, were very popular funerary amulets.

I looked and looked but could not find another piece that pointed down like yours. That is assuming the loop was the attachment point.

 

[HuntinDog]

I would say the loop at the bottom is an afterthought add on so it could be worn as a neckless.
I would think that the loop if original would be soldered closed.

 

[Prymelady]

Maybe it belonged to someone who believed in reincarnation.

Winged scarabs, meant to guarantee the rebirth of the deceased, were very popular funerary amulets.

I looked and looked but could not find another piece that pointed down like yours. That is assuming the loop was the attachment point.

Yeah, I could not find anything either. I couldn't find one facing down, nor anything even closely similar. The jewelry lot it came from was just as odd as this piece is. Very odd assortment of jewelry.

 

[Prymelady]

I would say the loop at the bottom is an afterthought add on so it could be worn as a neckless.
I would think that the loop if original would be soldered closed.

I'm pretty sure it's original. It's sterling, just like the rest of the silvertone parts. It doesn't seem to be something added on. My guess is the person that made it either just wanted it to hang that way or the wings got in the way for a bail on the top. Maybe it was just easier to place it in that location. Who knows? Lol. It's all a mystery.

 

[unclemac]

how big?