chunky 14K score on the way back from TS!

[gino22]

had an unremarkable day at the local TS, was walking home and spotted a glimmer of GOLD on the sidewalk. stamped & tested 14k, and a respectable 5.9g at that.



now i'm glad i had a crappy day at the TS, or I might not have had my head down at the right time. ha!

the question is: what is it? it's a cool design that should fetch over scrap if I can put a name to it. originally thought it was an earring, but the closure is impractical for that purpose. would painfully clamp onto the ear, with the panther head pressed halfway into the lobe due to tension. so not an earring, i would say.

I'm thinking it is possibly a clasp for a large necklace or bracelet... but it was found in the closed position, so . it also does not appear to be missing any pieces, which rules out a brooch.

also, the panther motif is reminiscent of a few Cartier pieces from the 70's-80's, but the lack of a Cartier hallmark puts this in my "wishful thinking" category. it is well made and well designed though. any ideas?

 

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[Tallone]

A key ring, perhaps?

 

[mjlalt]

Is it a panther ? An Ouroboros ring would be a serphant or dragon

 

[gino22]

originally thought it could be a keychain/keyring, but wrote off the idea as too absurd. turns out solid gold keychains/rings are out there, but most are in a radically different style involving an actual chain and split ring.

i guess the premise is to make losing your keys more painful than it already is? could be marketed as the ultimate forgetfulness remedy. maybe that's my ebay pitch

it is in the style of Ouroborus jewelry, but the head is definitely feline. not a dragon or snake.

 

[diggummup]

Nice key ring! Antique Edwardian 14k Gold Key Ring Holder with Figural Lion | eBay

 

[gino22]

Nice key ring! Antique Edwardian 14k Gold Key Ring Holder with Figural Lion | eBay

Case closed, thanks! My most unusual and valuable sidewalk find by a mile.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Thanks for sharing! Cool!
I have a gold ring, that is a solid round tube like yours, (no lion head though), not marked anywhere on it.
Mine is 14k, and the most uncomfortable ring to wear. I don't think mine is a keyring, as it's solid, no way to open.
Good call diggummup!

 

[jbc465]

Very nice find.

 

[diggummup]

Good call diggummup!

I jut did the follow up. It was Tallone's idea.

 

[insontis]

One time, when I had a bad day at the TS, I found a penny in the heads-up position on the walk home.

Your find is good too, though.