the real stumper is this safety pin, i see many other similar ones but this is not silver, it is also not nickel or steel, it is soft like silver but acid scratch test fails. Any ideas ?
That is one nice safety pin. The style reminds me of a kilt pin.
I have a couple of these. What part of the pin are you testing? I have found that mine are mostly Nickle, but the settings and the leaf and scroll work are Sterling.
i tried the pin, and the piece behind the settings, you are right the settings are silver. Not sure what the rest is, the pin part has the softneness of silver, and the piece behind the settings is nickel (tried the monster stronger magnet after your reply)
Found both the pin and earrings at a thrift store yesterday for next to nothing
Got these too but they are missing a stone
good good! If it was me I would save those earrings with the missing piece as replacements for other things you run across that need a stone. Pretty easy to remove, if you are good with tiny things! 
