Hello
I have been reading different threads on this page to get some more information regarding real and fake turquoise. There is a cuff I’m looking to purchase on online, I have gone back and forth with the seller to authenticate the piece.
The silver looks like it has been cleaned on the front, but the inside looks to have some patina where the silversmith has hammered the metal? I have come to understand that some of these pieces were created by machine or sheet metal? The seller says this was most likely a hand made piece (silver ignot). They also tested it positive for sterling.
As for the stone, they say its Royston Turquoise? They say its more greenish in color (some pics seem lighter). I wondered if this could be just a complete fake stone. However, I can’t see how that matrix and shading could be reproduced.
I just want to make an educated purchase and found this website to be super informative. The Fred Harvey part is a cool back story and interesting for sure. Thanks for any and all feedback. -Anthony
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Can you screenshot some of their pictures? Also, ask them how much it weighs. The other thing to look at is that Fred Harvey made pieces are machine stamped so that both sides will be symmetrical, and everything will look exactly the same. The handmade pieces from the same time frame have hand stamped designs so that you will see a little variation, and they also tend to weigh more.
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Thanks you so much for looking and giving me a little feedback. I totally forgot to put the weight. The piece weighs 36.4 grams. I have read that many of the pieces were on the lighter side for the tourists. It looks like the lizard stamp is slightly different on both sides of the cuff. What do you think about that stone? Thanks so much for your reply! -Anthony
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Also, what about the underside and those porous looking marks? Is that normal or crumby sheet metal? Thanks
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I think the stone is beautiful. I also think that it is a handmade piece. A lot of the machine made pieces were under 30 grams and as you mentioned the stamping is not the same on both sides. There is enough variation to show hand stamped. You got a nice cuff and I hope you will enjoy it.
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