There are no marks on this piece but tested + for silver. Also, should this be cleaned first before selling? I heard many people who collect vintage jewelry do not like certain pieces cleaned. Thanks.
Furmosa,
I believe this piece is Chinese or Tibetan. The sylized faces on the sides would be indicative of this, they are also hand chiseled, which shows age. You could clean it if you wanted to, but if you intend to sell it, I would leave that choice up to the buyer. It’s easy to clean silver, it’s difficult to re apply patina. The age range I would guess is early Twentieth century.
Also note that the silver acid test can only tell you if there is silver present. It could be very possible that your bracelet could be 900 silver (slightly less silver content than sterling) or it could be 950 or 1000 silver(slightly more silver content than sterling, or pure silver); Asia has been known to use different silver standards.
The actual silver content greatly affects the value. I would have this for sale in my store for $150-$250. I know that’s a huge gap, but again, the silver content matters. I actually recently wrote a short post about Asian turquoise on the forum under the “Real vs. Fake” category. Perhaps take a look at it and let me know if any more questions arise about your cuff.
-bigbree
Thank you for all the information. I did read the post you wrote about chinese turquoise. That was great! I am learning alot reading and viewing other posts here. I am very happy I found this site. I have been hanging on to this bracelet for a while and did suspect it being of asian origin. With it being that old I would guess the turquoise is good quality. Also you stated that the value depends on the silver type. How can that be determined if I wanted to find out?
Thanks
Julie
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Yes, older pieces often included natural untreated/unstabilized turquoise. I use acid testing kits. For me, the kit is an investment because I often buy jewelry that I need to test the metal purity of. Here is a testing kit with silver acid for sale on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/141232252221
It sounds like you may have already used a testing kit. The acid is supposed to change color based on the silver content.
The process for testing different levels involves a lot of work like filing a small divot in the jewelry and directly putting the acid in the divot. If your piece did test positive for sterling, and the acid test rendered a clear result, it is likely to be sterling or higher.
Yes it was a very rich red color. I then tested with 18k solution and that turned a light blue color. I was reading about jewelers and pawn shops using 14k & 18k solutions to test silver. So I believe it may be 925 +. Also, it weighs 54g.
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Thank you again. I am fairly new to the world of turquoise and testing metals. The more i read and see the more I want to know.
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