Monthly Archives: September 2017

Repair job: silver bracelet with hollow dangle charm

I paid £5 for this lovely hallmarked silver thing in a local charity shop the other day:

It almost certainly started life as a bracelet, but the fastener was absent. So I dug around in my box of bits, and found a toggle clasp. This clasp originally came off a Dower and Hall necklace that fell apart as soon as I got it home from the charity shop. It’s also hallmarked and has a nice, organic shape (rosebud finials!) that goes well with the bracelet. I used a couple of sturdy jump rings to attach the toggle, and now I’ve got a functional bracelet:

I’m still a bit puzzled by the bracelet’s age. The overall design and the style of the hallmark makes me think Victorian/Edwardian, but I can’t read the date letter – looks like a very worn “p” or maybe a Q. The rest of the hallmark is lion passant, leopard’s head (London) and maker’s initials GLC or GLG. Any suggestions as to who this is and when they were plying their craft are most welcome.

Is this necklace butterscotch amber? No, it’s Bakelite!

I won a box of jewellery bits ‘n’ bobs at my local auction house last weekend. It was mostly a load of broken glass and plastic necklaces, many of which I’ve put aside to donate to the charity shop. But I’m hanging on to these, at least for the time being:

They may form the basis for a craft project or two, or (more likely) I will sell them as a vintage supplies lot in my Etsy shop.

However, here is the main reason for my bid:

At first I thought it was butterscotch amber but the colour was too regular and the surface of the beads was too smooth. So I came to the conclusion that it was Bakelite. I restrung the necklace and replaced the broken clasp, and listed it in my shop.

There were a few things in there besides the beads, namely some cheap earrings and one or two tiny pendants. Including this St Christopher:

…which turned out to be 9 carat gold, and is also now for sale in my shop.