posted on September 14, 2000 12:13:53 PM new
I collect a specific style of elaborately designed Jerusalem crosses, and eBay has been a great source for me in the last year. However, I have a question about 925 silver and the sellers who market Jerusalem crosses on eBay as antiques because they are marked 925 silver. I have seen sellers proclaim that the crosses they are selling are antiques because they are marked 925 silver. Several people have spoken confidently of them dating to 1900 or earlier. I lived in Lebanon when I was a child, which is how I began my collection, and I know for a fact that the crosses I collect were being made when I was there in the late 1950s/early 1960s. I do not know whether or not these crosses were initially made at the turn of the century, but since some of the pieces I have bear the same jeweler's mark as some of the ones on eBay have had, I question whether these are really antiques.
So my question is this: when did craftspeople start marking jewelry 925 silver?
Secondarily, why do so many sellers market items as antiques when they aren't?!? I grew up in the 1950s/60s and it makes my head spin to see things from that era referred to as "antiques"! (Does that mean I am one, too?!?)
[ edited by wisegirl on Sep 14, 2000 12:19 PM ]
posted on September 14, 2000 12:18:27 PM new
0.925 silver is the English standard for "Sterling" and I have a number of pre-1900 English pocket watches that are 0.925 silver. I also have a number of Swiss watches from before 1900 which are actually marked 0.935, which is a slightly higher grade of silver. There are also pre-1900 silver items out there marked "0.800", which is a lower grade of silver.
This doesn't mean these crosses are necessarily that old, of course, but it doesn't disqualify them from being that old, either.
As to why so many sellers market items as antiques when they aren't, it's because (a) it helps them sell their otherwise worthless junk, and (b) they get away with it.
Barry
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The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
posted on September 14, 2000 12:52:55 PM new
I don't know a thing about silver, but I ran across an auction yesterday advertising a marked 925/1000 silver item that was brand new, still in the cellophane wrapper.
posted on September 14, 2000 01:02:39 PM new
.925 Is NOT necessarily Antique. You can see brand new Mexican Silver bracelets marked .925. All it indicates os the amount of pure silver used, as silver is too soft to be used on its own, and is mixed with other alloys.
Most American will be marked .925; some German silver will be .800. English has distinct hallmarks, with letter for the City, and date, and often a Lion stamp.
******************** Shosh http://www.oldandsold.com/cgi-bin/auction.cgi?justdisp&Rifkah
posted on September 14, 2000 01:31:41 PM new
We sell imported sterling silver jewelry from all over the world and most pieces are stamped 925 with the company stamp. Older pieces of sterling jewelry that we have in the shop are stamped 925, or sterling or sterl. some with company stamps also.
I have seen sterling silver crosses with marcasite and amethyst or other stones being sold on ebay as "antique" and they are identical to the new ones we have from Thailand. It helps at times to see what else the seller is offering on their auction.
