blueyes29
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posted on June 24, 2003 08:02:49 AM new
I recently picked up this gold bracelet at an estate sale. It's marked "14 karet" and appears to be hand-crafted. The central figure appears to be a nun or some religious figure. I could find no maker's marks. Any help identifying the figure or other info will be, as usual, greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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msincognito
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posted on June 24, 2003 08:32:30 AM new
You're right, it does look hand tooled. I was wondering if you could give a better idea of what the female figure is holding in her hand? I can't tell if it's concave or convex.
Can you see her other hand? Is she holding anything there? And does the square thing on her head look like a crown? I'm thinking maybe St. Barbara, but she usually holds some kind of weapon in the other hand.
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We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.
------------The Talmud
[ edited by msincognito on Jun 24, 2003 08:37 AM ]
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Libra63
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posted on June 24, 2003 08:35:20 AM new
Maybe you could find your answer by finding out the name of the family of the estate sale and if they had a family member that belonged to an organization. Maybe the estate service knows something about the bracelet. Did you inquire at the estate sale? That might be a place to start.
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AuctionAce
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posted on June 24, 2003 09:28:46 AM new
I think the St. Barbara guess may be correct
http://www.justcatholic.com/product.asp?3=1868
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CBlev65252
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posted on June 24, 2003 09:44:41 AM new
Looks like there was once a stone in her septor.
Cheryl
My religion is simple, my religion is kindness.
--Dalai Llama
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blueyes29
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posted on June 24, 2003 09:49:01 AM new
Thanks all...The space at the top of what appears to be a torch is concave...looks like it probably held a jewel at one time. Yes, the thing on the top of her head does seem like it could be a crown...with a halo behind it. The estate folks knew nothing nor did the family...it was found in a box of jewelery so there's no help there. It was absolutely filthy (I cleaned it up) and was covered in dirt...which is probably why I was able to buy it for $4.00! I'll check out the sites mentioned but if anyone can give me more info, that would be great! Thanks again...
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tomwiii
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posted on June 24, 2003 10:01:00 AM new
Princess Leia Organa??
Ralphie loves Mr Blonde:
"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"
http://tinyurl.com/5duz
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msincognito
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posted on June 24, 2003 10:18:06 AM new
The only reason I'm hesitant about St. Barbara is I can't figure out why she would be on a bracelet. She's generally associated with manly things - artillary, construction, architecture, death by being struck by lightning. Does this appear to be a man's bracelet?
-------------------
We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.
------------The Talmud
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stopwhining
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posted on June 24, 2003 12:33:39 PM new
is it 14 k goldplated??
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CBlev65252
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posted on June 24, 2003 01:39:25 PM new
stopwhining
I was thinking plated also. It doesn't seem to be quite the right color or have the shine that a 14k bracelet should have. I could be very wrong though. It seems a bit hefty to be all 14k. Could be a man's bracelet from the size of it.
Cheryl
My religion is simple, my religion is kindness.
--Dalai Llama
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AuctionAce
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posted on June 24, 2003 01:42:46 PM new
Some religious web sites sell St. Barbara rosary beads and medals. It has excellent odds of being St. Barbara.
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dadofstickboy
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posted on June 24, 2003 01:45:57 PM new
It's her Lacrosse stick!
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AuctionAce
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posted on June 24, 2003 02:18:17 PM new
It does look like a dope pipe. Cheech & Chong style.
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zircon4
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posted on June 24, 2003 02:59:24 PM new
I have no idea who St Barbara is. I thought it looked a bit like an Aztec or Mayan king. I guess I was way off base. I'll just stick to gemstones. 
Cheers,
Adrian
[ edited by zircon4 on Jun 24, 2003 03:00 PM ]
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blueyes29
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posted on June 24, 2003 05:54:42 PM new
Yes, I do think it's a man's bracelet...the "bracelet" part is made of 3 heavy chains...each side is 2 1/2 inches long and the central piece is 2 1/2 inches long too. At the risk of sounding really stupid...how does one determine gold-plated or "gold"...other than perhaps color? Since this piece is marked "14 K", I assumed it was gold. Also...the "actual" color is pretty much between the colors shown in the photos..."golder" than in the 1st and not quite as "gold" as in the 2nd... Thanks again
[ edited by blueyes29 on Jun 24, 2003 05:56 PM ]
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on June 25, 2003 08:06:55 AM new
Is the actual mark "14K"? With no other letters or words anywhere around it?
How much does this item weigh?
People can be fooled by the various marks denoting gold-filled, like:
14K GF
14K 100/1000
etc.
--
California voters: Be a part of the first-ever successful gubernatorial recall! Defy media pundits! $21 million of our money is going down the tubes daily because of our incompetent corrupt governor. Visit http://www.recallgraydavis.com to download your recall petition.
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stopwhining
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posted on June 25, 2003 10:03:50 AM new
if it were goldplated-scratch it and you will see the base metal underneath
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buyhigh
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posted on June 25, 2003 10:32:17 AM new
You could invest in a nitric acid kit - comes with bottles for testing 14k and 18k, take it to a jeweler, or wear it and see if your wrist turns green. A lot of stuff from Italy, etc is marked 14K and 18k and is plated over copper or brass.
buyhigh
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junquemama
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posted on June 25, 2003 12:02:12 PM new
Smell it,If it is gold filled or plated,sometimes you will smell a strong sulfuric acid smell.If its plated,you will still get a good gold mark on the acid rock and you will need to make a small scratch in side and put a small dauble of acid in the hole,if it turns green,its not gold.
Also the weight is a give away,real heavy is usually gold over silver.Lot of faux gold is sold to tourists in Italy and Mexico.
The chain looks brass,from the photo.
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blueyes29
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posted on June 26, 2003 09:25:09 PM new
Thanks again everyone for the great info. It's good to know I can ask a "stupid" question and not get shot down...and get helpful and informative suggestions. The "14K" mark is there all by its lonesome...nothing else around it. The bracelet weighs in at 2 oz. Maybe a trip to my friendly local jeweler is in order...
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msincognito
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posted on June 27, 2003 09:24:48 AM new
A jeweler can tell in a heartbeat if it's gold. They have meters for that.
They might also have some insight as to where it came from. Once you discover the country of origin, you're a lot closer to ID-ing your mystery lady.
I can't shake the mental image of a guy named Guido or Salvatore, construction king of the Bronx. With St. Barbara (and "da boys from midtown" ) on his side ... who needs permits?
Was there perhaps a pinky ring in that assortment of jewelry? Perhaps with a big ol' honkin' diamond?
-------------------
We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.
------------The Talmud
[ edited by msincognito on Jun 27, 2003 09:25 AM ]
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blueyes29
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posted on June 27, 2003 01:08:55 PM new
Love the mental image...lol...Didn't see a "big honkin' diamond"...probably was snatched up by some other eBay seller on the prowl...
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jammit
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posted on June 27, 2003 07:39:48 PM new
Hi,
I believe what you have is a men's bracelet with the figure of Santa Barbara or Saint Barbara on it. She is the patron saint of artillerymen. The stone missing from her septer is most likely a ruby. I served with a Marine once who had a bracelet very similiar to the one in your photo. Sad to say his was lost or stolen in the mid-1980's when he was on recruiting duty in the New England area. It's a beautiful piece.
Semper Fi,
Bruce Linz
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