posted 12-03-2000 06:16 PM            

My main questions are these:

A.) Did Shiebler make copper or bronze jewelry?

B.) Is an unmarked piece of Shiebler Homeric possible?

C.) Am I looking at a Greek souvenir pin, or something else that may have been an inspiration for Shiebler?

posted 12-06-2000 02:54 PM            

There exist some bronzy metal recasts of designer silver jewelry--mostly brooches, it seems. I've come across brooches that were obviously copied exactly from Georg Jensen pieces, and also one that was a recast of a zodiacal brooch by Cini. There was evidence on the Cini-style piece of a silverplated finish which had over time worn off. The Cini piece appeared to have fairly good detail at one time, even if it was a cheap recast. Also, that particular piece was old, probably at least 25-35 years old, judging by worn details, a slight patina, and the lost silverplate. The Cini mark and "Sterling" were not present. So perhaps the Shiebler-like brooch you saw began as a silverplated recast of an original, as clearly some people/companies are doing designer recasts. What were the pin-hinge and pin-catch like? Shiebler medallion brooches, in their original state, have the old Victorian period "tube-hinge" and a kind of bullet-shaped piece of silver on the pin-catch that operates as a safety device (since the brooches were produced before the advent of lever safety catches). The pin-catch and -hinge in this picture (from a recent eBay auction) are original Shiebler findings:

If you're pin was made in the time of the Homeric-style medallion's popularity, it would most likely have such a tube hinge, and very likely a simple C-shaped piece of wire for the catch. Did it have this type of hinge? If not, what kind did it have, and was it an original or a replaced hinge? What was the pin-catch like? If it had the tube hinge, then it was most likely Victorian and certainly no later than 1910, which throws my modern recast theory out the window.

posted 12-06-2000 10:11 PM            

In looking at the back of the Shiebler pin pictured, I notice that the medallions seem to have hammer marks on the backs. In the pin I saw, the medallions just had a stippled back surface; no hammer marks!

Based on this information, I am inclined to think that this piece was a period copy of Shiebler. The medallions are too crisp for it to be a recast, and the construction and wear seem to indicate a vintage piece. If it is still available, I may pick it up, just for academic interest.