Identifying the Stones in Your Brooch Provide Dating Clues by: Anonymous
Hi Frances
i was admiring your heirloom brooch on Antique Jewelry Investor just now - the leaves around the lovely red transparent stones appear as if to embrace the stones and the caste of the metal indicates a mixed metal that is commonly found in costume jewelry of the early 20th century - the stones, if costume jewelry would most probabaly be rhinestones - machine cutting of crystal rhinestones came about and early 20th Century when the crystal rhinestones were used with and now without foiled backs.
Crystal stones are usually better quality and preferred over the glass stones. Antique glass stones may appear to be "crystal" because they have been "fire polished" however an expert is able to tell the difference because of the prismatic qualities of crystal. On the other hand, fire polished glass will have round, smooth edges and is not as heavy as crystal.
Another way to tell the difference, between glass and crystal rhinestones is to look for "bubbles" - when viewed under a jeweler's loupe, paste stones will rarely have bubbles, while glass stones always have bubbles. Touch the stones in your brooch, do they feel cool to touch? If they remain cool when placed against the cheek or lips, the stones are most likely made from crystal while glass stones will feel warm to the touch.
