Marcasite Military Badge in Sterling Silver
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
- Marcasite - Marcasite is a mineral, iron sulphide, but is rarely used in jewellery. Instead marcasite is the name given to iron pyrites, the mineral sold as marcasite which is identical in copmosition to iron sulphide but crystalises as a cube, making it more suitable for jewellery. It is a brassy yellow in colour and is also known as "fool's gold", and sits well with silver rather than gold becasue of its colour.
Marcasite has been used in jewellery since ancient times and became popular again in jewellery in the 18th century, continuing through to the early 20th century, with the settings becoming cheaper as time progressed, eventually earning the sobriquet "costume jewellery" along with other cheap jewellery that was made for a prevailing pattern and meant to be changed with each new outfit.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
An Edwardian silver sugar vase with pierced scalloped rim and blue glass liner, William Mammatt & Son, Sheffield 1906, and pair of associated sugar tongs, same date. (2)
A good brass and marble Empire style table lamp, 77 cm high
18ct gold, South Sea pearl and diamond 'Ribbon Bow' pin, Paspaley, modelled as a bow terminating in a 12.00 mm oval cultured pearl swing drop between a brilliant-cut diamond connector, length approximately 25 mm, signed Paspaley, maker's mark. Accompanied
A gold and ruby cufflink and shirt stud set by van Cleef & Arpels, the cufflinks comprising textured spheres, set with rubies cut en cabochon, with three conforming shirt studs, together with a ruby tie bar, in 14ct gold.