www.925-1000.com

Dear All,
I have recently acquired a bracelet which I am having a little difficulty determining the origin of, despite much online research and use of books.
I believe the bracelet to be silver-gilt. It is detailed with Mother of Pearl and turquoise and features 6 hand-painted panels depicting women.
In its design, stones used and stone setting the bracelet appears to be Austro-Hungarian in origin.
However, it is stamped in 3 places with what I understand are French Poinçoins. I have Michael Fieggen's book 'Traditional French Jewellery'. Using this, I think the marks are the Paris eagle's head to the right either from 1838 or 1847, although they are difficult to decipher because they are so small/worn.
My question is would an item imported into France from Austria be stamped in this way with French Poinçons? Or is this a piece that has been made in France in an Austro-Hungarian style?
Thank you very much for your time and help in advance and I look forward to receiving any thoughts.

Sorry, here are my images in a larger format. Thank you!

Hi Glee, welcome to the forum.

The French eagle head in closely contoured frame is used for gold 750/000. I believe it to be a French domestic silver hallmark not an eagle head but a boar head contained within a closely contoured frame for Paris, silver 800/000, used 1838-1962. This indicates assay by touchstone and that the item has a limited or restricted warranty.

For the boar head, see; https://www.925-1000.com/Ffrench_marks.html

Peter.


Source; World Hallmarks Volume I Europe, Hallmark Research Institute, 2nd edition.

They are indeed the French boar's head hallmarks, the boar is facing left, you'll need to turn the bracelet around to see the marks better.
The bracelet is indeed in the Austro-Hungarian style. There was a big craze in Europe between 1880 and 1890 to collect and especially wear European regional or "peasant" jewellery, and manufacturers willingly copied designs from other countries. The fashion was popular even in England, stimulated by the jewels shown during the international exhibitions, and the factories in Birmingham and London churned out "Bulgarian belts" and "Normandy clasps". The retailers also imported genuine jewels and resold them - I've seen Dutch regional jewels in fitted French boxes and French regional jewels in fitted English boxes!

Mike Fieggen

Dear Mike and Peter,
Thank you very much for your helpful replies and information.
I can certainly see the boar now and realise I was looking at it the wrong way round!
Best wishes!

I found in the French archives a document from 1961 which proposed replacing the boar's head hallmark, precisely because it was so often confused with the eagle's head mark.
Another reason was that the sharp extremities of the design tended to damage small objects when they were hallmarked.

Ah! That's interesting. It's good to know I'm not alone in getting the two confused.
Thank you for the information!