QuestionI have recently purchased 2 vintage Tiffany pins. One is an 18K maple leaf with a small diamond, there is a triangulated piece soldered on the back that says, "Tiffany & Co." with a capital "C" inside a circle, then "Italy". The other is a 14KP rose with a diamond. I have no provenance on either and they were from two different sellers. I called Tiffany's headquarters but due to their pricey $1,000 fee for archiving authenticity, I opted for the Reps suggestion that she ask one of her repairmen. He said his "educated" guess was that Tiffany never used a "P" plumb mark on their jewelry, nor would they solder a piece of gold with their makers mark. Now I am concerned! Could his educated guess be correct? Would anyone actually duplicate a "knock-off" in gold with a diamond? Is there a book that has Tiffany brooches of the period? Help! AND THANK YOU.
AnswerHello Cat and thank you for your inquiry. Below is the best site I have found for Tiffany hallmarks. Just copy and paste it into your browser address field and hit enter:
http://www.925-1000.com/Tiffany_Date_Code.html
Next, when dealing with Tiffany items, I always advise having the item professional appraised. They are more experienced and have more resources with which to check the various hallmarks. I'm sure your library has Tiffany jewelry books along with markings. One book I found that is carried by amazon.com online bookstore is "The Jewelry and Enamels of Louis Comfort Tiffany" (Hardcover)
~ Janet Zapata. You may find some interesting comparisons there.
Hope this helps and enjoy your jewelry !
Sally
jarrettsjade.com
