Posted 9 years ago
TassieDevil
(175 items)
Hello everyone.
I love this ring...... Have never really been keen on opals but bought this one simply because I liked the style of it. The seller was not sure if it was a Wager/Judge one, or just from some random jeweller copying their work and that really didn't fuss me at all because I just loved it.....so beautiful I think!
It has all the usual things.....split shank, leaves, berries and vines, is silver with the leaves berries & vine (which goes down the shank as well) in gold.
It is I believe, a boulder opal.....
Love to hear your thoughts, ideas on this, thanks
Thanks very much vetraio50 and katherinescollections for looking and the love!
Many thanks kyratango and NevadaBlades for the love!
I can't comment on who made this Devil but I do think it's a boulder opal: a big one and really beautiful.
The pinks, purples and specks of green are better than art!
I think Jewels1900, this one is for you. I'm taking a guess, I think this ring does have a look of the Wagers. I hope I'm right.
Thanks for your lovely comment Racer....I think I like it so much because the colours come and go depending on the light.....more subtle, which is what I like!
Thanks Peasejean55 for the love and comment....would love Jewels1900 to take a look!! I hope you are right too!
I was having a look through your listings and spotted the opal bracelet that had the strange silver hallmark on the clasp......... I have earrings with the same mark so I have posted what it is on your page....hope that's ok
Thanks Efesgirl....appreciate the love!
TassieDevil, it's absolutely fine to post on my wall, I'll have a look.
Brunswick. .....thank you Thomas!!
Melaniej, appreciate the love.....thank you!
Goodness.....so many loves!!! Thank you so much to all 17 for looking and loving....it is really appreciated!!
Hi TassieDevil, there are several things about this ring that make me think it could be by Rhoda.
From the look of it I think it could be Koroit opal, first discovered in 1897.
If it is Koroit and by Rhoda it would be a rarity, as I've never heard of a Wager piece set with Koroit opal.
The top looks like it needs a polish, however the purists would say leave it as found, original is best!
It's a very cool piece.
Hello kiwipaul! Nice to meet you, and thank you so much for your comment!!
It really would be a buzz if it was a Rhoda ring.....and had not heard of Koroit opals!! but will google and have a look thank you. It is such a well made ring....and to me it just feels really "silky" and everything seems to be in the right proportions I think! Not that I have actually seen or held a Rhoda ring in the flesh... relied on the Powerhouse Museum pictures only. I very much doubt that there would be anyone in Tas who would know her work.....but I surely would love to have it confirmed one way or the other.
Oh, and yes the top probably could use a polish....but I am one of those who leave as found.
Thanks again for taking the time to have a look and post such a great comment.
PhilDMorris....Thanks very much for looking and the love....appreciated!
Yay! Tassie, you have yourself a Wager ring. That angular, clipped leaf with that bubble like texture is right-on. Plus the way the shank is soldered onto the top is indicative of Wager. I'd say this is Rhoda, its an earlier one.
I'm no expert on opals, but I've never seen a Wager piece like this one. Dorothy's notes are in the Powerhouse & in it she describes how the gem dealers would come into their workshop/store with bags full of gems. Rhoda loved them all so much she couldn't choose so she'd buy the whole bag.
Oh my goodness, thank you so much Jewels1900....gosh I am just so excited!! I don't know what to say.....thank you to you, and kiwipaul for his thoughts which gave me hope, and peasejean and just everyone for their lovely and helpful comments and all the loves.....so will mark out as solved!!
Whow, I'm really pleased that this ring is Rhoda Wager, you have a wonderful treasure. :-)
No worries Tassie. Enjoy your ring, I'd be very happy to have one like it in my collection.
Thank you so much peasejean55....I am still smiling from ear to ear !
Thank you jewels1900....and if I can find someone to confirm the opal to be the Koroit one that kiwipaul mentioned, I will post that info for you.
What a fabulous ring. I must confess, seeing this ring only serves to make me want to go thrifting today.
Thanks Emme for the love and yes, the thrill of the hunt is great!!
Thanks for the love glassiegirl!
Jewels1900's comments above are very interesting re Rhoda Wager "tells". I've gone back and looked at all the rings on the Powerhouse site and see they all have the split shank soldered onto the bezel on either side like TassieDevil's ring above.
Jewels1900's description of the "bubble" in the leaf is also another very useful tell.
I'd like to add another tell - the fine gauge of the wire used for the vines that wrap around the ring, and how these often originate on the shank.
Based on these 3 "tells" I can now see my two silver and opal rings on Show and Tell are NOT Rhoda Wager, but are "School of". C'est la vie!
And congratulations TassieDevil, I'm certain yours is by Rhoda, and rare and interesting because of the unusual opal.
Thank you very much Kiwipaul, very grateful to you and Jewels1900 for such detailed "tells"...... I had no idea.....but have had a more detailed look on the ring now to pick out the "tells"!! Just wonderful knowledge you both have.
I am sorry your rings haven't made the cut....how disappointing!!!! But really, I was just incredibly lucky with buying this one, as I loved it regardless, and it was the first opal for me as well.
Thank you for your congratulations, love and informative posts.... really appreciated!
With Australian Arts & Crafts jewellery, although it's getting harder to find, you can buy pieces that are at the same level of quality as the Wagers. Our problem is that the Australian movement is not well documented and good quality makers unknown (more so than British or American or even NZ).
We had many Arts & Crafts Societies around the country & the NSW Arts & Crafts societies encouraged jewellers to make jewellery with Australian motifs to be exhibited in their shows. So there's plenty of Aussie jewellery, like Paul's, that is great quality and well designed.
You never know when a catalogue, original photos or collections of attributable jewellery may be found & we'll be able to attribute some of our unknown pieces. So I say buy what you can when you can. There's still lots of information to be unearthed.
Even the Wager pieces are difficult to attribute. Rhoda was so frequently copied. I have a pair of earrings that I can find the original design in the Powerhouse's Wager archives. But they are not made by Wager; I have other pieces by the same maker that are clearly not Wager. I know her clipped leaf design and her grape leaf design. I also know Dorothy's round flower design. But other than that its very hard to attribute other Wager designs.
Hi jewells1900
I would say all old Australian Jewellery is getting harder to find.... but you can get lucky sometimes....just have to be in the right place at the right time!! Kiwipaul's rings are beautiful regardless of the maker....I would love to find some!!
For research on 19th & 20th century Australian Jewellery, I have the Anne Schofield and Kevin Fahy book which is terrific......but I still have unidentified pieces in my collection. As you say....maybe one day more information will surface and we can identify our mystery makers. Meanwhile, I will be buying what I can when I can lol.
Have enjoyed reading your post, thanks
Many thanks davyd286 for having a look and the like!
Oh WOWSER !!!
Thanks Rose.....pretty exciting!!!
Many thanks windwalker for havin a look, and the love!
Whoops..."having" that should be!
Thank you so much for the love nicefice!
Many thanks artislove and AnneLanders for you kind love!
I just adore this ring :) and the designer
Thanks so much for such a lovely comment AnneLanders!! I really appreciate it!!
Many thanks Hoipolloi for looking and the love!!
BelleEpoque....thank you!! Appreciate you taking the time to look and love!!
Congratulations on your treasure find, Judy!!! :)
Thanks very much for the love rose!!!
Thanks Katherine and for the love......I was pretty excited as you could probably tell!!!
Don't blame you a bit, and we share in your excitement. It's the thing we collectors live for, the big wonderful find. :)
Radegunder and ho2cultcha, thank you both for taking the time to look and the love....I really appreciate it, thank you!!!
Thanks Katherine for the lovely comment!!!!
ORoy, thanks very much for taking the time to look all the way back to this post and to love it!!:-)
Pascale and Jenni, many thanks for the love, sincerely appreciated :-)
Appreciate the love Phil, thank you:-)