Posted 7 years ago
KarenLR71
(191 items)
I was looking forward to posting a brooch that had gotten shunted to the side. I had seen it was marked Winard and stamped 12K GF which is all in line with marks from Winard.
Researching further when taking a pic myself showed something odd, I know on the site below, it mentions briefly 'Windard - until at least 1954' https://www.illusionjewels.com/research/costumejewelrymarksw.html
I looked up further history on the company and came up with this general similar recap:
Winard Jewelry Co. was one of a few Premier Costume & Fine Jewelry establishments in mid-century American. Well-known for their fine, gold-filled jewelry in the '40s and '50s. Jewelry was sold in fine jewelry stores. Winard specialized in high quality gold and ivory, jade and coral jewelry pieces. The Winard Jewelry Co. closed in the late 1950’s.
Unfortunately, 2 things are off that maybe one of you can help reconcile - there is a '4' listed before the word 'Winard. Additionally, this is supposedly FAUX jade, and perhaps even the finest jewelers did also deal with faux jade but I find that just another question as to why a fine jeweler known for their jade, ivory, etc. would use faux jade in a brooch, but perhaps it was done to make things more affordable.
I guess I'm basically wondering if I simply have a fake. To my knowledge, I don't know if Winard pieces are highly collected/sought after.
Any thoughts? OK, I'm sitting here feeling slightly deflated but a tiny bit more educated. :(
Looks more like turquoise to me?
Hey there, Gillian! To more, most turquoise I've seen has been 'blue'....is there green turquoise? I have a piece from my grandmother, I need to go look up, that this is almost identical in color to. It's in my older posts.
I tried multiple searches and then looked at probably 20 different 'Winard' items since I posted this and about 60% have a 3, 4, 7, or an 11, etc. before or after Winard...and no idea why.
Forgot! Thanks for stopping by Gillian!!!
LOL, I found another post actually from here where a woman was trying to figure out why there was a '7' before Winard. I'll have to leave this up to the more educated.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/203361-winard-brooch-pendant - link to the other Winard piece (not mine)
I know this is two years later, but there is green turquoise. One variety I am thinking of is Nevada turquoise, I'm sure there are others.
I have some pieces and have examined them all, I don't believe this is faux jade. I believe it is a stone that wasn't identified until 1963 known as Maw-sit-sit. Mined next to Jadeite mine - Jadeite is a mineral - Maw-sit-sit is a stone. I have been a lapidarist for a long time and this isn't turquoise which is not a hard as this which is 6 - 7 on mohs scale, turquoise is only 5. Definitely a stone and not faux jade in my pieces. As for numbering could have to do with date of production.