Irradiated 100 Years Antique Brooch – comes with a letter: “Dec. 1996, Sarah: This brooch was my mother’s – She got it on her honeymoon to Calif. The stone is called moonstone- so it dates back to Sept. 1906 – I wanted you to have it as I know you will treasure it. Mom.” “Mom” is famous Midwest watercolor artist and “Sarah” is her daughter and my mom.
A jeweler from “Nature’s Treasures,” Gem & Mineral convention Houston, Texas, said that the piece dates on or before the1940s. She said it appears to possibly have irradiated white topaz’ around the filigree, but that the “moonstone” was a shard of opal accentuated by the recently discovered “new acrylic” --used to emphasize many pieces during that time. Though she wasn’t an expert for appraisals, she said it was rare and valued for antiquity.
That information raises many questions and we are interested in more information and possible worth.
