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Collectibles-General (Antiques)/thimble- with stones- antique or mass produced?
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Question
Hi- I just acquired a thimble and I was wondering what do you think about it. There is no manufacture make except for a star that is located at the top that can only be viewed with a loop. It is sterling silver 800- I think this is gold wash as well. Are 800 sterling silver thimbles suppose to feel light?
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Hello Sad. The star on the top of the thimble indicates it was made by a German company. There were a number of companies that used the star mark (i.e., Gabler, Wengert, Eber, and others) so I can't tell you more than that without seeing the thimble mark better. Some stars have more points than others or a letter in them. The 800 indicates the thimble has 800/1000 silver or .800 fineness. Sterling silver is 925/1000. Whether or not the thimble is light doesn't have anything to do with 800 vs 925 silver. The amount of silver, itself, is what makes it heavy or light. A heavy silver thimble just has more content or material than a lighter one. Your thimble looks to have an applied stamped band that may be gold wash but I don't think so. The applied band may have been made of brass or another similar metal. The "stones" may just be hard plastic. German made thimble blanks was exported to other countries where they were modified. Yours looks very similar to those found in Italy. Barbara
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Answers by Expert:
- Michael Andrew Wilson
- robert klein
- Fred Taylor
- Rodger Knutson
- Eileen Cronk
- Bill & Jan Berning
- Irene Schwall
- Barbara K. Acchino
- Rex Ransome
- Larry Bieza
- Anderson's Restorations-Rob Anderson
- DARWIN D. BEARLEY
- Chad Boekelheide
- The Wicker WomanŽ-Cathryn Peters
- David Burritt
- Bob Wiley
- Marc A. Hess
- Tom Novitski
- Marvin D. Miller
- Robert Barnes
- Frederic Rozier
- G Zimmerman
- Jack Freund
- Russell Barnes
- Dennis Wolbach
- David Silver
Barbara K. Acchino
Experience
I have been collecting for almost 30 years.
Organizations
ThimbleCollectors@ONElist.com; Thimble Collectors International (TCI); Thimble Guild; Thimbletter & Thimbletter II, Empire State Thimble Collectors; CyberThimble; Yahoo Thimble Club
Publications
"Sewing with Scotties" Scottie Sampler; various articles for the "Bulletin" - official newsletter of Thimble Collectors International (TCI)
Education/Credentials
I have been collecting for almost 30 years.
Awards and Honors
TCI's President's Award
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