About Dr. Ari Roark Expertise Metalsmithing, Goldsmithing,Jewelry Making, Gemology,Metallurgy,Art Jewelry,Jewelry Appraising,Metal Mill Work,Jewelry Education,Group Projects Adaptable to Special Populations as well as ordinary groups,Ethnobotany,Metal Clays, International Jewellery Law,Trade Law,Rock hounding,Industrial Health and Safety Assessment and Education as it pertains to Jewelry Studios (of all sizes and manufacturing concerns relative to the Trade, Jewellery Trade Organisations,Objective US Jewelry School critical Analysis,Applied Anthropology,goldssmithing,lapidary,metals,refining
Experience More than 35 years experience in the Jewelry Industry, Juris doctorates, PhD's in Anthropology, Cultural History, Cultural Geography, Mining Locations Assessments, Industrial Health and Safety Inspector to the Jewelry Industry, Montessori Educator, Occupational Therapy, Natural Historian, Scholar of Jewelry Evolution, PhD in Creativity ( the analysis of the divergent genres of thought on the process and impetus of the essence of creativity as a state of being expressed tangibly),Extensive Fieldwork with populations of Traditional craftsmen worldwide, former Peace Corps volunteer, Former VISTA volunteer, Etc.
Organizations too numerous to list
Publications prefer not to answer for reasons related to plagiarism
Education/Credentials PhD Anthropology( Applied(1), Cultural(2)Ethnobotany(1),PhD -Physics (Metallurgy 1)( Wave and Particle Dynamics 1),,JD,MD,MFA-Metals/Jewelry,,MFA-Printmaking, MFA-Sculpture, Extensive undergraduate degrees, extensive post doctoral work, Montessori Educator Certification (Primary and Secondary)..many, many Degrees, Grants, and Awards in my past as an Academic turned Jeweler, OSHA Certifications
Awards and Honors too numerous to list including 3 Honorary Doctorates, Two Humanitarian Related Awards, and Service on Many Boards of Directors
Question Hello!
I'm hoping you can help me identify some marks on the back of a pendant I just bought.
It is round with a small square hole in the middle. I believe it is made of bronze, but I may be wrong about that. It has chinese symbols on the front surrounding the hole.
The back marks are a little hard to explain but I will do my best to give you a good idea what they look like.
The top ones appear to be a backwards L, an I (without the top & bottom lines), a V or narrow O, a backwards wonky J (the top line is angled down instead of across), & a V. There is a line that runs from the left "leg" of the V to beyond the "leg" of the L & it connects all the letters together.
The bottom ones look like a loosely done B that was tipped on its side to make the straight edge the top & the straight edge has been rounded, & a G that has been tipped on the side the same way the B was. There is a line with this one also, it runs through the middle of the characters, starting at the "leg" of the G & going all the way through the B.
It has been turned into a pin at some point by gluing two pieces on it, but I don't think they have covered any of the mark, so I'm pretty sure that's it.
I have pictures of both the front & back of it, please email me if you'd like to see it.
Any help you can give me to figure this out is very much appreciated.
Thank you!
Answer Hello Sabreena,
I would in fact like to see an image or drawing of the markings, sounds like exported to Britain goods but I can narrow it down more if I can actually see the piece and see the hallmarking in order.Blackington & Co.'s mark has a B and a G with a sword going through it and that would date it to around the first quarter of the 20th century, George L.Voss, would put it in Rhode Island in the USA, about 1904-25 all the other markings and descriptions though are just hard for me to conceptualize- I apologize for that .
I have an idea of some possibilities but seeing something would be more precise. Feel free to email it to me privately-vieuxcarrejewelers@gmail.com and I'll answer from there.Also describe the metal as best you can, are there any numbers ( 9, or a "kt", the numbers:22, 18, .925, 14/20 ,12/20 etc would all indicate the metal's actual makeup)and any stones, or just send the image or a drawing! and we'll work from there!!!
Best regards, Ari
