This month, we bought a pretty little brooch – silver with what look to be amber cabochons – that we didn’t know anything about. We guessed it was Scandinavian and made sometime in the 60s/70s. When we got it home, we pulled out the magnifying glass and had a look at its hallmarks.
There were 5 separate marks on the back that told us everything we needed to know:
- A bear (made by Kultasepät Salovaara)
- A crown within a heart (made in Finland)
- 813H (its silver fineness is 813/1000)
- The letter ‘A’ (made in the city of Turku)
- M7 (made in 1965)
We’d not come across this manufacturer before so we thought it would make another good Designer Desire subject. They mainly produced jewellery in varying fineness of silver, bronze and semi-precious stones so their pieces are very affordable. I’ve seen a simple bronze pendant for only 15€.
As expected, pieces are mainly available in Finland; however, you can find them on eBay, Etsy and specialist vintage Scandinavian jewellery sellers such as Caratia and Samantha Howard Vintage. If you’re interested in the brooch we have – drop us a line – it’s available for sale!
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