Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Two Views of Mystery Item found by Dan K. |
Yesterday I posted this mystery item found by Dan K. It is gold color and has a lot small clear stones set close together. The second view shows the items as if the item was flipped over top to bottom.
This isn't an easy one, for sure. It is complex and irregular in shape. Obviously broken and a lot of it missing.
I should have asked for a size dimension. You'd guess not too large. Size, composition and any detail might help with identification. Try to be as detailed as possible when submitting mystery items.
I suggested that Dan have the item tested for the gold content, perhaps taking it to a pawn or jeweler that will use XRF.
Mark G. submitted the photo with query to Copilot. Here is what he got.
Your Fragment: What It Suggests
Based on your description and the image:
• Crude goldwork: Pitting, casting flaws, and uneven bezels are typical of 1600s–1700s Spanish colonial jewelry.
• Square diamonds of varying size: Strong match for table-cut or senailles (irregular chips), often used in religious or decorative fleet pieces.
• Possible hinge or mechanical feature: Could indicate a pendant, locket, or rosary component—many fleet finds include hinged devotional items.
Gold alloy with high copper content
Fleet-era Spanish gold was often:
• 22k–24k for high-value items (very little corrosion)
• But lower-purity gold (e.g., 18k or less) was used in trade jewelry, devotional items, and lower-tier gifts
These lower-purity alloys could contain:
• Copper (for hardness and cost reduction)
• Silver (sometimes, but less reactive)
Over centuries in saltwater, copper oxidizes into:
• Greenish corrosion (cupric chloride or carbonate)
• Verdigris-like buildup, especially in crevices and around stones
This matches what you’re seeing: green crust on the diamonds and gold
Copper component adjacent to gold
Another possibility is that the fragment includes:
• A hinge, pin, or mechanical part made of copper or bronzeMy
• These were often used in lockets, pendants, or rosary boxes
Copper was easier to work for moving parts, and it was often paired with gold in colonial jewelry. If the hinge or structural element was copper, it would corrode and spread green oxidation to nearby gold and stones.
Right or wrong, copilot offers a lot to consider, but I'm not so sure about any of the first bullet point. To begin with, the stones seem to be in what I would call a channel setting instead of a bezel.
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| Close-up of Mystery Item Setting. |
"Senaillies" typically refers to a simplified rose cut. I'm not certain, but this seems more like an antiqe sqauare cut to me, but I'm no expert on diamonds.
But maybe, according to the following defiinition.
Unfortunately, I can't see the bottom of the diamonds, but due to the open back I wouldn't expect them to be rose cut, which I'd expect to have a foil backing rather than the open backing you see in the photo.
Rose cut diamonds were invented in the 1400s and made popular in the Georgian Era (the 1700s). Rose cut diamonds have remerged as an ethereal, antique-inspired alternative to more traditional diamond cuts like brilliant cuts. They were one of the first cuts of diamonds, cut by hand by skilled diamond cutters to optimize sparkle in candlelight as they were made before electricity was invented.
Rose cut diamonds from the 16 and 1700s often had a foil backing and be in a bezel, like those shown on the ring below. That is unlike more modern diamond rings that are set elevated so the light comes in from the bottom through the pedestal. However, I do know of one 1715 Fleet diamond ring that didn't have foil backings for the stones.
But the mystery item does not seem to be a ring. It does seem, as copilot suggests, to be part of a larger more complex piece.
It also seems to me that some of the imperfections described by Copilot are due to wear or damage after loss rather than the method of manufacture.
Here is a link to an interesting resource on 18th century jewelry.
Guide to 18th Century Jewelry History [Updated] - Working the Flame
And here is an excerpt.
Gemstone cutting methods improved dramatically in the 1700s and allowed gemstones to be manipulated in unique ways depending on client preferences. The table cut was square with a flat top and bottom. The rose cut rounded out a stone or diamond and gave it a domed top and flat bottom.
The old mine cut was especially popular and featured a rounded square shape with many facets. The cabochon cut was similar to the rose cut, in that it had a defined rounded top and flat bottom. Finally, the briolette cut shaped stones into a faceted teardrop, which featured on many women’s jewelry pieces.
I'm not so sure about bullet point one, I but generally agree with the rest of what Copilot says. and can't rule out the possibility of the item being old. I suspect it is old but am not sure how old. And it might not be jewelry, but if it is, it seems to be more complex than a simple finger ring, perhaps, as Copilot suggests, a locket or something like that. It seems much of the item is missing, and we have little to suggest the actual size of the complete item as well as the purity of the material. I haven't been able to come up with a guess about what the item is and can accept the possibility of it being from something larger and more complex, like maybe a religious or decorative item.
For example, here is the famous 1715 Fleet Pelican of Piety artifact.
I'm surprised by how my posts on remote viewing keep getting attention. Seems to be a popular topic.
Here is a link to an article on the 8 most famous remote viewers of history.
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