Sphinx Jewellry, or What's All This Mythical Mystery with Only a Serial Number?

 I ran across a new jewelry mark today, or I should say, just a new number:  20282, stamped on the reverse side of a sparkly little enamel and rhinestone turtle brooch.  Thank heavens for the magic of Google Search, because I quickly found out that this tiny treasure was made by a company called Sphinx Jewellry, and they often used serial numbers instead of stamps.

When Sphinx did use a proper maker's mark, it looked like this:

Sphinx was a London, England, company that manufactured higher end costume jewelry from the early 1950s to about 1990.  They produced Victorian and Egyptian revival pieces, along with figural brooches and other shiny delights. 

Here are a couple of nice articles about the history of Sphinx:

English jewellery company Sphinx

Sphinx Jewelry

Now, my little guy did not have a stamp or maker's mark, but he was stamped 20282!  And that is the inventory or serial number for this great turtle!

You have to wonder where he had been and what he's seen.  He started out at a fancy jewelry maker in England, and he ended up in Ohio, with lots of life ahead of him!

Take care--

Laura and the ottercat