Rosanna, that is my guess at this point. And that's what my family has said. That made no sense at first until I got all my great aunts stuff, which I am now disassembling parts that I like from and putting into my own creation. So I guess this is what artisans do. (I do not consider myself an artisan, just a designer and producer of "art as jewelry". Totally untrained, just make what I like and learn as I go.
So yes, I can see that as being exactly what this is, the problem is how do you go about even valuing a piece like this? I mean to think the one part could have been made in 1820, the neck/choker made at some other time and the part with the gemstones something completely different made God knows when and by whom and then the gemstones replaced as time went one.
Is this normal? Or is both my aunt and this piece both a freak! lol. How do you value you something like this, I have a feeling there is a term for it on here? Something like "open your wallet" and take a good guess! Something is kind of only worth what another person is willing to pay. Intrinsic value here? Impossible to estimate or maybe not. There must be a "not less than" number. (I know you guys and ladies dont deal in prices but I mean really I think no matter what I price it as someone will complain about something- they always seem to when you make a piece with parts from different eras.)