Signed FAS vintage costume jewelry

Signed FAS vintage costume jewelry
The history of the FAS jewelry trademark began in 1976 in New York. The trademark was owned by “Designs by FMC, Inc”, a jewelry company located at 1533 60th Street Brooklyn, New York, NY 11219 (USA).
FMC created bracelets, pendants, earrings and rings, as well as costume jewelry. In the early 1990s, jewelry production was moved to China and Thailand, and then sold to the United States. In addition to sterling silver, craftsmen created fashion jewelry using gold.
Noteworthy, there is some confusion with the FAS abbreviation, as Chinese silverware manufacturers used the abbreviation FAS as an alloy of silver.
Besides, some decipher the abbreviation as “Fused Alloy Silver” or “Fantastic Antique Silver Company”. In fact, there is a very similar FAS trademark in the China Trademark Registration Database. However, their labeling is different from that of the American company. In particular, the letter A in Chinese markings is without a horizontal line crossing the letter “A”. Thus, pay special attention to how the letter “A” looks on the stamp.

In silver jewelry stamped FAS 925, the number indicates that the jewelry is 92.5 percent silver and the rest is fused silver alloy. Sterling silver, or 925 silver, contains 92.5% silver by weight compared to 99.9% in pure silver. The rest of the 925 silver is usually made up of copper, which strengthens the silver.

Signed FAS vintage costume jewelry