Description
Marked Ster., tested and Guaranteed to be solid sterling silver this is a beautifully detailed vintage mid century tiny Tinkerbell fairy charm made in the 1950s-1960s. Sterling and Ster marks were formally discontinued in the US in favor of the commonly found 925 government assay marking you see today. The block letter ster mark is found on the very narrow edge of Tinkerbell’s wing and found with a magnifier. Size is 3/4″ north to south by 1/8″ wide across the wingspan. Overall condition is excellent. No damage or repair. A lovely vitnage sterling charm for any adult or child who likes fairy art and jewelry.
AI Age Confirmation:
- The “STER” Custom: Prior to the mid-1960s, United States silversmiths and manufacturing jewelers predominantly stamped solid sterling silver items with a shortened “STER” or “STERLING” mark rather than the modern decimal “.925” stamp.
- Mid-Century Souvenir Boom: This specific 3D pose—showing Tinkerbell diving or flying forward horizontally with her legs extended together and her arms brought near her face—was an incredibly popular design mass-produced during the height of mid-century charm bracelet trends.
- The Unlicensed Walt Disney Era: During the 1950s, the explosive popularity of Disney’s animated Peter Pan (released in 1953) and the opening of Disneyland caused an unprecedented demand for Tinkerbell merchandise. Dozens of independent novelty jewelry manufacturers in Rhode Island and New York cast unlicensed 3D charms mimicking her exact likeness to sell to local department stores. Because they were unendorsed boutique pieces, they purposefully omitted the official Disney copyright logo (“© W.D.P.” or “© Disney”), leaving only the required “STER” purity mark behind.
