Sterling Tiffany Key Ring

[Lafont]

Yes, I'm glad there's someone else who seems to understand that. When I happend to find the key ring in a somewhat unexpected shop, I thought it kind of fortuitous, as I'd seen the House and Key one and I do so much with residential architecture, etc. I also hardly ever see Tiffany key rings of any design in an antiques, collectibles, or resale shop, let alone one with symbolism of one of my biggest passions - houses. I hadn't liked this one in photos but thought it was quite nice in the flesh. And since it had the Tiffany marking, etc. I never really questioned its being an authentic Tiffany design. I know, for a fact, Tiffany has gone in for the quirky at times. However, after a short the design it didn't technically seem all that attractive, and the elongated shape, perhaps, made it slightly more clumsy getting it out of a pocket and perhaps loosened the screwball more often than with the classic design. Eventually I noticed I wasn't seeing any others like it (or at least I hadn't recalled any specifically), and at that point it seemed worth it to have the thing retrofitted to what I know Tiffany had designed and thus pursue what I thought I could fairly safely assume would be the actual restoration of the piece.
I am a tried-and-true restorer, in may areas (particularly architecture). I was slightly afraid it might break or be unsatisfactory in some other way, but the guy did a meticulous job, with the help of several photos I gave him, so I'm happy. It's compact and looks just like the Tiffany ads, etc. But were I to find a single other one twisted in just the same way mine was - well....

 

[Thurston]

Now I understand where you're coming from.

 

[Lafont]

Right on. Great photo, hehe....

 

[Lafont]

khaki sack responded in a PM what he saw was not for sale and may well have been a knock-off. I'd take that in the sense someone could have designed sort of a funky take-off on the actual Tiffany horseshoe version - sort of making fun of it. That would open the possibility of mine being one as well, but I doubt it because it does have the tiny "Tiffany & Co.," and the shop owner did offer the remark about the cousin's working there, etc. The seller also gives out Tiffany boxes, though of course that doesn't prove anything. If Khaki saw a "fake" then, obviously, it wouldn't be identical to mine if mine is a Tiffany. It is sort of odd someone would intentionally bend mine, though. But I'm going with that until proven otherwise.
Amazing how many unabashedly fake Tiffany screwball horseshoe key rings there are on the web alone - some said to also be sterling. I have noticed, however, at least some have the screwball the opposite - the loop rather than the little house. Wonder if that has to do with copyright laws.