Here are some examples of vintage Japanese silver jewelry. The use of Japanese writing is an obvious indication of their country of origin. The letter on the cufflinks, tie bar, and pendant means good luck, wealth and happiness. The brooch however could be merely asian inspired, and not made in this region of the world. One of the keys to identifing Japanese silver jewelry produced mid to late 20th century is the way in which their jewelry is marked. It is simply marked "silver", with no other marks, numbers or symbols.
I couldn't find out when the "SILVER" mark first appeared on Japanese jewelry, but it would likely be after World War II. You can also find a lot of fine silver items marked as pure silver in Japanese letters (kanji) but not in English. The most common type of silver used in the manufacture of jewelry in Japan is 950/1000. Please go to affordablevintagejewelry.com if you are interested in purchasing the vintage Japanese jewelry pictured in this post or other quality vintage jewelery.
