One reason that I asked if the stones had been tested would be to determine if they are rock crystal or paste or something else. Sometimes in very old pieces white sapphires were used and I wondered if these could be genuine gems. The cross that is for sale is surely a twin for Jonathan's cross. The seller states an interesting description of the metal as "bronze base metal with a silvery patina". I would lean more to vermeil for Jonathan's cross. Hard to tell without actually seeing it, though. I don't see any signs of verdigris from the photos. And, if it's brass base metal, it may have a smell that could be detected if held in one's hand. If it is a not genuine silver, I would think it would most likely be brass with a silver overlay instead of bronze. I see lots of descriptions of items online, but they are not always accurate. I would love to see what Frances has to say about this cross. He is very knowledgeable about older pieces and Jonathan's appears to be an older piece. It does look European and the one Linn found for sale is in Britain which is not too far from France. It still looks like it could be a French piece to me. But again, this sort of jewelry is not my forte. I sure hope someone can solve the mystery. And, one more thing that could offer insight into the age of the piece.....how are the stones faceted? If the facets are very uniform, it would indicate that they are not done by hand. The stones on Jonathan's cross look to me from the photos to be an older style of faceting and a little less uniform. Another clue, perhaps?