“Wing Ring” question

[Lt. Walker]

Hi there:  I have a ring that was made from a pair of pilot wings and I’m hoping to find out who might have made them and what period they’re from.  They’re not marked other than “Sterling.”  The ring is a rather large one, size 11.  Sorry for the poor photos, I couldn’t keep the ring straight.

 

Thank you!

[Steve Brannan]

No way to know what jeweler made them. Appear to be WW2 vintage based on the design of the Army Air Force pilots wing they were made from. 

[Lt. Walker]

Thank you.  Can you tell me how they are identified as WWII?

 

 

[Mr.Jerry]

WWII era wings are usually made of and marked "Sterling" as silver was not a "strategic metal" and so it was widely used for insignia in WWII. Later wings were not made out of silver, and on the rare occasion they were, they usually had an alpha numeric maker code on them.

[Edelweisse]

Thank you for the post…. I have an aerial gunner’s wing ring that I posted awhile ago

 

never received comments…but I appreciate this post

ing and comments…thank you 

[Lt. Walker]

The reason I ask how the wings are identified as WWII is because they appear to have the “Pelican Beak” wings.  I thought those were mostly post-War

[5thwingmarty]

I am not aware of any documented pre-WWII "Pelican Beak" style wings, but there are many such attributed WWII wings.  Amico, Balfour and Meyer are just some of the companies that made/sold this style of wing during WWII. This style of wing did continue to be produced long after WWII.

[Scott C.]

For what it's worth, this is a ring I had made for me by a local jeweler in the late 1980s when I became a USAF instructor pilot. The wing was a small, sterling-marked WWII-era sweetheart pin I liberated from my collection. The jeweler gave the wing a smooth arch to match the curve of the (unmarked) sterling band the wing was soldered to, then the band area around the shield was removed. 

[pfrost]

Converted wings are a fun side collecting interest.  Or even a main collecting interest if you want.  It's a mix of sweetheart, patriotic jewelry, and actual worn items by the soldier.  I love them, as they are super cool.

 

As for "periods" when they were made, that is (I so am starting to feel like that old man yelling at kids to get off my lawn!) very relative.  There is no way of knowing for sure, but the pattern of the wing shown could easily have been made during WWII until well after the KW. 

 

Still, thanks for sharing.

 

BTW this is one of my favorite "patriotic" jewelry pieces (and one of the most sad).  A "gold star" bracelet made for a woman's wrist (mom, wife?).  Made from a Lampl aircrewman's wing.