Fashion and trends always come back with a little modification. The estate and vintage jewellery hold a special place in every jewellery lover’s collection. The old pawn shops, small country shops around the corner of the city, and the old charity shops work as the treasure houses for some of the unexplored gems from history. Nowadays, vintage jewellery is getting a lot of hype as a great choice for engagement, wedding and anniversary jewellery staples.
However, it’s quite a task to find out the true value of vintage jewellery. So as a beginner you may get ditched easily. Some different styles and designs belong to different eras. So while purchasing vintage & antique jewellery it becomes necessary to identify the jewellery correctly.
So, here we are to make this confusing situation an easy peasy one. Just follow the steps below and you are all sorted.
What Does ‘Vintage’ Actually Mean?
Vintage and antique jewellery is of course second-hand jewellery when it comes to you. This jewellery belongs to some particular era. Vintage jewellery has a long dating history and has uncontemporary designs. This jewellery is not everyone’s cup of tea. Vintage jewellery was mostly customized specially for the rulers of the particular era to which this vintage jewellery belongs. There are several other important points you must consider while opting for a vintage jewellery collection.
Research:
As mentioned earlier, every jewel item has some identification mark associated with it. For example, the jewellery settings in the Georgian era had a specific style. This period is considered between 1700- 1830. The designs were elaborated with colourful gemstones and yellow gold. Necklaces, brooches, rings, bracelets, earrings and crowns are the most popular jewellery of this period. The jewellery is quite luxurious, and hence too expensive.
The Victorian jewellery setting has evolved quite noticeably. It spanned from 1830-to 1900. The jewellery of this time was popular in the name of Queen Victoria. She was considered the trendsetter of her period. She was the one who made the black jewellery styling jewellery to mourn the deceased one. The onyx and garnets were sold wildly during this period.
After the Victorian period, the Edwardian period saw an evolution in manufacturing and design techniques. This jewellery spanned from 1900-to 1930. Platinum and white gold saw a terrific bounce in sales during this period. The popular jewellery designs were mostly embellished with rare and luxurious gemstones.
Art deco became popular in the other hemisphere of the globe. The period overlapped the Edwardian period and spanned from 1915-to 1935. The designs were inspired by realistic things and geometrical shapes. The gemstones like emeralds, rubies and sapphires are considered the most striking feature of the jewellery belonging to this period.
World war resulted in the scarcity of the sources and gemstones. This gave birth to costume jewellery. This period is named Retro and spans from 1930-to 1940. Less expensive materials like plastic, glass, enamels, and rhinestones were introduced for jewellery making during this period.
All the designs during different eras had a lot of variations. These little details will help you to identify the correct value of the jewellery you are opting to choose.
Age:
The general classification of antique and vintage jewellery is the age of the jewellery. Vintage jewellery was considered to be older than 100 years whereas antique jewellery was considered to be older than that. However, some big fashion labels and jewellery houses consider vintage jewellery to be around 30 to 40 years old only. Age does make a lot of difference in the value of the gemstones and metals used. So, it’s better to research deeply about the correct age of the jewellery.
Anything Missing:
All the vintage jewellery is not necessarily in its best condition. Most vintage jewellery has been through a lot of hands and places even geographically. So there is a lot of possibility of these delicate pieces wearing out or losing some of their stones. The jewelers try to fill out the missing settings for selling out. These settings mostly don’t fit the original settings. It takes a lot of experience and knowledge about jewellery making to pick these minor faults. These little faults have a powerful impact on the value of the item. So make sure what you are buying is completely authentic and doesn’t include any replacements.
Be Wary Of Fakes:
This world is full of fakeness. When it comes to jewellery the risk is three to four times bigger. Even the big jewellery labels can’t help it. The piracy is just exactly similar to the original jewellery piece. Of course, the stones used are fake. So it’s better to investigate the jewellery piece thoroughly before you become prey to these frauds. Check out the certification and all the documents assigned along with the jewellery.
Manufacturing Details:
When it comes to old jewellery, and vintage jewellery to be specific, the artisans mostly curated the jewellery items with their bare hands. Even the modern techniques back then were not as evolved. Antiques older than the 1900s are the best example of this. The stones, metals and detailed work on the jewellery items will help you find out the best-suited option for your style. The jewellery designs of these eras were almost unique as all the diamonds used were hand cut. Thus, the rarest vintage jewellery will cost you a big time.
Look For Jewellery Stamps or Makers Mark:
Jewellery stamps are another important piece of information about the quality and value determination of that particular piece. The modern labels are practical about marketing and sales strategies. There are several methods to advertise their labels now. Even well-established jewellery labels don’t even need these marketing strategies. They work based on good mouthing, goodwill, fashion shows, ramp shows, and celebrities promoting their brand. However, while looking for vintage jewellery you can easily distinguish between the jewelries of different eras through their maker’s stamp. In the past, no maker’s signatures or the maker’s stamp were the only way of advertising their product. If there is no particular signature, there must be a specific symbol or animal stamp that will explain the lineage. You just need to buy a good quality magnifying lens for this.
