Antique and vintage jewellery has an allure most of its! Once you think of antique jewellery, you tend to think about the type of thing that turns up on the Antique Road Show, the Faberge jewellery that is valued in the 1000s of pounds, but obviously many vintage pieces are far more modest and affordable. I were only available in antique fairs some years back, and jewellery was always popular, whether rings, brooches, or necklaces or bracelets.
Antique jewellery is generally defined as being 100 years of age or even more, lakshmi hara whereas vintage is often defined as older pieces made following the Retro Modern period of the 1940s and as much as and such as the 1980s. It is a very wide field, and the terms are interchangeable.
Indeed, for those of you on a budget, pre-owned, or pre-loved jewellery as the trade prefers to call it, is a good alternative to purchasing new jewellery. I discovered that vintage jewellery is generally well-made and attractive, especially since, with the rising price of gold and other precious metals, the more unattractive and/or damaged pieces are actually melted down for his or her scrap metal value, leaving the greater pieces intact. The idea of owning a silly engagement ring or wedding ring that is vintage or pre-loved is something which can be viewed as frequently these rings is likely to be cheaper than the modern equivalent but just nearly as good quality if not better. I think that it’s nice to perhaps reflect on yesteryear history of a classic piece and speculate on the real history behind it!
So where do you discover antique and vintage jewellery? Some jewellery shops sell second-hand jewellery, and you can buy online. eBay is a popular source, but be cautious – it’s easy to obtain carried away and bid a lot more than you intended! And the rule of caveat emptor applies – which means ‘buyer beware’ and I find when something looks too good to be true, then generally it is!
When buying antiques, you need to ensure of what it is you’re buying, so always get a proper receipt from the seller which shows that the item is genuine. It will state the gems used, and that any diamonds are genuine and not substitutes such as for instance cubic zirconium. Gold and silver should be hallmarked – all British silver and gold is, but foreign items such as for instance Indian jewellery may not be. An unbiased appraisal may be worth obtaining in the event of valuable items.
My advice to anyone enthusiastic about buying antique or vintage jewellery is to master as much as you possibly can. Read up about this and get to learn what you are looking for. Knowledge is power. It’s also fun!
Another idea is to take into account vintage-style. New jewellery that has been manufactured in a vintage style can be popular and often good value. On my website, are many retailers who do lovely ranges of attractive jewellery and watches in traditional and antique styles to accommodate any taste, whether Victorian, Art Nouveau or Art Deco, so feel liberated to take a peek, and remember, buying from these retailers is safe and easy.