Antique and vintage jewellery comes with an allure most of its! Once you think of antique jewellery, you tend to think about the sort of thing that turns on the Antique Road Show, the Faberge jewellery that’s valued in the thousands of pounds, but obviously the majority of vintage pieces are more modest and affordable. I were only available in antique fairs some years ago, and jewellery was always popular, whether rings, brooches, or necklaces or bracelets.
Antique jewellery is normally defined to be 100 years of age or even more, lakshmi hara whereas vintage is usually defined as older pieces made after the Retro Modern amount of the 1940s and as much as and including the 1980s. It is really a very wide field, and often the terms are interchangeable.
Indeed, for those on a budget, pre-owned, or pre-loved jewellery because the trade prefers to call it, is a superb alternative to buying new jewellery. I came across that vintage jewellery is usually well-made and attractive, especially since, with the rising price of gold and other precious metals, the more unattractive and/or damaged pieces are now melted down due to their scrap metal value, leaving the better pieces intact. The thought of owning a unique engagement ring or wedding ring that’s vintage or pre-loved is something which can be viewed as often these rings is likely to be cheaper compared to the modern equivalent but just nearly as good quality if not better. I think that it’s nice to perhaps think on yesteryear history of a vintage piece and speculate on the real history behind it!
So where do you will find antique and vintage jewellery? Some jewellery shops sell second-hand jewellery, and you can get online. eBay is a favorite source, but be mindful – it’s easy to obtain carried away and bid a lot more than you intended! And the rule of caveat emptor applies – meaning ‘buyer beware’ and I find that when something looks too good to be true, then generally it’s!
When buying antiques, you’ll need to be sure of what it’s you are buying, so always get a suitable receipt from owner which shows that that is genuine. It should state the gems used, and that any diamonds are genuine and not substitutes such as for example cubic zirconium. Gold and silver should be hallmarked – all British silver and gold is, but foreign items such as for example Indian jewellery might not be. An independent appraisal may be worth obtaining in case of valuable items.
My advice to anyone interested in buying antique or vintage jewellery is to master as much as you possibly can. Read up about any of it and get to understand that which you are looking for. Knowledge is power. It’s also fun!
Another idea is to think about vintage-style. New jewellery that has been manufactured in a retro style can be extremely 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 absolve to take a peek, and remember, buying from these retailers is safe and easy.