Selling Jewelry with a History

Selling Jewelry with a History

Buying antique jewelry? If you don't mind the usually high price, you should get yours from antique jewelry stores. Antique jewelry stores follow strict standards when it comes to selling this type of jewelry and they also keep the quality high by ensuring that the jewelry has been inspected and repaired properly.

Antique is old is vintage

When it comes to checking out pieces in an antique jewelry store, it can be a bit confusing for inexperienced buyers, especially when they encounter certain terms. Is it an antique or is it vintage? And what's antique style jewelry anyway?

Time is relative, so antique jewelry today may have been considered vintage about 50 years ago. Truly antique jewelry, by the way, belong to a museum. If you truly want antique jewelry and have money to burn, ask your antique jewelry store to show you pieces worn in the Georgian or Victorian years.

Victorian-age antique jewelry are often favored because of the sophistication and technical perfection they have achieved. The Victorian years were also the time when diamond mines in Africa began to produce gems of excellent quality.

Art Deco and Art Nouveau-style antique jewelry are also bestsellers in antique jewelry stores, primarily because of their distinctive look and design. This was the time when the Industrial Revolution shaped the sentiments of many jewelry wearers, particularly women.

As for antique style jewelry, many antique jewelry stores also carry these along with authentically old pieces. These are jewelry that are not necessarily old; they just look old. They are crafted to imitate the old or antique design that was prevalent during a certain era. It is quite easy to buy some baroque-style jewelry that was made just a few years before and not hundreds of years ago.

Buying from antique jewelry stores

Always check out the background and record of an antique jewelry store before buying. You want a reputable antique jeweler retailer to deal with, somebody who will not sell you a cleverly designed imitation. Don't be afraid to ask questions and if possible, read on the jewelry styles of the era you're aiming for.

It's better to visit the antique jewelry store in person so you can view, inspect, touch and try on the pieces yourself. Ask the salesperson about the history of the jewelry, whether it has undergone any repairs or if it is the original setting or design. If the setting is intact, you can also ask if the stones used in the current piece are originals or replacements.