Fashionable people like accentuating their clothing with gold, silver, and diamond. Do that for years, and it's easy to accumulate jewelry of all types.
Did you know that some of that costume, vintage jewelry you have, is worth a fortune?
Believe it or not, vintage pieces of jewelry have better quality gemstones than today's modern versions. Take pearls, for example. The less polluted ocean water is, the better quality of pearl you get.
Bodies of ocean water have twice as much pollution today than three decades ago.
Antique jewelry isn't manufactured. Skilled artisans took time hand-crafting vintage gemstones piece by piece. That's why they have such a unique look.
Do you have vintage jewelry lying around your house but don't know its worth? Read this essential guide to the best ways of figuring out the value of aged jewelry.
Learn How to Identify Vintage Jewelry
The first step in finding out if your scrap jewelry has value is identifying if it's vintage. Here are some helpful identifiers:
Where Did You Buy It?
Vintage jewelry isn't like wholesale jewelry, so you don't look to find it at chain jewelry stores. If you bought it from an antique pawnshop or flea market, chances are it's vintage.
How Is It Crafted?
Modern jewelry is a part of the industrial revolution. That means it's machine-made. Vintage pieces of jewelry are hand-crafted works of art uniquely designed by artisans. If the jewelry you have looks antique, it's probably vintage.
Gather your pieces together and find out what you have.
Have a Trusted Professional Help You Examine Your Jewelry Items
If you're a novice, it's hard to identify all the areas of value of your jewelry. Sit down with a professional and ask them value-determining questions.
Start with the craftsmanship. Find out if the jewelry was machine-made or hand-crafted. Look at the cut of the gemstone and the clasps. Check for an artisan's signature.
If it was hand-designed, chances are there's paperwork indicating its original history.
Turn to Google and the Library
A thorough online search for a picture of your piece of jewelry works as well. There are about 1,200 petabytes of data stored on the internet.
There's a strong chance you may find an online site with an image of your jewelry. That site may tell you the original designer of origin of the piece.
You may even get lucky and find out how much it's worth.
If the internet fails, the library is another valuable research resource. Library books have data on all subjects. Libraries also carry journals, newspapers, and microfiche for outdated information.
Check there to find the specific value of your jewelry or a piece that's similar.
Know Its Worth
Vintage jewelry carries a significant value that can change your financial status. Gather your pieces together, do some research, and find out what it's worth.
Let us help you with your research. Click here for a virtual consultation and get a custom offer for your pieces.
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