Buying excellent jewelry pieces is a worthy investment. Knowing your options before shopping for pretty baubles is wise. That way, you know what you’re adding to your collection. You won’t fall for fakes and know what to look for, especially if you’re fond of purchasing old jewelry. The more you know, the easier it is to determine if you’re buying an authentic piece or not. Most choices you’ll encounter will be antique, estate, and vintage pieces. Knowing the difference between these choices will make it easier for you to shop with confidence.
What is Estate Jewelry?
The term is for pieces that are sold from an estate. Jewelry of this type has usually been passed down for generations. Estate jewelry refers to jewelry that has been previously owned. The age of the piece doesn’t matter. However, because it’s been part of an estate owned by someone else, usually for a few years, if not decades, estate jewelry can be categorized as either antique or vintage. Knowing the characteristics of both antique and vintage pieces will help you shop for best estate jewelry online with ease.
What is Antique Jewelry?
Antique jewelry is a term used for a piece that is over a hundred years old. Jewelry of this kind is often precious and rare. Given their age, it’s not surprising that many of these pieces also have a great deal of history. Jewelry is defined by the era it came from. The style, design, and materials used in the piece are often products of their time. For instance, a piece from The Georgian Era is handmade, has precious stones, and is often delicate in design. Sets or jewelry from the Victorian Era or the Early Victorian Romantic Age would have jewelry inspired by nature designs, intricate and usually made in gold or silver. If the piece came from the Middle Victoria Grand Era, though, it would be dark, with less color, and pieces with seed pearls of animals, flowers, and hearts with start and crescent designs would be from the Late Victorian Aesthetic Era. There are other periods you need to know if you want to shop for antique jewelry: The Arts and Crafts Era, the Jewelry of the Art Nouveau Era, the Edwardian Era, and the Art Deco era. Familiarize yourself with the characteristics distinct to each period, so you can identify pieces with ease when you shop for jewelry. Knowing those characteristics will also help you differentiate fakes from authentic pieces.
What is Vintage Jewelry?
Any piece less than a hundred years old but is older than fifty years old is considered vintage. Generally, though, vintage jewelry is any piece that’s from any era from the 1920s. Many belong to the Retro Modern Era, from 1945 to 1960. These were vivid, colorful, and large, which made sense because the pieces were inspired by Hollywood years after the second world war. It was a time when the world was getting back on its feet. The 60s were known for pieces inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy, and the 80s were all about dramatic, gold jewelry.
