If you’re looking for a unique piece of jewelry to add to your collection, consider authentic antique jewelry.
Antique jewelry are those that were made before 1930, and they come with a history all their own.
These are typically the heirloom items that have been passed from generation to generation until someone who owns it decides that it has no real sentimental meaning to them or it is just not their style and decides to sell.
If you’re not sure how to tell if a piece is authentic, or where to find reputable dealers who sell antique jewelry, read on. In this article, we’ll discuss the basics of authentic antique jewelry and offer tips on how to buy it safely.
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What Is Authentic Antique Jewelry?
In the jewelry trade, an antique piece of jewelry describes a piece that was made at least100 years ago or from the 1920’s back.
These pieces have Era styles that are described to reflect both their age as well as the styles that were popular during that time.
Keep in mind that these periods often overlapped with each other as transitions in styles began to be introduced in the marketplace.
- The Retro Period jewelry is between 1939 to 1950.
- The Art Deco period is between 1920 to 1930 during the period called “the Roaring Twenties”.
- Next up is the period called Art Nouveau which is between 1890 to 1910.
- We then move back to the Edwardian Era which is between 1837 to 1915.
- The Victorian Era came along during 1837 to 1901.
- Last, the Georgian Era jewelry was made from 1714 to 1837.
As you can see, these periods lasted anywhere from 10 to 120 years!
We should now try to describe what the characteristics of each of these periods are like:
Retro Era
These pieces were fun because they were the “Transformers” of jewelry, much like our kids had with the toys in the 80’s that twisted and turned from vehicles into action figures.
Retro period jewelry used a lot of rose and green gold, along with the traditional white and yellow gold.
This jewelry was bold and chunky, yet had flair.
Pieces could be made to transform from a brooch to a pendant or bracelets to necklaces or even earrings to shoe clips.
There was nothing demure about Retro period jewelry, and much of it was adorned with gemstones and not afraid to have some hefty weighted pieces.
In chain styles, snake chains were popular, and necklace chains would sit at the base of the neck.
Since this jewelry made its appearance in France and then caught on in the USA during WWII, many pieces were designed to look Patriotic with a good luck swallow or soldier adornments and motifs.
A few of the designers of this type of jewelry were Van Cleef & Arpels who made the brick-like Hexagonal shapes.
Tiffany & Co. is famous for their Buckle Bracelets which sported a tile pattern and came in 14k rose gold
Art Deco Era
The most defining characteristic of Art Deco is geometric shapes.
Straight lines and angles, rectangles, triangles and octagons were used together to create the designs unique to this short burst of time. Gemstones shapes were shields, emerald shape, asschers, crescent, marquise and baguettes.
These were intricately arranged together with Old European cut diamonds to give the pieces a striking contrast along with the filigree work that Art Deco is so famous for.
A large percentage of Art Deco jewelry included colored gemstones which were used for bold contrast with pave set diamonds among larger center diamonds.
Enamel was used from time to time in colors of blues, blacks, reds and greens.
This enamel can also be seen during the Victorian Era, although most enamel of that period was black.
White gold and platinum were the favored precious metals because yellow gold was seen as common and out of style.
Art Nouveau Era
It can be safe to say that the Art Nouveau period jewelry was probably the most romantic and aesthetically idealized jewelry created.
The soft, mystical and flowing curves would be loaded with symbolic connotations using dragonflies, butterflies and erotic female forms with a variety of flowers.
The single most important feature used by designers in this period was enameling that allowed light to pass through it, creating an effect of stained glass.
This was difficult and time consuming, and not something that a novice could easily master.
This period of jewelry also used a lot of articulation, that is, they made the jewelry move with the flow of the body so that it would not lay stiff.
Engraving was used in layers of different colored metals to create high relief and dramatic contrast.
The jewelry was not so much known for the diamonds and precious gemstones as it was for the settings.
All manners of gems were used, such as:
- ivory
- glass
- horn
- blister pearls
- and diamonds
However, diamonds were just used as mere accents to highlight many other semi precious stones.
Edwardian Era
The Edwardian Era can be described in terms of jewelry style as long strands, tassels and swags.
Whenever you see multi strand chokers and necklaces, fine lacy filigree and white pearls on white metal, you may be looking at Edwardian Era jewelry.
Diamonds were the favored gemstone and pearls the second runner up.
This was a time of King Edward VII, when there was prosperity and socialites were always looking for reasons to dress to the hilt.
Garlands showed up on many pieces, as did wreaths and articulated layers of pearls.
This can still be seen in the later Era’s since styles cannot seem to leave a demand for femininity behind.
The fine, lacy filigree designs were hand crafted in platinum and white gold, and white stones took center stage, though colors were still worn.
The Victorian Era
The jewelry from this time period can be said to follow Queen Victoria’s emotional life and experiences.
Early on, it was full of flowers, hearts, birds and seed pearls with coral and turquoise.
Gemstones were ruby, diamonds, garnets, emeralds and amethyst.
Most of the lockets that you still see with the braided hair and cupids were not those of dead people, but were to depict a romantic sentiment of wearing your heart on your sleeve.
This was also a time when you would see a loved one’s painted face on a locket.
This jewelry was very feminine and ornate, and it seemed as though everything crafted in each piece had a specific meaning.
One thing that stands out about this era of jewelry is that the gold was lower karat, as is common in England even today. Most of this jewelry was 9K or 10K and even gold filled, while fewer pieces were 14k.
Queen Victoria set the trends in jewelry during her life.
Even during her darkest years after her husband Prince Albert died, her trend of wearing black mourning jewelry caused all women of her time to follow suit.
Most materials were jet, onyx and Gutta-Percha.
Dark garnets and black enamel combined with seed pearls were highly favored.
Hair jewelry became even more pronounced and extremely intricate.
Some pieces were woven with the strands of all family members together. Eventually, Queen Victoria began to look forward and jewelry styles changed again, but they never became any less feminine.
Georgian Era
The features that stand out in Georgian jewelry, if you can find any, is that it was all painstakingly hand made, and because of this, the finish work was a bit rough.
Gold was not stamped or hallmarked, and diamonds were the rose or table cuts, which were definitely not known for their sparkle.
Pearls, sapphires, rubies and garnets were widely used, and were most often cut in the shape of a cabochon or teardrop.
Rubies and pearls were prized and often found in intricate metalwork of hammering metal into ornate designs, and working gold wire to make it look woven.
You can often find Georgian jewelry that has “paste” which is a type of cut glass that mimics diamonds and other colored gemstones which made it more affordable.
This was considered costume jewelry when paste was used.
Another feature is the foil backing that was sometimes found behind diamonds and other colored gemstones.
Steel and iron were used to make jewelry during wars so that citizens could donate their gold to the war effort while still having something beautiful to wear.
How Antique Jewelry Differs From Modern Jewelry
If there are any noticeable features that would put plenty of light between modern and antique jewelry, it would be quality and workmanship.
The antique jewelry was made carefully so as not to be identical from one piece to another, but the modern jewelry is mass manufactured by machines giving the true representation of the sterile modern industrial age.
Antique jewelry is far more intricate and ornate, and the gemstones are not adulterated like the modern ones of today.
You can literally see the “laziness” set in, starting with the Era that we now call “Vintage” which begins after the Retro period.
Styles are far more plain and detail becomes lost.
If anything can be said about modern jewelry, it is that it lacks its own imagination.
What Determines If Jewelry Is An Antique
To determine if jewelry is an antique, you will need to know the history of each of the Era’s and the characteristics, styles and materials that were used in each one.
This is not easy, because today antique jewelry is being replicated by machine.
One of the telling ways that you can know if a piece of jewelry is antique is to look at the cut of the diamonds contained in it.
Usually, unless it was lost and replaced, a diamond will be the Old European or Old miners cut, and even rose cut.
Also look for tiny seed pearls which modern jewelry no longer uses.
If you are going to buy a piece or two of antique jewelry, you will need the assistance of those who are in the profession of Certifying and Appraising jewelry.
Go to your trusted jewelry store and start there.
Where To Buy Authentic Antique Jewelry
Buying authentic antique jewelry is a little more challenging, simply because antique pieces are rare and you need to be able to determine if what you are looking at is the genuine article.
One of the best places to start is with a reputable jeweler or antique dealer that specializes in antique jewelry.
Some other suggested places to find and buy antique jewelry:
High End Jewelry Stores
Sometimes people find out that they have antique jewelry in their possession inherited from an estate and it has no meaningful purpose to them.
They will bring it to a jewelry store for evaluation and end up selling it to them.
The store in turn will usually have an area where pieces of Antique Estate Jewelry will be featured.
Old Town Jewelry Stores
Also look in old town jewelry stores.
These little towns have a deep history that they are proud of and will acquire antiques of all sorts to sell, including estate jewelry that had been in the family for generations.
Online Auctions
Look on eBay.
Yes, look there.
People will list jewelry for sale and you can ask all the questions you want before buying.
eBay is a place where the world goes to sell their stuff. You can find many things that you wouldn’t have otherwise had access to, but do your homework before buying.
Beware of fakes and forgeries.
There are a lot of them out there. You want to make sure that what you are buying is the genuine article.
Local Auctions
Often, estates are being auctioned off because the items in the estate were too valuable to be given away or sold at garage sale prices.
So hit up your local auction house and see what they have. You might get lucky and find some beautiful antique jewelry.
Final Thoughts
If you find that you have a thing for antique jewelry, never settle for anything else.
Why spend your money trying to appease your eclectic taste by settling for less?
It is better to own one piece of jewelry that you love than many that you don’t.
When you are in the market for Authentic Antique Jewelry, do your homework and be patient.
The piece that you have been looking for is out there, you just need to find it. And when you do, enjoy wearing a little bit of history.