How to tell if your jewellery is antique

 

 

Identifying Vintage Jewellery

If you have vintage jewellery gathering dust in your drawer that you never wear, but you’re unsure of how much its value is, we are here to help. The first step of identifying the value of jewellery starts with knowing what materials were used for manufacturing and where they originated from- this will give us some clues about whether the item was created locally using indigenous resources (typically inexpensive) or imported into an area. Imported cultural trade goods with higher levels of purity and quality standards can fetch more money on resale.  

 

Researching Vintage Jewellery

 The best way to research is to get online and visit sites that offer vintage and antique jewellery valuation services. It is important to be aware of certain terms and descriptions on a piece of jewellery such as “Vintage-Style” or “Antique-Style”, as this often means that it is a modern replica and not genuine. There are many trustworthy resources at your disposal to help you estimate the value of your jewellery, but make sure they’re authentic!

 

Here at Cuttings, we have years of experience and are more than willing to offer our expertise to you. You could always visit us and speak to one of our experienced jewellery experts.

 

Jewellery Stamps

When checking out your potential new purchase, look for stamps on any metal pieces of jewellery such as 14k or 18k which denote purity levels in gold. Gold with markings like PLAT 950 is platinum so make sure they’re stamped correctly before buying! Also, be aware if there’s no stamp at all. The material may require professional experience to identify it. 

 

Jewellery Markers

According to government guidelines, antique jewellery is a minimum of 100 years old.  This means that it is precious and pieces will often display impressive artistic workmanship. Before you drop your precious antique jewellery into the market, review some key values for various materials. The U.K.gold and silver bullion market, for example, is strong and prices fluctuate according to demand. Its value, however, is impacted by the value of the Pound and any supply shocks in the world of precious metals could drive prices down.

 

In Summary

In summary, it’s important to ensure you do some research and get the help and advice of an expert. You need to make sure you trust your sources and feel comfortable. 

 

Here at Cuttings, we are a family run business which has been going for over 50 years. With each generation, we are proud to have kept the family tradition of keeping service, quality and value at the heart of our business. If you wish to get in touch with one of our friendly experts, please do so here.