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Good to Know

Guidelines for buying and appreciating Estate Jewellery

Our Estate Jewellery buying guidelines offer advice on purchasing and appreciating this kind of jewellery, to help you make an informed decision.

The Market

The popularity of Estate, Vintage or Antique, pieces is growing since inventory is fixed and often in short supply. Antique jewellery and signed Vintage Jewellery is sought after by collectors and consumers looking for rare, or one-of-a-kind pieces.

Appreciating

If you love jewellery, like fashion, and find today's design trends don't inspire your senses, it's time to look at Estate Jewellery. Interest in vintage decor, accessories and heirlooms has increased in recent years, and this trend includes a renewed appreciation for Vintage Jewellery from the past. If you've ever seen stunning Art Deco rings or Edwardian brooches at auctions, in pictures or in the media and wished you could wear such beautiful jewels, you'll be thrilled to search for these treasures among the varied offerings of Estate Jewellery. Perhaps you're intrigued by the creativity expressed in Antique Jewellery but are worried that you don't know how to buy Vintage Jewellery and get a good deal.Through our guidelines we offer you our advice on purchasing and appreciating Estate Jewellery.

Definitions :

Estate Jewellery 

The term "Estate Jewellery" refers to the fact that the Antique jewellery is often part of an estate or heritage of a person who passed away, in some cases the previous owner just may have decided to sell his or her own items. Sometimes the terms "Estate Jewellery," "Antique Jewellery" and "Vintage Jewellery" seem to be used interchangeably, however, these terms have different meanings: Estate jewellery pieces are not necessarily old and can include fine and costume jewellery from any era.

Antique Jewellery 

Antique jewelry is 100 years old or older; some collectors date it to 1920 and older.

Vintage Jewellery 

Vintage jewellery reflects the most distinctive or attractive design elements of a certain period, and the patterns and materials of Vintage jewellery are still appealing to many people. Collectible-quality Estate jewellery can be considered Vintage and includes many Antiques

Estimated Value

How is the price of a Estate Jewel determined?

Pricing Estate jewellery is both an art and a science. It requires a high level of experience and expertise as there are no “manufacturers’ retail prices” to be guided by, and often there is no obvious comparable in the market place. Only extensive training and experience in the gem and jewellery trade make it possible to identify and determine the true and fair value of a piece of jewellery. It’s a surprisingly technical yet subtle art, as objective and subjective factors must be taken into account. First, there is a calculation as to the intrinsic value of the material in every piece. For example, how many carats of diamonds are there? Are they genuine and if so, what is the quality of the stones? Are the diamonds certified? Is the gold 14 karat, 18 karat, or is it platinum? Once the material is defined, weighed and measured, we look for hallmarks or signatures, what era it dates from, the overall condition, whether it has an interesting and documented provenance, and in addition we monitor international realized auction results to determine a realistic and competitive pricing. 

Estimated New price

Advised price for a fine Estate jewel, Vintage or Antique, by a renowned Estate jeweller.