Dating jewelry is done through multiple methods: looking at design and stylistic clues; at construction techniques; at hallmarks; at materials used; and at patent numbers. However there are certain discoveries, inventions, and historic events that are milestones in jewelry history and knowing a few of them can help narrow down the date of a lot of pieces and eliminate some faulty attributions. I’ve arranged these chronologically and included items of interest to collectors of both fine and costume jewelry.read more
I love Georgian and Victorian jewelry and am horrified by the quantity of fakes on the market. In an attempt to bring these fakes to light, I’ve been undertaking an intense study of reproductions that are available for sale. While these pieces are being sold as “reproductions” by their manufacturers, they rapidly hit the secondary market as genuine antiques, sometimes by unscrupulous dealers, and sometimes by people who genuinely believe they are old. Studying fakes won’t necessarily teach you how to spot genuine antiques, but it will hopefully help prevent you from making purchasing mistakes.read more
The turn of the 20th century saw an explosion of new design movements throughout the world. These movements go by different names in different countries: Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Jugendstil, Secessionist, Wiener Werkstatte, Sconvirke. These movements also coincide with, or overlap, the Edwardian era which is named for the reign of King Edward VII in England (1901-1910).
Skonvirk Brooch
With the exception of Edwardian jewelry with its delicate tracery of diamonds and platinum, the other design movements are often characterized by the minimal use of precious materials; the emphasis instead is on flowing lines (sometimes contrasted with hard-edged geometry), color, and symbolism. There are several excellent books on jewelry of this era:read more
During the Victorian era (1837-1901) a series of major inventions, discoveries, and movements influenced the design of jewelry. The industrial revolution allowed jewelry to be manufactured at lower cost and in greater quantities than ever before, and thus become available to a wider segment of the population. In the mid-19th century, after 200 years of isolation, foreign merchant ships began to visit Japan and Japanese design had a major impact on jewelry and the decorative arts in the latter half of the 19th century. In the 1870’s diamonds were discovered in South Africa and this, combined with the invention of a torch hot enough to work platinum, greatly affected the look of jewelry for the next several decades. On the other hand, the Arts and Crafts movement arose as a reaction to the industrial revolution, and looked back toward a romanticized view of the middle ages (this will be the subject of its own blog post).read more
One of the biggest challenges in identifying a piece of jewelry is deciphering the marks that you find on the back. You’d think that a mark would, literally, spell out what you have but many marks are symbols, initials, pictures, and sometimes fakes. There is no single book that will identify hallmarks and maker’s marks throughout the world in a comprehensive way but, depending on your needs, there are several excellent books each with its own area of specialization. If you are looking for books that provide some information about marks, but not the level of detail addressed below, see my post on Building a Library of Jewelry Books: the Basics.read more
I have an extensive collection of jewelry books and over the years I’ve developed favorites that I turn to again-and-again when I’m researching a piece of jewelry. For someone who is starting out collecting or selling vintage and antique jewelry there are several books that are indespensible. I wouldn’t necessarily describe these books as “beginner” books; each is very serious in its coverage of its subject, but they cover a broad range of periods and styles.
While these books contain information about prices, I don’t recommend using them as price guides because most were written several years ago. In fact, I don’t think books are a particularly good source of pricing these days; much better information can be found by doing research on the internet. The best way to research prices is by using these books to help you figure out what you have acquired. Then you can search for pricing of comparable items on sites like Ruby Lane, Etsy, and 1st Dibs; through a general Google search; and from auction sales results.read more
I love fine paste jewelry from all eras and in my Ruby Lane shop I have pieces dating from the Georgian era through the mid-20th century. Paste is glass that is meant to look like gemstones and when I refer to “paste”, as opposed to rhinestone, jewelry I distinguish it by the quality of its construction: paste jewelry is constructed just like fine jewelry using glass stones instead of gemstones in settings of gold or silver. However, not everyone uses the term in this manner; some people throw around the terms “paste” and “rhinestone” interchangeably.read more
I love fine paste jewelry from all eras but Georgian paste is the finest ever produced.
Paste is glass that is meant to look like gemstones and in my Ruby Lane shop I have pieces dating from the Georgian era through the mid-20th century. When I refer to “paste”, as opposed to rhinestone, jewelry I distinguish it by the quality of its construction: paste jewelry is constructed just like fine jewelry using glass stones instead of gemstones in settings of gold or silver. However, not everyone uses the term in this manner; some people throw around the terms “paste” and “rhinestone” interchangeably.read more
Last week I attended “Jewelry Camp” – the nickname for the annual Antique Jewelry and Art Conference – for the first time. Held from July 30-August 1st, Jewelry Camp began with tours of the Macklowe Gallery and Van Cleef and Arpels in New York City and continued in Westchester, about an hour north of the City, with two days of seminars on a variety of topics about antique jewelry.
I was lucky enough to attend the optional tour of the Macklowe Gallery where Ben Macklowe showed us around his gallery. The Macklowe Gallery specializes in decorative arts of the Art Nouveau period and, among their riches, they have the largest collection of Tiffany light fixtures for sale in the world. But our focus was on the jewelry, and Ben let us choose pieces and examine them while he answered our questions about the pieces. Among my favorites were a large Marcus and Company boulder opal brooch/pendant and an Art Nouveau horn necklace.read more
The terms “Vintage”, “Antique”, and “Estate” are frequently used describe second-hand merchandise. These terms are often used incorrectly, or with intent to deceive. Here are the definitions of these terms and a few caveats:
Antiques – Antiques are items that are 100 years old, and older. This definition is accepted in the trade, but also has important legal and financial implications.
In the United States (and some other countries) no import duty is paid on antiques so you can save a lot of money if you know that your purchases are antique. This applies to items acquired on a buying trip, vacation, or online purchase so get a receipt from the seller stating that it’s an antique or, if you buy an antique online from a foreign seller, make sure they describe it as an antique on the customs form. More information can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 19 Part 10, Section 10.53.read more
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