Timeless Antique Jewelry
Some experts define antique jewelry as being older than 100 years. There are however, many collectors that don’t go that far and are perfectly comfortable in recognizing certain pieces made prior to 1930 as having significant value because of it’s origin, craftsmanship, material and style.
There are many types of jewelry to consider such as rings, brooches, necklaces, pennants, miniatures, bracelets, earrings, watches and many more items that act as either a compliment or the centerpiece for an ensemble.
Avid collectors and spectators generally categorize these antiques into time periods and for convenience, here are 4 of the more notables:
Georgian Antique Jewelry tend to feature rare, handmade items with varying precious stones. They normally date from 1714 to 1837, an era when Great Britain was ruled by the likes of King George the I through IV. These pieces are rare, mainly because as time passed, much of the jewelry was either re-purposed or refitted in accordance with modern trends. In addition, gold, silver, diamonds and other precious metals or stones were very scarce and costly. Therefore, many did not consider posterity when the Georgian pieces needed to be dismantled in an effort to create new designs. Those pieces that survived the period display wonderful and beautiful craftsmanship.
Victorian Antique Jewelry has characteristics of its own. One nuance can be found in the brooches created throughout this period. They were generally formed through was is known as hollow holloware – or a hollow structure. The main drivers in this design was to reduce cost and weight. Realize that heavy brooches on delicate clothing can cause damage to the fabric. One of the methods used to accomplish this design feature was to create tiny breather holes in the back, allowing soldering to be carried out when the piece was being crafted. The issue with this type of design is that the metal required needed to be very thin and thus was prone to denting or worse – crushed. As a result of the delicate design, there are not many pieces found in mint condition. However, if you find one, cherish it.
Art Nouveau Antique Jewelry means “new art.” Complicated, yet innovative, is of European styling. The term was drawn from La Maison de L’Art Nouveau and originated in Paris. The styling expands beyond jewelery into architecture, furniture, posters, pottery, and many other types of production. The design can be characterized by the brilliant colors, natural themes, spectacular curves any many other details only realized through up-close inspection.
Edwardian Antique Jewelry and engagement rings may be comprised of diamonds as the most prominent component, but that was not always the case. In this period, jade, opal and pearls were often more prevalent. Also, some of the gemstones softer in nature were used in Edwardian engagement rings. They were prone to develop internal cracks and other flaws over time that certainly has a negative impact on their value, but maybe not the intrinsic value. As with anything, the most important aspect of an engagement ring is the couple purchasing, wearing it and the meaning it holds.
Some other specifics as it relates to jewelry are items such as catches and hinges. There are times when you can identify the age of a piece by the catch or hinge. However, the more wear and tear and less within original condition, there is a good chance the catch or hinge has been replaced. For additional information on these and other topics, please feel free to either subscribe to our mini course or consider our ebook that has volumes of valuable information for either the novice or experienced antique enthusiast.
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