If you are a connoisseur of jewelry, you must be aware of the increasing demand for vintage jewelry. Vintage ornaments are as unique as their owner. Whether you have acquired them from an owner, exhibition, thrift store, or received them as the family heirloom, the charm of the vintage jewelry remains unchanged. Beautiful stones, precious diamonds, pure gold – vintage jewelry can be anything.
The enthusiasts of vintage jewelry are well aware that some of these jewelry pieces are not made in a machine but handcrafted using the creativity of the artists. The handcrafted pieces offer a one-of-a-kind look, hence standing apart from other pieces of trinket.
As no other piece of jewelry can be more appealing as vintage ornaments, owning them can be special. And if you still do not own it, fret not. You can explore some reputed jewelry shops and buy the most sought-after pieces at the best prices.
Here is how you can identify the vintage jewelry Seattle from others at any jewelry store:
Learn about its age:
The quickest way to identify vintage jewelry pieces from the others in the collection is by learning about their age. According to a general rule, any ornament that is 30 years or older is a vintage ornament.
At the same time, know that there is a thin line between vintage jewelry and antique jewelry. While vintage jewelry is at least 30 years old, antique ornaments date back to 100 years or older.
Inspect the style:
If you cannot determine the age of the jewelry piece, you can always coin out whether it is vintage or not by inspecting its style. Various types of vintage jewelry were created years ago based on the trends of their times. A little research about those trends will help you identify vintage ornaments with great ease. You can also look at the jewelry stamps and figure out the age of the jewelry pieces.
For instance, the Art Déco period ranging from 1915 to 1935, was one of the styles of vintage jewelry. The jewelry during this time had sharp and geometric shapes and was full of gemstones like emeralds, rubies, sapphires, etc. Similarly, the retro collection of jewelry featured ornaments made in the materials like rhinestones, glass, and plastic.
Check the manufacturing details:
Apart from knowing about the style of the trinkets, you can also look into their manufacturing details to find out whether they are vintage or not. Different types of manufacturing details were employed during the old times. Thus, identifying vintage jewelry after learning about them becomes easy.
Hand engraving was the most sought-after technique to carve jewelry pieces back then. From small rings to earrings to intricate bracelets and necklaces – every piece of jewelry was made using this technique. All the jewelry pieces were hand-cut and carved into desirable designs.
Inquire about the metal used:
You can also identify vintage jewelry from the modern ones by knowing about the metal that the designer had used while making the piece. Interestingly, the standard for what is referred to as gold jewelry varies from one country to the other.
Thus, if you are buying jewelry from the United States, anything 10k or above will be considered gold jewelry. Similarly, the standard set by the United Kingdom in identifying gold jewelry is 9k.
Takeaway:
Apart from the above tips, full-fledged research on the internet or asking an expert will also help you find minute details about vintage jewelry. As a result, it will become easier for you to point out differences between modern and vintage jewelry pieces.
Vintage jewelry is timeless and a must-have in your collection. Buy the best one and wear it like a queen.
