Standing Mirror Jewelry Armoire

Dresser Valet | Jewelry and Watches

What does it mean when we call something vintage? The common misconception is that vintage items are also antiques. While this is often true, it is not an absolute. Vintage items can come from any era or period, even last year. In fact, the word simply means a period of origin or a date of manufacture. An antique, on the other hand, must be at least fifty years old. In this article, we will discuss vintage jewelry and how to keep it safe.

Like most collectibles, jewelry often appreciates in price, especially if it is vintage jewelry.  The most expensive types of collectible jewelry are also antiques that were created in and are representative of different eras.  The most important eras for jewelry design were Georgian, Early Victorian, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco, and Retro.

Any serious collector or professional jeweler could tell you which era a piece of vintage jewelry belonged to on first glance. For example, jewelry from the Georgian Era, the earliest era for vintage jewelry, was handmade, which meant the quality of each piece was inconsistent. The designs were often inspired by nature, with lots of birds and leaves, and jewelers frequently used precious stones to decorate them. Pieces from this era are often over two hundred years old. Needless to say, they are expensive and very rare.