Tips For Shopping For Estate Jewelry
Vintage, rare, and estate jewelry are unusual finds; perfect for the collector, antique lover, or as that most special gift for that extraordinary person in your life. Buying jewelry, in general, requires some thought and careful attention to detail, but estate jewelry shopping also requires a bit of know-how and education.
Estate jewelry are fine pieces of art, and can be very expensive; so these are not items that you can return so easily, if you get it home and decide you don’t like it. This is what you would with a simple mall purchase. Shopping for estate jewelry is akin to making an investment, and it is well worth it, to take the time to do a bit of research before purchasing.
Fiona Druckenmiller, opened her vintage jewelry and rare items gallery, in New York, in 2010. F.D., as her prestigious gallery is called, is equipped with a computer at the entrance that enables her clientele to access the internet to check out valuable information; such as, auction results, the gallery’s full inventory, and reference guides, like the “Dictionnaire des Poinçons,”, which is a serious shopper’s guide to jewelry makers’ official marks.
When shopping for costume jewelry, or less expensive modern jewelry pieces, gathering this type of information is not nearly as necessary; you simply choose what is beautiful to the eye and what fits your financial budget. However, shopping for vintage and estate jewelry, require gathering all the information possible in order to give shoppers the latest info on pricing, value, and the history of a specific piece. Jewelry makers’ official marks, are marks that let the potential buyer know that the jewelry is authentic. Verifying authenticity is vital to a shopper who is making this type of rare purchase. The client is spending their money based on what they think the value may be, and if they are incorrect, they may end up with a piece of very expensive jewelry, that is worth only a fraction of what they paid.
Familiarizing yourself with various jewelry houses and designers, is suggested, before venturing to shop for estate jewelry. It is important to have an idea of what you are seeking, and how much you can spend, once you find it. Particularly if you are a collector of a certain style of jewelry, it is wise to get to know the style of many different designers, so you can find the piece that is right for you.
F.D. gallery owner, and collector, Fiona Druckenmiller, says that she began her love for vintage jewelry in the early 1980’s, and states that since that time, jewelry collectors have a lot more access to pertinent information regarding their purchases. Thanks to the internet, and sites like 1stDibs, a world of knowledge and info has been opened up to the general public, about selling and purchasing estate jewelry.
Tips Summary:
- Research the pricing and value of any specific piece of estate jewelry
- Utilize trusted reference guides, such as the Dictionnaire des Poincons
- Verify authenticity
- Familiarize yourself with many different jewelry houses and designers
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