How do I know if my vintage costume jewelry is valuable?
How do I know if my vintage costume jewelry is valuable?
Look for clear detail. Inspect the back of the jewelry and look carefully at the design details. If it’s sloppy or running together, it most likely is cheap, but if it’s clean and it has clear detail to it, then the quality may be higher.
What is a festoon necklace?
A festoon by definition is a garland of flowers, ribbons, or leaves hung in a curve as a decorative element or incorporated as an architectural feature. Thus, a festoon necklace must have swags or drapes of chain, beads, or metal bindings as part of the design.
What is a torsade necklace?
A torsade is a necklace or bracelet made from multiple strands which are twisted together. Illustrated here is a torsade bracelet of pearls but keep in mind that it can also be several strands of chain as well. A torsade necklace would be of choker length, much longer and it becomes a sautoir.
How can you tell if a necklace is antique?
To be considered an antique, a piece of jewelry must be 100 years or older, while vintage jewelry must be more than 20 years old to be classified as such. “Retro” jewelry refers to pieces made during the 1940s and ’50s and are characterized by the use of large and colorful gemstones.
How do I find out how much my jewelry is worth?
Understanding the Value of Your Jewelry
- Check for Hallmarks. Check your piece of jewelry for hallmarks, which will tell you what type of metal is used in the piece and how much; the country where the piece is from; the designer; and the manufacturer.
- Look at the Prongs.
- Weigh the Piece.
- Check for Damage.
What is a Bayadere necklace?
Bayadere Necklace Bayadère is a name given to the style of the necklace that has a braided form. It has beads or strands or strings braided with seed pearls that are twisted together. Men often gave the Bayadère necklace as a gift to their bridesmaids at the time of Belle Époque weddings during the 20th century.
What does 525 mean on jewelry?
525 would mean your ring contains 525 parts of gold out of 1000 and would be equivalent to 12.6 K. Because 525 is a very unusual number in gold karatage, it is possible that what you read as 525 was actually 585 which represents 14K gold.
How has costume jewelry evolved over the years?
Through the decades, costume jewelry styles have evolved due to changing social and political trends, typically mirroring the larger trends of the fine jewelry world.
How much is an art deco costume necklace worth?
Art Deco Costume Jewelry, c. 1920. Sold for $475 via Doyle New York (April 2006). The Roaring Twenties were an era of dramatic political and social change that brought a new fascination with costume jewelry.
How much is a Yves St Laurent costume necklace worth?
Vintage Yves St Laurent Costume Jewelry Necklace. Sold for $225 via Pacific Galleries (December 2017). During the 1970s, multiple costume jewelry styles were popular. Geometric pieces were fashionable during this time, as were bohemian pieces with global influences.
What inspired the Art Deco trend in jewelry?
This prompted companies like Coro, Trifari, and Boucher to create lines inspired by these pieces using molded glass that mirrored the rubies, emeralds, and sapphires used in fine jewelry. As this decade progressed, the Art Deco style evolved, leading to the Art Moderne or Streamline Modern styles.
