How to Buy Estate Jewelry: A Step By Step Guide

It's a wednesday afternoon, you open your jewelry collection box and find nothing interesting, bold and unique that has graced your neck, wrist, or finger. Estate jewelry is the perfect solution to this problem; blending elegance with a fascinating backstory and purpose.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to buy estate jewelry with confidence, ensuring you make a purchase that you'll cherish for years to come.

A little glimpse into what stunning estate jewelry looks like...

1. Understanding Estate Jewelry
2. Educating Yourself
3. Budgeting
4. Exploring Seller Options
5. Examination
6. Making Your Purchase

Step 1: Understand the Value of Estate Jewelry

Before diving into the steps to purchase estate jewelry, let's shine a little light of 'Why should one buy estate jewelry?'

• Unique Designs: Estate jewelry is not your modern piece of 'lightweight, daily wear jewelry.' It's something extremely unique to it's design and purpose.
• Craftsmanship: Today, we have humongous factory set ups for mass production of jewelry. However, estate jewelry often comes with a different kind of craftsmanship for each piece. It could be handcrafted completely too!
• Sustainability: In the world of fast fashion, estate jewelry takes a step back. With it's durability and stand out feature, estate jewelry often can be reused and worn by multiple generations in a family, making it an extremely long lasting piece.

Source: Jewelery4u

Market Value & Pricing

The overall price and value of an estate jewelry piece varies on factors such as age, condition, materials and rarity. According to the Jewelers of America, estate jewelry can be 20-40% less expensive than new pieces of similar quality resulting in massive savings for a consumer.

Step 2: Research, Learn & Educate Yourself

Since we're discussing about estate jewelry, it's better to understand the different time periods from which you can spot estate jewelry.

1. Georgian (1714-1837): Known for intricate metalwork and gemstones.
2. Victorian (1837-1901): Romantic and ornate designs, often featuring lockets and cameos.
3. Edwardian (1901-1915): Light, airy designs with filigree work and platinum.
4. Art Deco (1920s-1930s): Bold, geometric designs with a focus on platinum and diamonds.
5. Retro (1940s-1950s): Large, colorful designs influenced by Hollywood glamour.

Source: Collectors Weekly

Step 3: Set a Budget

Deciding on your budget, goes a long way. Not just while purchasing estate jewelry, but budgeting helps before purchasing any type of jewelry.

When it comes to estate jewelry specifically, the prices ranges can vary massively:

• Affordable: Pieces under $500, often including simple vintage rings, brooches, and pendants.
• Mid-Range: $500 - $5,000, including intricate necklaces, bracelets, and rings with precious stones.
• High-End: Over $5,000, featuring rare and highly collectible pieces, often from renowned designers.

Now that you are aware of the price ranges, depending on your spending power, make a WISE decision as to what to purchase. [Purchasing jewelry on consumer loans, isn't the best decision.]

Step 4: Find a Trustworthy Seller

Yes yes, with the rise of online shopping and multifold increase in retail jewelers, it's become confusing to choose your jeweler. Here are certain questions you can ask yourself to make comparisions:

• Does the jeweler provide jewelry certificates?
• Do they have any physical brick and mortar stores?
• What are their return, refund and shipping policies?
• What do past customers have to say about their products?
• Are the product details listed in depth?
• Who owns the jewelry brand?

These questions are just for starters. As you begin, you will come across various points that can help you make a better decision.

To help you, we've created a short list of jewelers that we are aware of and can help you fulfill your estate jewelry requirements:

1. Wilson’s Estate Jewelry
2. Schiffman’s Jewelers
3. Nelson Coleman Jewelers
4. Scott & Co Fine Jewelers
5. Jewelery4u

Other than buying estate jewelry directly from retailers, there are some alternate options to explore:

Auctions

	Sotheby's Online Auctions
	Christie's Online Auctions

Step 5: Examine The Jewelry

This is one of the most important stages in your purchasing journey. Examining, that you've got what you have paid for is a crucial aspect where you can be tricked by many!

Below are a few tricks to help you verify the authenticity of your product:

• Gemstones & Diamonds- Ensure the stones you have received DO NOT have any chips, scratches and are set properly in the jewelry. It's always advisable to purchase CERTIFIED JEWELRY only.

Source: GIA

• Metal- The metal used in any jewelry can be verified by a stamp, made on the product, by a government authority. For example, in India, the BIS is responsbile for the same.

REMEMBER TO ASK THE SELLER:

• The history of the piece
• Any previous repairs or modifications
• The return policy and warranty

Step 6: Make Your Purchase

Now that you have understood the value of estate jewelry, explored various options and found your desired piece, it's the last step of debiting your bank account!

Use secure payment methods like credit cards or escrow services to protect your purchase. The Jewelers Vigilance Committee recommends avoiding wire transfers and always opting for traceable payment methods

If you need additional help, advise or guidance on purchasing estate jewelry, please feel free to Contact Us