5 Considerations When Buying Vintage Jewelry

Jewelry display can become a wonderful addition to your home decor especially if you like the boho-chic look. Vintage jewelry has special charm and fascination.

Some people enjoy wearing vintage jewelry and authentic vintage jewelry is hard to find. There were only a few pieces that made it this long and many of them are already owned by others. If you’re looking for fake vintage jewelry, buying jewelry online exclusively is perfectly fine. But, there’s something about wearing vintage Chanel jewelry that is 50 or more years old. The feel is different. It’s not for everyone, but for those who love it, here are five considerations when you’re buying vintage jewelry.

• Do your research

Know your history when it comes to vintage jewelry. There are many fakes and knockoffs out there and if you don’t know the history of the pieces you’re looking for, you’ll be easy prey for those items. This entails doing extensive research one the makers, when they made certain pieces, what marks did they put on them to claim their authenticity. Some pieces already have certificates of authenticity. You will want to know that the certificates are real, too. Before you buy any vintage piece, know the history of your items. The Chanel wristwatch division was established in 1987, but their jewelry was being made as early as 1932. These are important facts to know when you’re buying. If you find a watch that claims to have been made by Chanel in 1947, it’s most definitely a fake.

• Don’t stop at the internet

Don’t just look on the internet for vintage pieces. There are many estate sales in your area that could have the exact piece you’re looking for. You can look on places like Craigslist to find garage and yard sales that might have vintage items. Local Auctions also carry vintage jewelry sometimes. You may have to buy a lot with other stuff in it to get what you want, but it’s well worth the investment to be able to have your perfect vintage jewelry. There are also local groups that regularly meet where you can learn about special sales or private sales. History reenactment groups are a good place to find vintage jewelry for sale also.

• Look for what matters

Each vintage piece has its own markings and special style about it. Find those things that make the vintage jewelry special and look for those. It may not matter that your piece has a patina. If fact, that may be exactly what you’re looking for because of the age of the piece. When you’re looking at a seller online, be sure to research the seller to see if there are any bad remarks against them. In the Vintage Jewelry world, if you sell junk, you’ll be called out pretty quickly and someone will post about their horrid experience with you. So, it’s always in the best interest of a reputable business to keep things above board.

• Is it well preserved?

The condition of the jewelry is important. A vintage piece may expect to have some use  marks and grime, but are there any broken pieces or missing items from the piece. The preservation of the jewelry gives it a higher value and makes it easier to wear as well. You certainly don’t want to wear a broken 40’s Gallet Chronograph men’s watch. Make sure your item is well preserved and in at least good condition. The seller should know about the history of the piece and it’s condition. A good seller will have all the information on the vintage jewelry they are selling, so if they don’t consider that a red flag for buying from them. They could be trying to sell you a fake.

• Don’t compromise

Finally, don’t compromise on the perfect vintage jewelry you want. While there aren’t a lot of pieces out there in the world, which makes them collectibles and why you love them, there are enough to find exactly what you want. You don’t want to be stuck with a piece you’ll never be able to resell and you hate. So as you’re searching for the perfect vintage jewelry, don’t compromise on what you want. That could mean you won’t buy that Cartier because it’s not the right color gem in the brooch. You know exactly what you want because you’ve done the research and used these tips to make your experience the best, so don’t compromise if something only half fits your desires. Lastly, don’t rule out new jewelry if you can’t find something vintage that meets your needs!