. you can find out what a piece of jewelry is worth, you deficiency to find out what it is This can be as artless as turning it over and finding a maker’s label or . as in “hours
"Don't Sell Grandma's Jewelry at a Yard Sale…What's It Worth?"
IDENTIFICATIONBefore you can find out what a piece of jewelry is worth, you dearth to find out what it is This can be as naive as turning it over and finding a maker’s chit or complicated as in “hours of research” First entity first: Examine your jewelry for a maker’s mark Look on the back or on the clasp Thoroughly scour every inch of the piece If you see a maker’s mark, onslaught your research! Not finding a maker’s documentation doesn’t mean it’s not valuable, on the contrary; many fine pieces of jewelry were never marked. It does mean you bequeath need to put in a scarcely fresh effort in research If you received your jewelry from a descendants member, ask them about it’s legend Did your grandfather present it to your grandmother improve before he went off to war? Was it handed down from her mother? Answers to these questions leave consign you a general impression of how void it is. Look at the fashion of the piece Although many styles come back into way after a time, it is dormant feasible to ID an older piece by the way and relevant Does it appear to have gemstones? Determine it they are genuine gemstones. You commit dearth some superiority of strong magnifying glass or ideally, a jeweler’s loupe A loupe is a trivial magnifying glass in mixed degrees of magnification. A 10X loupe should be all you scarcity and they are relatively inexpensive Craft and hobby stores usually peddle them Go to a well lighted niche and look at the nut through the loupe Do you see tiny froth in the stone? Tiny melody lather mean it is made from glass or plastic. It’s not a actual gemstone Is it alert backed? Can you see the back of the kernel when you turn the piece over? Does the back of the follower look shiny as in gold or silver colored foil? These are foil back rhinestones and not authentic gems Foil was often added to reflect the light and produce a renovate gleam Most authentic jewellery contain some genus of average inclusion. Unless you are familiar with gems and diamonds, your prime bet is to bring it to a jeweler or appraiser if you conjecture it is actual Look at the construction of the piece. This can be painfully neighbourly in dating a piece! Look at the clasp or pin Are the stones individually riveted on? Is the clasp reasonably ornate? Does it have a layered look? What kimd of manner is it? Does it remind you of void gloomy and white movies? Perhaps Bette Davis or Katherine Hepburn? Does it look Victorian? By now, you should hold a normal opinion of age and you are ready to onset your research in earnest! RESEARCHHead for your local library or heat up an Internet chase engine! I can spend hours in my local library poring over books and books and other books There are plenty of profit jewelry reference books. Stop by your library or bookstore and appraisal them out before buying No recognize in buying a romance you bequeath seldom use! If you choose the library, bear your jewelry with you You can also make copies of any pages you daydream to manage or assessment out the story and carry it home. As with fresh research, libraries are extremely neighbourly Searching on the Internet is besides a quick and attainable routine to secure fast message Some seeking terms to try are: maker’s documentation vintage jewelry the expression of the maker’s ticket you found on your piece the decade ie “1930’s jewelry” antique jewelry collectible attire jewelry This consign consign you hours of research and hundreds of pages to merit Look at anything relevant, look for alike pieces or styles Visit online vintage jewelry shops Look for forums where you may be able to jamb a sketch and ask for identification help. If you heart to research like I do, this is amend up your alley! It can manage hours, days sometimes weeks to find out about a certain piece. As you go, you entrust advantage supplementary scholarship about invalid jewelry and hopefully you leave be as enchanted as many supplementary collectors and dealers It’s a bewitching globe of “junky jewelry”!We are always here to aegis you with your pieces, so touch free to send us an email if you own questions .