New to collecting antique jewellery. Any tips?

Hi everyone. It's nice to meet you all. I'm new here and I'm new to collecting antiques (I'm starting with collecting jewellery). I will most likely be buying off Esty but I was just wondering if you have any tips on how to distinguish real antiques from faux antiques? I'm worried about wasting money on something that isn't really a genuine antique.. Any red flags to look out for?

 

I can't help you with your focus - I know nothing about antique jewellery - but I wanted to welcome you to the board. There are a number of "jewelees" here and I am sure they would love to give you some advice!

 

I don't know much about jewelry, but wanted to welcome you.

 

While whiling away and waiting you may wish to read the Jewellery Forum here. There have been many discussions there that may give you an inkling of things, and I know that there are some interesting threads on the Finds forum that you may find interesting. Ooo, ooo! There is a thread somewhere on garnets that is a) fascinating, and b) so FULL of the most amazing photos........

 

A lot depends on what type of jewelry you're looking for. For example if you're looking at brooches, the type of closure will give a clue as to its age. (Though some older pins may have been updated with a newer safety closure.) And the type of material it's made of may help you date it or tell you it's a fraud. For example if someone is selling a bakelite bracelet from the 1800s you know that's not true because bakelite wasn't invented until the early 1900s.

 

I would HIGHLY recommend doing a little studying before you start buying.Jewelry is a minefield of collecting! If nothing else,get yourself familiar with the basics of markings (10k,14k,sterling,etc).Welcome and happy hunting.

 

Hi, and welcome!
I have been collecting for over 40 years and the best way to start a good collection is research. This is a good site to start:
http://university.langantiques.com/index.php/Main_Page

If your looking on Etsy, the first thing to do on your search page is click on the 'vintage' button on the left. It is a way to eliminate a lot of that mass produced and fake stuff, although some Turkish and other Asian producers will list their recently made jewelry as antique or vintage.
The second thing is check if the seller provides a lot of information on the piece. This doesn't mean that it is necessarily correct, but you have more chance that it is. Again, your own knowledge/research is paramount.

When you are buying jewelry with gemstones like emerald, sapphire, ruby, diamond, make sure you get the really clear stones. Countries like India produce a lot of attractive 'period' jewelry (made yesterday) with inferior quality stones.

My own collection started to spread to just about every part of the house, so I now have two Etsy shops, one for ethnic jewelry, and one for period jewelry (Europe, North America).

 

And invest in an acid testing kit for silver and gold. You can find them on ebay and other sites.
We expect all good quality jewelry to be hallmarked, but that isn't always the case. It depends on country, period, and manufacturer. I always test my recent acquisitions, even if they are hallmarked.

 

Go to the library and some books on jewelry. Warman's is a good one for breaking down jewelry by time period.

Choose an area you like, be it brooches, bakelite, gold, silver or just anything that strikes your fancy.

Don't start with on line buying. Go to antiques stores, jewelers that deal in estate jewelry, antique shows. Look at different types, handle it, get to know what the differences are.

If you insist on being an acid tester, do it where it can't be seen. Can't tell you how many good pieces of jewelry I have seen ruined, because people didn't know what they were handling.

 

I'm not a jewelry expert, but welcome!

 

I never put the acid on the jewelry itself, but always rub the back or another invisible part of the jewelry on the stone that is provided with the kit. Then I put a drop of one of the acid liquids on the scratch mark on the stone. It works perfectly and is much safer.

 

I agree with the advice to read information from experts on what to look for. Another thing you could try as you go along is to purposely buy things that you know are not really antique (but don't pay much for these). Then when you get them in your hands look at them carefully to get a feel for what the newer things look and feel like in person. And you will know better what to avoid. Also buy the actual antique items so you know what those look and feel like. There is nothing like touching the items to really know.

Also, don't buy from people who do not have excellent photos online... it's very easy to put up a bad photo and say that something is real. The bad photo might make it difficult to tell what it really is.

 

...........unless you know it's a bad photo of a really good item.....

but that takes time .....& being 20.....you've got that on your side !

 

Thanks for the help everyone. I really appreciate it. I think before I buy anything, I will borrow some books about antique jewellery/jewellery of the eras etc and familiarise myself with the trademarks and designs particular to certain time periods. Thanks again!

 

Welcome!

I agree with everything said here. I also want to add, start by collecting something you love, if it is rhinestone pins then buy those. I also agree, don't start online, go to shops, shows, sales, look and handle the jewelry.

If you do buy online I can not stress enough, make sure there is a picture of the back, if there isn't write to the seller and ask for one. The back speaks volumes about how and when the piece was made and seeing it can help you avoid costly mistakes.

If you can find them, the series Collecting Costume Jewelry 101, 202 and 303 by Julia Carroll are wonderful books! I consult them regularly and I have been collecting for 30 years!