Researching Antique Jewelry

Antique jewelry is any piece of jewelry that was made up until 1920. There are collectible pieces from some of the great jewelry artisans that people mistake as being antique. These would fall into the collectible jewelry category, and include pieces that are marked with a company name, easily identifiable to the time period when it was made.

Step 1

To identify a particular piece of antique jewelry, look up the jewelry in an antique jewelry identification book. There are some great resource guides with pictures of antique jewelry and information. Some good books to start with are Collecting Rhinestone and Colored Jewelry by Maryanne Dolan, Fourth Edition, Krause Publications, and Warman's Jewelry Identification and Price Guide to 18th, 19th and 20th Century Fine and Costume Jewelry, all color 3rd edition, by Christie Romero, Krause Publications.

Step 2

Identifying Materials Used in Antique Jewelry

With antique jewelry, look for real gold, silver, diamond, platinum, gold-filled, gilt brass, electroplated (19th century version of quality silver-plate), coin silver, palladium, rhodium, and vermeil materials. Check out the guidebook Answers to Questions about Old Jewelry, by C. Jeanenne Bell, G.G. 6th Edition, Krause Publications.

Step 3

Check Clasps, Strings, and Fasteners to Identify Antique Jewelry

Antique jewelry pieces are engraved with hallmarks or signatures. On old brooches, there are often loop closures or safety chains. Gilt brass pieces with pear and oval shaped pastes, the term for gem stones from the 19th century, will be deep set, not raised. Look in guidebooks to become familiar with clasps and stones. There will be detailed information in the books about particular clasps, stones and settings throughout various centuries. A good one with color pictures is Warman's Jewelry Identification and Price Guide to 18th, 19th and 20th Century Fine and Costume Jewelry, all color 3rd edition, by Christie Romero.

Step 4

Examine the Cuts and Settings of Stones Used

What type of settings are the stones in? Antique jewelry gemstones are prong set, How is the quality in the cut of the bead or stone? Antique beads and gems will be multi-faceted. Is the bead or gem stone real or plastic? Strings used to knot together at both sides of the bead on a pearl necklace would be made of dyed string, not wire; as in the case of antique pearl string and bead necklaces.

Step 5

Reproduction Antique Jewelry

There are reproductions on the market. Does the piece of jewelry in question appear tarnished, with metal showing through in the tarnished section such as copper? This would indicate a modern silver-plated piece. Things You'll Need

• Antique Jewelry Identification Guidebooks
• Magnifying glass to look for marks

Tips

• Historical Periods of Antique Jewelry:
• 1840-1860 is the Victoria and Albert period, 1861-1889 the Victoria period, 1890-1915 is Edwardian and Art Nouveau. Art Deco got its start in the 1920's.
• An Easy Way to Identify Antique Jewelry
• In the 1800's, "solid gold" was stamped onto jewelry. Beginning in 1906 pieces of jewelry were marked by K weight, for example, 14k would be marked 14k.
• An easy way to tell if a piece of jewelry is antique is by smelling the piece. Does it have a strong nickel-type smell? That would indicate "newer" metals.
• Old braided human hair was used in Victorian era jewelry as "mourning" jewelry, often created after a loved one died.