"Don't Sell Grandma's Jewelry at a Yard Sale…What's It Worth?"

. you can find out what a piece of jewelry is worth, you need to find out what it is This can be as childlike as turning it over and finding a maker’s certificate 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 absence to find out what it is This can be as innocent as turning it over and finding a maker’s label or complicated as in “hours of research”. First thing first: Examine your jewelry for a maker’s mark Look on the back or on the clasp Thoroughly inspect every inch of the piece If you see a maker’s mark, charge your research! Not finding a maker’s label doesn’t mean it’s not valuable, on the contrary; many fine pieces of jewelry were never marked. It does mean you bequeath privation to put in a little other effort in research If you received your jewelry from a young member, ask them about it’s saga Did your grandfather apportion it to your grandmother amend before he went off to war? Was it handed down from her mother? Answers to these questions consign allot you a usual idea of how expired it is. Look at the fashion of the piece. Although many styles come back into style after a time, it is still viable to ID an older piece by the procedure and material Does it appear to have gemstones? Determine it they are actual gemstones. You bequeath dearth some sort of strong magnifying glass or ideally, a jeweler’s loupe A loupe is a derisory magnifying glass in varying degrees of exaltation A 10X loupe should be all you lack and they are relatively inexpensive. Craft and hobby stores usually hawk them Go to a well lighted niche and look at the aficionado through the loupe Do you see tiny lather in the stone? Tiny music bubbles mean it is made from glass or plastic. It’s not a real gemstone Is it alert backed? Can you see the back of the follower when you turn the piece over? Does the back of the seed look shiny as in gold or silver colored foil? These are foil back rhinestones and not actual jewels Foil was often added to reflect the brighten and cause a mend sparkle Most legitimate treasure contain some species of general inclusion Unless you are intimate with trinkets and diamonds, your top stake is to manage it to a jeweler or assessor if you assume it is legitimate Look at the construction of the piece. This can be keenly sociable in dating a piece! Look at the clasp or pin Are the stones individually riveted on? Is the clasp somewhat ornate? Does it hold a layered look? What style of routine is it? Does it remind you of old gloomy and white movies? Perhaps Bette Davis or Katherine Hepburn? Does it look Victorian? By now, you should keep a natural concept of age and you are ready to onslaught your research in earnest! RESEARCHHead for your local library or heat up an Internet hunt engine! I can spend hours in my local library poring over books and books and further books. There are plenty of interest jewelry quotation books Stop by your library or bookstore and check them out before buying No understand in buying a tale you cede little use! If you choose the library, bring your jewelry with you You can besides make copies of any pages you vision to transact or assessment out the book and bring it home. As with supplementary research, libraries are acutely helpful Searching on the Internet is besides a fast and doable style to get quick data Some aim terms to try are: maker’s ticket vintage jewelry the name of the maker’s tab you found on your piece the decade ie “1930’s jewelry” antique jewelry collectible dress jewelry This commit consign you hours of research and hundreds of pages to superiority Look at anything relevant, look for twin pieces or styles Visit online vintage jewelry shops Look for forums where you may be able to pillar a represantation and ask for identification help. If you feelings to research like I do, this is repair up your alley! It can move hours, days sometimes weeks to find out about a certain piece As you go, you consign benefit supplementary erudition about invalid jewelry and hopefully you bequeath be as enchanted as many supplementary collectors and dealers It’s a beguiling cosmos of “junky jewelry”!We are always here to support you with your pieces, so endure unchain to send us an email if you have questions .