How To Invest In Antique Jewellery

Jewellery is one of those luxuries that will last more than one lifetime, and as time goes on, so will its value. With a range of different factors that make up the value of a piece of antique jewellery, it will hold its value more than new jewellery. Due to the piece being older and holding its value, you will find that the markup isn’t risen significantly high compared to new pieces that have from their retailer or manufacturer. With this being said, it can be tempting to go to your closest antique jewellery retailer and pick up any old piece, but this doesn’t make it a sound investment. In this article, we will go through some of the ways to invest in jewellery.

Designer Labels & Hallmarks

Like with anything luxury, having a famous designer’s signature on it will only make it more expensive. The issue with designer jewellery pieces is that their signatures are in places that aren’t immediately visible. Some designers will not even put their stamp on their piece which makes it even more difficult to make out who made it. One thing that is a sign of who made it is the maker’s mark but this is also barely visible. This is why it is extremely important to take an expert jeweller to thoroughly examine your vintage and antique jewellery. There have been many previous cases where a piece was valued at £6,000, but once they found it was Chanel, it had increased to £68,500. 

Gold Jewellery Valuation

Gold has always been a luxury and is a reliable source to invest in which in turn makes gold jewellery a good investment. Selling pieces of jewellery for their gold content rather than the whole piece is much simpler. This all comes down to the gold and its purity within the jewellery. This makes it great if you have a piece that is broken or damaged as all that matters is the gold content. There are different types of purity of gold with 24 carats being the purest, this is too soft for jewellery so it usually isn’t used. The highest purity for jewellery is 22 carats which can be sold at twice the amount as the standard 9 carats. 

Gemstone Valuation

Gemstones are another part of jewellery that can be more valuable than the piece itself. This then makes vintage and antique jewellery with its original gemstones even more valuable and rare. Many will remove the gemstone away from the old piece and place it in a new setting. For example, a vintage sapphire engagement ring is very distinctive, which people may want something a little more simple so will remove the gemstone. 

There are many things to be looking out for when investing in antique and vintage jewellery so it is always best to bring a trained professional with you when going to view the products. This will prevent you from being scammed with a fake and will also save you money as the seller may be trying to sell you a piece that is not worth the money they want.