Rubies and diamonds and pearls, oh my!

By: Jennifer Costa
Posted In: Entertainment

Brooches composed of rubies and emeralds. Platinum filigree pendants paired with diamonds and pearls. Amethyst, coral and turquoise semi-precious stones set into heavy gold.

All of the jewelry previously listed belongs to a category known as antique or vintage jewelry pieces, common to specific periods corresponding to the time when they became popular.

Collecting antique jewelry has become more and more fashionable in recent years. Sentiment, value, uniqueness and nostalgia all add to the popularity of collecting antique jewelry.

Amy Gaines, who has owned A & A Gaines Antique Shop, a quaint shop in Newport, Rhode Island with her husband for 24 years, has been buying antique jewelry for herself for the past 24 years. Gaines has been selling antique jewelry at the shop for about 10 years.

“It was just a natural transition to go into antique jewelry,” said Gaines.

The one-of-a-kind, old world look that antique jewelry has, comes from the variety of stones, both precious and semi-precious and the metal used. The stone and metal used depends on the specific period that it comes from. For instance, Victorian pieces commonly contain diamonds and pearls, and are set in white gold or platinum. Retro and Art Deco pieces often contain rubies, sapphires and aquamarine and are set in gold with yellow, rose and even green overtones.

Gaines said she is most interested in Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco period jewelry, ranging from the years 1850 to 1935. Some jewelry specific to those periods that she loves include earrings with both precious and semi-precious stones, rings in both gold and silver and cameos, which are stones or shells with an image carved into the surface.

Vintage jewelry, not limited to, but including, the more rare pieces can be very pricey.

“I could spend about $200,000 on EBay,” stated Gaines.

According to Gaines, the actual price of a piece of vintage jewelry depends on the piece. Gaines also stated that she would pay a great deal of money if she felt that a piece was worth its price, depending on the era piece is from and the condition it is in.

At Gaines’ charming, picturesque shop, the most expensive piece of antique jewelry that she has is a pair of sparkling diamond and sapphire drop earrings set in

luminous white gold. The earrings date to the turn of the century, 1907-1915, and are valued at about $1,000 to $1,500.

“It [vintage jewelry] is not hard to find, it’s hard to pay for,” stated Gaines. “It’s very expensive.”

Alan Golash, of Alan David Golash Antique Jewelry, in Newport, Rhode Island, agrees with Gaines on the fact that purchasing antique jewelry is a major investment. “The secret to finding a best buy in antique jewelry is to know the correct value of the piece you’re thinking about buying,” said Golash.

A helpful tip from Golash is to shop around and compare the prices of comparable, quality jewelry to find the best value. “The lowest price is not always the best value,” said Golash. “Diamonds and stones vary greatly in quality and price.”

Another tip that Golash suggested to potential or current buyers of antique jewelry is to learn about jewelry prices and jewelry quality by reading books, such as Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide, by Antoinette Matlins and A.C. Bonanno.

Gaines also had some tips for those interested in antique jewelry.

Gaines suggested customers go to “a dealer they can trust,” and make sure that the piece is guaranteed to the extent that age, stones and metal are all genuine. After a while, the customer will eventually gain trust in the person they buy from.

“An appraiser of antique jewelry would probably be the best place to go to check the authenticity of a piece,” said Gaines. “A modern jewelry store probably

wouldn’t know.”

Gaines also advised buyers to get a guarantee on the sales slip stating that the stones, gems and metal are all authentic.

Eventually the customer will become less dependent on the dealer and will be able to go out beyond their dealer.

In addition to the tips offered by both Gaines and Golash, The Antiques Road Show Website also listed a couple of helpful tips for buyers when purchasing antique jewelry.

One thing to look for is a repair. Some repairs are fine, but others could have been done with another type or color of metal other than the original, which lowers the value of the piece and gives the piece an unattractive appearance.

Turning the rock over is also a very important step when examining antique jewelry. Looking at the back of stone can reveal the quality of the stone. The front of a stone can seem to be in perfect condition, but the back could reveal a flaw not noticeable to the naked eye.

“More and more people are now aware and interested in antique jewelry as its popularity grows.” stated Gaines. “It’s not just for antique collectors anymore.”