History's Role on Jewelry

An Ever Increasing Popularity of Antiques and Vintage Collectibles are significantly growing each day. And what more pleasurable way to get an education on our own history and culture then to acquire a Beautiful Old Piece of Jewelry, an Antique Doll or Toy and learn about it and it’s beginnings. This is equally true for Antiques and Collectibles from around the world.

There are many great reasons for Collecting, whether it be for sentimental purposes and you just were re-united with an object that you loved when you were a child, the admiration for the artistic quality workmanship and design, the love of the treasure hunt in finding them or for all those reasons. Collecting is rewarding and Antiques are always in Style!

What appeals to us in Antiques and Collectibles is the Uniqueness, Creativity, Quality and Beauty of a piece, plus Rarity. They really don’t make ‘em like they used to do!

History always played an important role on Jewelry and Jewelry always reflected History. The Victorians expressed deep sentiment and a love of nature which showed in their Jewelry containing the Hair of Loved Ones and Bracelets made from their Children’s Baby Teeth. This may seem somewhat odd to us now but was perfectly acceptable then. They even incorporated bird’s heads and insects into their Jewelry, and Aluminum had it’s height being more valuable than Platinum! How fascinating!

It’s always amazing for us to hold a 150 Year Old Victorian Brooch, Antique Victorian Cameo Bookchain Necklace, Mourning Jewelry from the 1800’s! Or an Art Deco Roaring 20’s Necklace when rules became less uninhibited, women became more liberated and wore short hairstyles. Dangling Czechoslovakian Earrings & Glass Pins, Long Art Deco Glass Necklaces & Antique Bakelite Necklaces and Art Deco Antique Bakelite Brooches were all the Roaring 20’s Fashion Craze! When King Tut’s Treasures were discovered in 1922, so much Jewelry was designed around an Egyptian theme.

Vintage Mexican Silver Jewelry is also a Wonderful Collectible. There are still many unknown Mexican Designers that produced superb pieces and deserve long awaited credit. With time and more research, their names will become known and their Jewelry more valuable.

When cleaning Silver Jewelry, never dip them in Chemical Baths or it will take off the desired Patina. Always use a polishing cloth or nothing at all. Many Collectors prefer the patina, mostly because it may have intentionally been part of the original design.

Vintage Plastics; Vintage Bakelite, Celluloid & Lucite

Antique Vintage Bakelite Jewelry, Antique Vintage Plastic Jewelry, Lucite Jewelry & Celluloid Jewelry including Celluloid, Lucite, Bakelite Kitchenware Flatware, Utensils and Collectibles are being sought after more and more each year since more are being collected by all generations. Many people don't realize how many objects in their home when they were growing up was actually made from Bakelite and Lucite. Kitchen Clocks, That Plastic Radio that played all the time, The Handles of Egg Beaters, Ice Cream Scoopers, The Tops of Sugar Shakers, Two-Tone Bakelite Pastry Servers, Can Openers, Pot Handles, Lucite Purses and so much more were made from Bakelite and Lucite. The Marriage of Bakelite and Lucite showed itself in Two-tone Flatware and Costume Bakelite Jewelry and is not limited to solids only. A variety of Patterns such as Checkerboards, Dots, Animals, Pearlized Designs, End-Of-Day in a Vast array of Colors were produced. If you can, have a look around Grandmas or Moms Kitchen and Jewelry Box. I bet you'll find some Wonderful Collectible Bakelite that you never noticed before.

When cleaning Vintage Bakelite make sure to wash your items by hand and not by a dishwasher since it will ruin the finish.

Antique & Vintage Dolls and Doll Clothing

With Our Antique Celluloid, Bisque, Composition Dolls & Vintage Plastic and Mattel Dolls such as Vintage Chatty Cathy Dolls, we search for Quality and Special Character. All our Dolls wear Old Vintage and Antique Clothing and/or Antique Doll Bonnets that are Freshly Laundered and Pressed unless they already are in really Good Clean Condition. There is no such thing as Patina on Clothing so if you leave the clothing as is then the acid from age will deteriorate it. We want you to feel free to hug your doll when she arrives to your home and love her without restrictions. Remember too that a Doll that has lip rubs is a Doll that was kissed a lot and that doesn't take away from the value.

Knowing Your Victorian, Art Deco & Vintage Bakelite Jewelry

To wear and enjoy a beautiful piece of antique and vintage jewelry with a history behind can be a wonderful, exhilarating experience. For many it is a lovingly addicting hobby. The more you collect, the more you want to collect! It's that exciting! But when buying these jewels of yesterday, how can one be certain that what they are buying is truly authentic and not relatively new and/or of it's claimed value? It's always advisable to buy from reputable dealers who guarantee their items plus learning what to look for in a piece. Attend Antique & Collectable Shows, browse Antique Shops and read lots of books to familiarize yourself with period styles and their findings.

When looking at a piece, examine it carefully both front and back. A genuinely old piece will have all the ingredients to confirm its authenticity. Many jewelry styles do tend to overlap so always check the entire piece for clues. Is the piece signed, hallmarked? Surprisingly enough a lot of antique jewelry was marked in the most unusual of places so check along the edges, inside of the bale, the pin stem and even on the back of the pin stem! You'll be amazed at what you could find and where you will find it. Suddenly a piece of jewelry that you thought was newer or made of silver plate or gold plate now may be seen in a different light as genuine antique silver or gold and have a lot of value!

A lot of old jewelry such as Victorian Jewelry was not marked. So now what? A Victorian brooch with a long pin stem extending outward is a good indication that it's early Victorian while a shorter one is of a later date. The "C" clasp is another indication that the piece is old. Remember that there are always exceptions to the rules since the "C" clasp was also used later on in Europe so take every detail into account to come to your full conclusion. Look at the hinge and the clasp of a brooch, bracelet, necklace, etc.. Does it look like a clasp used today or does it seem a bit different to you? Compare new pieces to old pieces. Does the jewelry have a brass spring ring clasp from the 1930s or a shiny gold plate clasp? Are the findings on a piece consistent with the design of that era?  Those small differences could answer your questions and drastically influence the value of a piece. The tube hinge was generally used until the 1890s where the safety catch clasp became popular in the Art Deco 1920s period. Over the years the appearance of the safety catch clasp has changed so it's good to recognize the old from the new. Many clasps on old jewelry such as pins broke in time so replacement ones were soldered onto the back. All better Jewelry is soldered at some place but if the piece has raised pads soldered to the back of the Brooch where the clasp is attached then it is a replacement clasp.

Another good clue to dating a piece and determining the value of Antique and Vintage Jewelry is to look at the metal content where there might be some underneath wear, usually in back where it would rub against the clothing. Genuine Gold and Silver, even if it has wear, will not show a base metal underneath since it continues all the way through. Many costume pieces from the nineteenth century and into the Art Deco period were made of gold and/or silver over base metals such as gold over brass, silver over brass, silver over copper, gold over copper, etc. That's one way of knowing the piece is at least 60 years old and more. During the war years of the 1940s there was a shortage of base metals where it affected the jewelry industry so sterling silver was substituted. If you see a marking such as "1/20 12K on Sterling" then 1/5 of the piece is 12K gold and is likely to be from 1942 to 1945.

Vintage Bakelite which is a Polymeric Plastic invented by Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1907, became popular in jewelry design during the hardships of World War II also. There are several tests in determining Authentic Antique and Vintage Bakelite Jewelry using Formula 409, Hot Water, Simichrome Polish and a Q-Tip. Still some Bakelite such as Black Bakelite may not test positive. Since Bakelite is either cast or molded it would not have a seam line anywhere and the workmanship should look hand carved and not be crudely executed as if a stamp was used. On Vintage Bakelite brooches, the clasp would be embedded into the piece.  

Fine Jewelry containing Diamonds or Precious Stones such as Rubies, Emeralds and Sapphires are either bezel-set, inset or set with prongs and will always have open-backs for maximum brightness. Air bubbles seen in stones is a clue right off that the piece is glass. Marcasites which were substituted for diamonds as early as the 1700s, regained it's popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. A higher valued marcasite piece would have better workmanship where each marcasite would be set with tiny prongs or beads versus glued in ones and because of this the stones will stay in place longer. This is also true for Rhinestones in Vintage Costume Jewelry where prong set ones are valued higher than glued in ones. So when you see a large brooch priced less than a smaller brooch, remember size isn't everything and quality is! Jewelry that is well-made are more likely to be passed down as family heirlooms!     

Use your creativity when wearing Jewelry too. A Rhinestone Dress Clip in the pocket of your jeans or a Victorian Fob Chain worn as a Necklace looks fabulous! I wear 14 Gold and Silver Bracelets on one wrist and 3 Necklaces that are all different lengths all the time and get compliments galore. Lavish yourself in Jewelry and Dolls. Life is short so have fun!

These are just some of the many tips to knowing your Jewelry. It's so helpful to learn what to look for when buying Antique and Vintage Jewelry which also can be as much fun as wearing and collecting it! Knowledge is definitely Jewelry Golden!

As Experienced Dealers for over 20 Years, we have been collecting and offering Antique and Vintage Jewelry including Victorian, Art Deco, Vintage Bakelite Jewelry & Bakelite Kitchenware & Lucite, Antique Celluloid Jewelry, Mexican Silver, 14K and 18K Gold and Costume Signed Jewellery plus Dolls, Toys and Antique and Vintage Vanity Items with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Reputation and will always strive to maintain it. We received many appreciated and truly Heartfelt Testimonials from Customers. When we received one saying “You are a Rare Light in a Dark World” then we knew we were doing a Job well done.

by Sharon Lemell
www.YearsAfter.com

Years After ©2012