Jewellery trends come and go, but there’s nothing like a true antique or vintage piece. From quality and affordability to sustainability, here is our top 10 list of why you should choose antique and vintage (estate) jewellery:
- Quality: Thick luxurious bands, chunky signet rings and effortless beautiful solitaires set in platinum or high carat gold. Antique and vintage pieces are often generously proportioned and have beautiful details like engravings, unique settings and shoulders. These pieces are not only beautiful, but have also stood the test of time!
- Style: From Victorian and Edwardian, through to Art Deco and mid-century, antique and vintage jewellery has a style for everyone!
- Affordability: By buying antique, you can get a high quality piece at a great price! Looking for an engagement ring? Buying antique means you can find a beautiful piece in any price range.
- Sustainability: By buying an existing piece, you’re avoiding the carbon footprint of mining, processing raw materials, logistics and manufacturing a piece. Precious metals and diamonds leave a large carbon footprint. The best way to recycle is to reuse, so buying antique and vintage jewellery is also good for the environment!
- Traceability: Antique and vintage pieces often have hallmarks (or sometimes pseudo hallmarks), maker’s marks or other stamps. Knowing who made your piece and where/when it was made can give you a greater sense of certainty that it's a high quality and authentic piece.
- History: Every piece has a story, whether we know it or not! Sometimes it’s possible to know when a piece was made because of hallmarks or inscriptions. Having a history means that pieces are sometimes perfectly imperfect, but it’s all part of the charm of owning something which has had many previous lives. Many collectors are drawn to antique pieces for their patina. You can make your own mark by resizing, polishing, replacing stones, or keep it as it is, it’s up to you!
- Uniqueness: We've come across some amazing pieces in our time, but it’s rare to find others that are exactly the same. This is part of the fun, you never know what’s going to come up next!
- Gemstones with character: There’s nothing quite like the glimmer of an old mine cut or old European cut diamond. We also love coloured stones like shimmering rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarines, garnets, turquoise, lapis lazuli...the list goes on! Buying antique or vintage is not only a great way to get a uniquely beautiful piece, but also a great way to beat the rising cost of natural gemstones.
- Collectibility: When it comes to collecting antique and vintage jewellery, the possibilities are endless! You can collect based on style, era, metals (including 15ct/15k gold), gemstones, hallmarks, inscriptions...or just whatever speaks to you! Finding the perfect piece for your collection can take time, but it's worth it. Due to the rarity and high quality of some antique and vintage jewellery, your collection can be an investment and you may notice your pieces going up in value over the years.
- Community: When you buy an antique or vintage piece you become part of a community of passionate enthusiasts who love their collections!