Quick Help / Bullet-Tips For Vintage Jewelry Collectors, by purplejammy

We're NOT experts on any subject & will never make claims to be such...we do however, know a lot about old jewelry both Fine & Costume....and the 'Tips' we could offer to new & seasoned collectors  are unending, yet there are some vital specifics to know if anyone would determine themselves to be an avid collector who also wishes to be sharp & savvy about this genre. We love sharing our own personal knowledge-base - we've attained our experience over 40+ years of collecting, we've learned through trial/error, years traveling, following the global jewelry circuits. The following tips are meant to assist those who love collecting, selling, buying, bartering, dabbling in, and marketing most any type of jewelry :

* KNOW THE VAST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ' COSTUME ' JEWELRY & "FINE" JEWELRY.

* KNOW THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VINTAGE & ANTIQUE (p-l-e-e-e-z-e....of course there's a difference !).

* KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE MORE CONTEMPORARY STYLES OF JEWELRY.

* Research on your own (Educate yourself so you'll know the good stuff from the junk, buy books & read read read, visit your local bookstores & libraries, get in touch with collectors, frequent the antiques & collectibles shops in your area, attend all the estate jewelry shows you possibly can, visit museums, ask your local museums to do a jewelry seminar/display - ask us how to do it with succes).

* With 'Costume Pieces', know all the old 'costume' designer names (study them & their histories & be familiar with the designer names that many books don't ever even bother to mention), know about the old jewelry designs & manufacturing houses, learn about the old jobber's (yes, even back then there were contractors) who did manufacturing & contracting for names such as Coro, etc.(many many old names did use jewelry manufacturing companies other than themselves, & contractors, to make their goods). Know all the rich histories of the early Eisenbergs, know Hobe', Jonne, D & E, Mosell, Kramer, Weisner, Regency, Iradj Moini, Jeanne, Robert, Sandor, and all the rest, the list is endless!

* Attend seminars at your local Universities & other venues in your area (we used to do occasional seminars for a huge conglomerate bookseller chain & had great attendence, we did it as a community service (free) & we always had packed rooms with people waiting in line to see all our jewelry cases & displays we brought in, so check any/all venues in your city, museums, colleges, bookstores, antiques shops, if they do not have anything scheduled, then get them to sponsor someone who is knowledgeable on this subject in your area & who will come in & do a class).

* Buy yourself a powerful Jeweler's Loupe & Learn how to use it (it will not old assist you in reading the old costume names engraved on some jewelry items....the loupe will also help you read your gold content on genuine gold items & items of other precious metals).

* Ask your favorite fine jeweler questions (pick their brain), he/she will typically happily teach you the ropes about diamonds, other gemstones, etc, (most really great master jewelers are walking encyclopedias & they love sharing info with you if you're genuinely a 'serious student' & a true Lover of fine jewels).

* Invest in a really good Jewelers Weight Scale for gold.

* Invest in a Really Good Jewelers Gold Tester.

* Invest in a really GOOD Jewelers Diamond Tester.

* Buy yourself a Jewelers Ring Mandrel/Mandril (the old vintage heavymetal notched ones with numbers are best).

* Buy yourself a Set of Jewelers Ring Sizers (they typically come all dangling on a Large ring with all the sizes from small on up to huge so you can fit fingers into them to see what ring size you need/have).

* Know about the Mohs' scale (you need to know all about this, if you buy fine gemstones/gemstones). 

** AND, PLEASE...IF YOU BUY Genuine DIAMONDS (NOT Simulated UGH !) KNOW THE FACTS AND THE 4C's (and be aware that LESS THAN 1% of ALL GENUINE Diamonds that are Ever found have had no inclusions and can ACTUALLY be considered or called " Flawless " (FL) or " Internally Flawless " (IF).  VVS diamonds are also extremely rare !).

* IF YOU LIKE ' PRECIOUS METALS ' YOU SHOULD LEARN ALL ABOUT THEM (PALADIUM, PLATINUM, 14K 18K 22K GOLD - WHITE GOLD - YELLOW GOLD & KNOW THE EUROPEAN ASSAYER-EQUIVALENTS SUCH AS 585, 750 ETC).

* Know about old rolled gold, gold-filled, gold-plate, etc. - leant what the engraved markings look like!

* Ask questions when you meet anyone & everyone who knows anything & everything (or thinks they do, ha-ha) about old Jewelry (Both Fine & Costume) THEN....Research what they told you so you'll know the truth for yourself.

* And, PLEASE .....if you are a 'seller'....DO NOT put a few 'similar pieces' together and term it a 'parure' or 'demi-parure'......that is NOT a genuine bonafide Parure or Demi-P ! ....The terms "Demi-Parure" and "Parure" are specifically reserved for Perfectly-matched sets (as in 'matched sets' actually made as matched sets by the original manufacturer). Remember that jewelry pieces that you put together & term a 'set' simply because you think the items have similar metals or similar rhinestones or other materials is NOT a matched set. Matched sets were manufactured together as a 'Set' (many sets and suites from the 1930' 1940's & 1950's & other eras as well, have gotten separated over time making a perfectly matched set still all together...a pleasant thrill to find indeed!). A "Demi-Parure" is a set consisting of either a Bracelet & Ears, a Brooch and Ears, a Bracelet & Brooch, etc etc. (any 2 perfectly matched pieces,of course Earrings ALWAYS counted as 1). A "Parure" is complete Matched Suite.....a "Parure" for example....is a set or suite consisting of the Necklace/Choker, the Bracelet, and the Earrings (ALL have to be perfectly matched !), or can be the Brooch, the Bracelet, & the Ears (obviously the point is that a "Parure" has to be at least '3' items. Then, it graduates on into the realms of a "Grand Parure" and so on (where you may have a perfectly matched SUITE that can include the Necklace Brooch Earrings Bracelet Ring Compact etc etc - a "Grand Parure" sometimes will actually have 2 pairs earrings, & we've even seen them with 2 brooches, 2 different yet matched Brooches with materials and embellishments matching all the other pieces to the Suite).

* Again, we stress the point that you should NOT put various 'similar' Jewelry PIECES TOGETHER & CALL IT A PARURE or DEMI-P JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK the items LOOK WELL TOGETHER (sell them like you want, but always be clear when you're selling these mixed items you call ' a set' that they are not truly a matched set & that you simply think they match well or will work well together). Yes, we realize many times sellers might not know the facts....or their eyes are failing.....or whatever the case might be....yet we reiterate the importance that it's vital to selling.....to strive to represent things clearly & honestly.

* ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT NOTE :: Do NOT EVER 'SOAK' old costume jewelry in jewelry cleaners or other liquids ! BEST to NOT CLEAN at all IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.....

Or......if you are careful & painstaking....you can clean like this : take a Q-tip that has been dipped lightly in Windex or other glass cleaner and gently WIPE & Roll Across the stones...then wipe clean with a dampened clean cloth (we then either wipe with a completely dry cloth or blow-dry with hair dryer on low temperature to get all moisture off the stones & metals). Gin, yes, gin, is also a liquid that can be used on a Q-tip for cleaning stones (a diamond dealer in Singapore hotel we stayed at back in time shared that with us).

* DO NOT ever 'SCRUB' old costume jewelry WITH OLD TOOTHBRUSHES or anything Harsh, etc, etc REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD !

* YOU CAN ALSO USE 'GIN' (yes, alcoholic gin) on a Q-Tip to clean fine diamond jewelry (and costume rhinestones also)...but simply rub the Q-Tip gently on the stones & wipe clean with a cloth...( and....DO NOT EVER IMMERSE 'COSTUME JEWELRY' !!!)

* (yes, you CAN immerse ' Fine jewelry ', but we don't like immersing it for very long at the time)

And, of course we have tons more tips, yet this is enough to get most any interested party on the right track to smart collecting !

 ~ HAPPY HUNTING ~

(Note the Gorgeous Original Hang-Tagged Demi-Parure Costume Jewelry Set of Pink Rhinestones & Cameos by D & E ( Juliana ) middle row, top section of pictures, way above). 

Notice: THIS GUIDE IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF purplejammy - OUR WORDS & INFORMATION ARE OUR OWN ORIGINAL WORDS THAT COME FROM OUR MANY MANY MANY YEARS OF COLLECTING EVERYTHING INTERESTING, BEAUTIFUL, UNIQUE......IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, OUR PERSONAL BOO-BOOS, OUR ERRORS & MISTAKES, OUR NUMEROUS MISCALCULATIONS FROM WAY WAY BACK IN TIME WHEN WE FIRST BEGAN COLLECTING, AND WHATEVER ELSE IS INCLUDED IN THE VAST EXPANSES OF THE 'TRIAL & ERROR LEARNING PROCESS' (IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS - IT ACTUALLY NEVER ENDS).....! AND.....ALTHOUGH WE NEVER CLAIM ' EXPERT STATUS ' ON ANY SUBJECT....WE KNOW JEWELRY FROM MANY VARIED CATEGORIES & ERAS....QUITE WELL.