Through time, people from
different cultures have worn different styles of
clothing and lived in different kinds of homes. However,
though styles and trends may vary, one thing that has
remained consistent through different cultures and
civilizations of the world is the universal fondness for
jewelry. In some cultures, like in some African cultures
even today, jewelry was even the only form of clothing.
Naturally, this timeless interest in ornaments has given
rise to the popularity of antique jewelry.
Antique jewelry may be in the form of conventional
ornaments like for example, pearl antique jewelry,
antique silver jewelry ethnic or modern in style or
antique silver jewelry ethnic in design. But on the
other hand, one can also find bejeweled bric-a-brac that
is also popular with antique collectors, for example one
might find an antique red Nepalese jewelry box. Like
with all antiques, a collector or buyer must watch out
for antique jewelry markings to get an idea of the
piece’s worth.
A piece of jewelry may be antique in nature, which means
that it was originally worn or made at least a century
ago, or a piece of jewelry may be embellished with an
antique appearance by an antique jewelry manufacturer
which means that the manufacturer simply applies antique
finish to the product. Of course during your antique jewelry search
free appraisal sites can also be consulted on the
internet to provide valuable input and information about
the piece of antique jewelry.
Because many pieces of antique jewelry are passed down
from generation to generation by means of a will,
antique jewelry appraisals have an important part to
play in family income distributions or when a will is
being carried out. This is probably also why antique
jewelry is often also called vintage jewelry or estate
jewelry.
In the Western countries, antique jewelry can usually be
categorized according to the historical period of its
origin. For instance, antique jewelry may sometimes be
categorized as Georgian jewelry, Edwardian jewelry or
Victorian Jewelry depending on the monarchy that
governed the area of its origin at the time of its
manufacture. Georgian jewelry is usually handcrafted and
dates back to somewhere between the early eighteenth and
mid nineteenth century. Gems, diamonds and precious
stones became popular in the manufacture of jewelry
around this period.
Conversely, jewelry from the mid-Victorian period which
was extended between the mid nineteenth century and the
late nineteenth century employed darker and more somber
stones like onyx, garnets and amethysts. Cheerful and
bright stones were once again revived in the later half
of the Victorian period of jewelry.
Antique jewelry that hails from India, on the other
hand, has almost always employed the use of ornamenting
stones. Ethnic carvings and design is the focus of
antique Indian jewelry. However, because it is fairly
easy to replicate the antique finish of some jewelry
like Indian or Slovak antique jewelry, one must be
cautious when purchasing such pieces...
IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi - 110 011.