It could well be a costly mistake confusing vintage costume jewelry with the cheap necklaces and bracelets you see in most retail outlets today. The fashionable but inexpensive jewelry became emblematic of the free-willing 1920's, but amazingly retained its popularity even during the Great Depression years and beyond. As interest increased in the United States, more and more American companies began to design and produce some of the most coveted collectible vintage costume necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other jewelry.
But how does one actually classify or identify costume jewelry and what makes some pieces valuable?
Costume jewelry is always mass-produced using cheaper materials like semi-precious stones. Essentially, it became the more affordable jewelry alternative to the finer pieces made from gold, silver and precious gemstones like sapphires and emeralds. Some costume designs have become so popular that they now are worth many times more than their original sale price. To make money while collecting the jewelry, all you need to know is what affects value so you can identify the most profitable pieces. Assessing value of any given piece always boils down to five variables:
* Originality of Design
* Quality of Materials/Craftsmanship
* Rarity
* Supply
* Final Condition
Pricing is directly influenced by the supply and it varies greatly between designs and designers. Vintage jewelry was produced by dozens of manufacturers who all created batches of varying sizes. When considering the purchase of costume pieces made by the larger players like Trifari and Coro, it is important to note that these designers produced large volumes of jewelry making the demand for a given piece less. However, Barclays, DeMario, and many of the smaller companies had limited facilities making their smaller batches of jewelry more desirable. And when other pricing variables are held constant, signed pieces from the small companies tend to be worth more money.
Does anything actually help stimulate demand for a piece?
The originality of the design ultimately affects demand more than any other variable and plays a large role in determining value. While it is easier to locate and collect the signed vintage pieces, avid collectors know that the unsigned pieces tend to be the most undervalued- creating the most profit potential for a would-be collector. One sure way to locate valuable unsigned jewelry is to know the typical design traits of specific manufacturers.
The grade of materials and production techniques of costume jewelry pieces tend to equate to higher value when other factors remain unchanged. On vintage jewelry, the type and quality of the gemstones is of particular importance to the final price determination. Of course no precious stones are used in the production of costume jewelry but some companies were known for their high quality gemstones. Because of their exceptional stone quality and construction, count on jewelry designs to retain their high value when they are produced by:
* Bogoff
* Weiss
* Eisenberg
Finding signed Eisenberg jewelry pieces can be difficult, because they are some of the most popular and prized vintage pieces in the collectible market today. However, other manufacturers who still have pieces with great potential to buy low and sell high include Kramer, Danecraft, and Trifari.
Still, even though a vintage necklace, ring, or bracelet may be in less than perfect condition, collectors will pay good money for a piece they know is a good investment. As with any antique, vintage costume jewelry will have some signs of wear, but still retain its value for years to come. But, the important part is to know that when a piece of vintage costume jewelry captures your eye, it could also make you into a life long enthusiast.
But how does one actually classify or identify costume jewelry and what makes some pieces valuable?
Costume jewelry is always mass-produced using cheaper materials like semi-precious stones. Essentially, it became the more affordable jewelry alternative to the finer pieces made from gold, silver and precious gemstones like sapphires and emeralds. Some costume designs have become so popular that they now are worth many times more than their original sale price. To make money while collecting the jewelry, all you need to know is what affects value so you can identify the most profitable pieces. Assessing value of any given piece always boils down to five variables:
* Originality of Design
* Quality of Materials/Craftsmanship
* Rarity
* Supply
* Final Condition
Pricing is directly influenced by the supply and it varies greatly between designs and designers. Vintage jewelry was produced by dozens of manufacturers who all created batches of varying sizes. When considering the purchase of costume pieces made by the larger players like Trifari and Coro, it is important to note that these designers produced large volumes of jewelry making the demand for a given piece less. However, Barclays, DeMario, and many of the smaller companies had limited facilities making their smaller batches of jewelry more desirable. And when other pricing variables are held constant, signed pieces from the small companies tend to be worth more money.
Does anything actually help stimulate demand for a piece?
The originality of the design ultimately affects demand more than any other variable and plays a large role in determining value. While it is easier to locate and collect the signed vintage pieces, avid collectors know that the unsigned pieces tend to be the most undervalued- creating the most profit potential for a would-be collector. One sure way to locate valuable unsigned jewelry is to know the typical design traits of specific manufacturers.
The grade of materials and production techniques of costume jewelry pieces tend to equate to higher value when other factors remain unchanged. On vintage jewelry, the type and quality of the gemstones is of particular importance to the final price determination. Of course no precious stones are used in the production of costume jewelry but some companies were known for their high quality gemstones. Because of their exceptional stone quality and construction, count on jewelry designs to retain their high value when they are produced by:
* Bogoff
* Weiss
* Eisenberg
Finding signed Eisenberg jewelry pieces can be difficult, because they are some of the most popular and prized vintage pieces in the collectible market today. However, other manufacturers who still have pieces with great potential to buy low and sell high include Kramer, Danecraft, and Trifari.
Still, even though a vintage necklace, ring, or bracelet may be in less than perfect condition, collectors will pay good money for a piece they know is a good investment. As with any antique, vintage costume jewelry will have some signs of wear, but still retain its value for years to come. But, the important part is to know that when a piece of vintage costume jewelry captures your eye, it could also make you into a life long enthusiast.
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→Vintage Costume Jewelry - Know What You're Buying
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→http://fromemaliwithlove.blogspot.com/2011/04/vintage-costume-jewelry-know-what-youre.html
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