People who buy and sell jewelry often hear the terms "antique" and "vintage" used interchangeably as if they mean the same thing. There is a fundamental difference between these two types of jewellery. Both types are often very valuable, although there are nuances between the two types that we highlight below.
Vintage Jewellery
Vintage jewelry lacks the very precise definition of antique jewelry. Generally, jewelry experts and gold buyers consider antique jewelry as a piece that is at least two decades old. This is the reason why many pieces of jewelry are considered vintage as well as antique. Watches from eras and times when certain personalities and cultures had a strong society-wide influence qualify as vintage jewellery.
Antique Jewellery
The primary way to distinguish antique jewellery from vintage jewelry is that the antique jewellery is at least a century old. These fragments are further divided into the periods mentioned.
Estate Jewellery
Often, industry veterans use the term "estate jewelry" to refer to pieces that were previously owned and are from any of the previously mentioned eras.
Why Age Is So Important
The reason why antique and vintage pieces are so popular is that they use metals and objects that are very beautiful and rare. Yet many people looking to sell jewelry ask the question of what exactly it is that makes their jewelry so rare or special. For many pieces, the mere fact that it is old and still intact is a major component of their high value. Much of the jewelry of was produced with goldsmithing techniques that jewelers and collectors prefer over today's methods.
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