Thursday, January 19, 2012

How to Shop for Vintage Jewelry

There is no doubt that vintage is in. If we don't actually find vintage clothes, we find resemblances of such styles in new clothing handing in big box or department stores. Known for their clean lines, fun colors and patterns, and timeless beauty, vintage pieces simply make a wardrobe. In addition to vintage clothing, vintage jewelry has become incredibly popular.

Due to their uniqueness and generally less expensive pricing, vintage jewelry pieces are a great way to jazz up any wardrobe in a cheaper way. Couples seeking to get married have even begun choosing to buy vintage. Whether it be an engagement ring for women or wedding bands for men, many couples are buying throw backs to previous decades simply to save a couple bucks while still getting quality jewelry.

While vintage jewelry can be a great way to find a good deal on a fashionable piece, you can also get swindled easily. Before you buy any vintage jewelry, you want to take a few precautions to make sure that you are truly getting quality jewelry at the right price:

Educate Yourself

You never want to waste your money. So before you start to seek out vintage jewelry, do some research first. Look at various pieces throughout the periods you are interested in, and look for signs that would indicate a piece is actually authentic. There is nothing worse than spending your hard earned money only to realize that you bought a fake.

Check the Condition

Vintage jewelry is sure to have passed through a couple of hands, but that doesn't mean that obvious batter marks or poor repairs are acceptable. If you notice that the jewelry you are looking at is missing several stones or has poor looking plating, then avoid it. The piece hasn't been taken care of, and probably doesn't have very many years left in in.

Always Choose Quality

Buying vintage jewelry can always be a little tricky simply because you don't have someone there telling you what is and isn't of quality. To make sure that any vintage jewelry you are interested in purchasing is of quality you want to look for fine features such as heavier weights, smooth plating, bright stones, and pronged settings. If the piece you are looking at doesn't have these features, then it probably isn't worth paying top dollar for.

We all want to be fashionable, but at the same time, we don't want to break the bank doing so either. Choosing to shop vintage can lead to some great finds for cheaper prices, but buyers need to keep a watchful eye to ensure they get quality jewelry.

0 gave me some sugar: