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IS MY JEWELRY WORTH ANYTHING? How can I find out?  How do you go about finding the real value of a piece of jewelry? If you love it, it has value. If it was passed on to you by a loved one, it has value. But sometimes we just want to know if a piece of jewelry we own is worth big bucks. There is something gratifying about looking in the jewelry box and seeing that one piece that YOU own and knowing that collectors would be drooling over it.  You will need to examine your piece of jewelry - honestly and ruthlessly. Are there any obvious defects - metal corrosion, turning green, stones missing, faulty clasp, repair work? Any of those conditions lower the value and you must take that into consideration. If your piece is hallmarked for gold or you suspect the stones may be genuine, it is fine jewelry and not costume. Your local jeweler can help you. Is your piece signed? If so, yippee!! That makes your task somewhat easier. If not, don't give up hope! What to do next? If you have home owner's or renter's Insurance, you can contact your insurance company and inquire if they have someone who can appraise your jewel. This, of course, will cost you money. If every one of your hard earned dollars is earmarked for something else, don't despair. Put on your walking shoes sister and get ready to so some research! If you have the time and inclination, you can check out antique shops to see if they have a similar piece. You will be looking for similarity in style and construction. If they do, check our their price. Most dealers have already done their research and know how much they can ask for a particular piece of jewelry. Most dealers are also very nice people. If they have the time, they are usually happy to answer your questions. If you strike out in the antique stores or you just haven't been able to check them out, try a bookstore like Barnes & Noble or Borders. There are lots of books on vintage jewelry. If you take the time to look through a number of them, you will most likely find a photo of your piece or one very similar to it in style. Keep in mind that "book values" are usually much higher than what your item can actually sell for. "Book values" are also for pieces that are in perfect condition. If you are just interested in the value of your jewelry for your own benefit, "book values" are perfect. Ebay is another great resource for researching your jewelry. This will give you an actual "selling value". You can search Ebay by the signature on your jewelry or just a description of your jewelry. You can use the advanced search to see the auctions that have already ended and what the item sold for. If your piece of jewelry is signed, you can see if that designer's jewelry goes for high prices or low prices. As a rule of thumb, I always figure that the selling price on Ebay is about a third of the item's actual worth. ( Everyone wants a great deal, and an auction is the place to get that.) If you have lots of time to spend at your computer, try searching vintage jewelry websites. Most of these dealers have a whole wealth of knowledge and their descriptions and prices have been well researched. Some jewelry will be easier to find answers for than others. You may only be able to discover the time period that it was made, but not the maker. Lots of the really old jewelry was not signed. You may not know how to describe the piece you have. My only answer to that is that you have to spend the time on research. Read and learn. In a very short while, you will find that you have learned something. You'll become familiar with the terminology. You'll want to learn more! You'll become obsessed! You'll bore your friends! Welcome to the world of vintage jewelry addicts! |
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