Antique China Questions About Antique Jewelry

Posted in Antique Store on 04/08/2011 10:05 pm by Ling

Mark asks…

Where is the best place to search to find out the value of old antique jewelry?

I would like to know the value of old old necklaces, Schwin bycicle, and other antique items. Mostly jewelry, some real ,some costume but all from the early 1900's.

Ling answers:

Sotheby's or christies.....auction houses in nyc

Steven asks…

Does anyone know a good place to sell antique jewelry?

My father has a lot of old jewelry in a safety deposit box. He had it appraised back in 1986, he still has the papers and the value adds up to be about $40,000 for his small collection. He's interested in selling, but he doesn't want to get screwed. Does anyone have any experience with this or know anything about selling antique jewels?

Ling answers:

Sell it at an antique auction in your area in small specific lots...

This way you can get more because each lot is usually more valuable as a group than just one piece...

Put a reserve on it to ensure that you don't let anything go too cheaply be sure to add the 10% buyers/sellers premium.

Sharon asks…

What is the difference between estate jewelry and antique jewelry?

And what is the difference between vintage and antique?

Ling answers:

Antique=old
vintage=old but has a modern flare
estate=idk

Maria asks…

How would I go about finding an appraiser for what I believe might be antique jewelry?

I'm 51 and I just found my grandmother's jewelry box. Some pieces have engraved dates from the late 1890's. I live in Michigan. Any specific suggestions would be appreciated.

Ling answers:

The best thing to do would be to find a jeweler who has experience dealing with estate jewlery. To be honest, just because a piece of jewelry is an 'antique' does not mean its $ value will be worth anymore than a new piece of jewelry with the same weight in gold/quality of jewels. So do not be surprised if they seem to undervalue your jewels. Also remember that an appraisal value is only the amount that you would insure the jewelry for- it is usually quite a lot higher than what someone would pay for it retail.

I was looking around a bit and there are a few jewelers in Michigan who might be able to help you, check out his site http://www.woodenskate.com/jewelry/index.html and also this store as well http://www.bensondiamondjewelers.com/