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Antique, Estate, and Vintage Jewellery - What’s the difference

There is a lot of information on different styles and types of jewellery, but better understanding of the difference between vintage, estate, and antique jewellery will help you when you are trying to figure out what time frame a certain piece of jewellery may have originated from and what is the overall value of these pieces of jewellery.

Vintage Jewellery

To start with, you can look up what the word vintage means in the dictionary and you will see that it means that is it old and has enduring interest with important quality to it. When you put that into context of jewellery you will find that there are many different types of vintage jewellery on the market today.

You will find the word vintage also attached to other things besides jewellery like automobiles, comic books, clothes, as well as to describe a harvest year for wine. For the most part designer jewellery that was created during the 1920s and 1930s is often referred to as vintage jewellery.

Estate Jewellery

Estate jewellery can be vintage jewellery but it does not have to be classified this way. Estate jewellery simply means that it was part of someone else’s collection that they personally owned.

Estate jewellery could be known as collectible jewellery which in turn would turn into antique jewellery being that it would be something that would eventually become old and valuable.

Estate jewellery sales are done all the time by auction houses and private estate sales, so if you are looking for a certain piece of collectible jewellery you may find what you are seeking by looking into estate or auction sales.

Antique Jewellery

Antique jewellery describes jewellery that is old, beautiful, rare, and in pristine condition that has a connection with an individual or some other feature that makes it unique to only them. For most pieces of jewellery to be considered antique they have to be over a certain number of years of age. For most, that age is 75 years old or older.

In some instances you will see these different types of terminology used in conjunction with one another or used in different situations to describe the same piece of jewellery. It is likely that you would find an antique vintage diamond rings that comes from the early 1920s era and has both personal uniqueness to it for an individual and it has all the qualities that makes the piece a vintage item.

There are different types of designs from all the areas mentioned whether it is Victorian, Georgian, Edwardian, or Art Deco, there are different aspects which make jewellery pieces special items for everyone.


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