Five Great Reasons to Buy Antique Fine Jewelry

Although it often conjures up images of diamond tiaras and watch fobs, much antique jewelry is actually quite wearable. The more delicate settings, smaller stones, and older methods of faceting (rose-cut, old mine cut) – which produce more of a subtle sparkle than a fiery flash – can make a piece appropriate for even the most conservative office or the most casual of clothes. You can be wearing a beautifully detailed piece that’s worth five figures – but doesn’t scream bling.



While it’s easy to spend five figures, it’s also easy to spend a lot less. Plenty of high-quality antique pieces cost less than $1,000; more serious pieces run in the mid-to-upper four figures. Whatever the price, an antique item is likely to be less than a comparable contemporary article. For example, an Edwardian engagement ring, with a diamond band and a 1.5 carat center stone can be had for $9,500. Try finding that at a high-end jeweler, where comparable rings start around $20,000. You also get more bang for the jewelry buck: "the quality and workmanship of the earlier pieces is, dollar for dollar, a better value,” says Joyce Jonas, president emeritus of the American Society of Jewelry Historians and an Antiques Roadshow appraiser.

Much of that workmanship – displayed in the highly detailed designs of antique jewelry – is a vanished art. In this era of mass-market production, very few jewelers do hand-finishing anymore. Along with the craftsmanship, many of the materials are unique too. Antique pieces contain gems and stones or materials that, due to scarcity, are almost impossible to find in modern pieces: jet, red coral, tortoiseshell, and Burmese rubies with their unique, pinkish-red brightness.

Not every antique piece is one-of-a-kind, of course. Still, because so many were handmade or hand-finished, and because the emphasis was on an interesting setting (vs. modern designs, where it’s often all about the big stone), you’re less likely to see yourself coming and going when you wear an old piece. Even something as simple as a pair of diamond studs is likely to have a millegrain setting or some other individual touch to make your purchase unique.

Older pieces cost less, yet they’re often worth more. With contemporary jewelry, a piece’s worth correlates to its break-up value – that is, the quality of the gemstones and amount of precious metal used. But with an antique, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Because of its rarity and craftsmanship, “it has a resale value – a premium over its materials,” says Stephen Nelson of the New York City antique jewelry and silver store Nelson & Nelson.  “So, in effect, you’re getting more for your money when you walk out of the store” with an antique piece. And, if kept in good condition, it’ll appreciate even more over time.