| |
Jewelry News
Read the latest Jewelry News from our Long Island Pawn Shop’s Monthly Newsletter
News, issues, tips and advice about jewelry from Long Island’s oldest established jewelry buying company and pawn (loan) shop.
Estate vs. Vintage vs. Antique
What are the differences?
In jewelry terms, estate, vintage and antique jewelry have similar meanings but the differences can greatly influence the value of the jewelry pieces. Before you purchase a previously owned piece of jewelry, it’s important to understand the terms.
Although estate jewelry connotes a piece that has been passed down from generations passed, it refers to any piece of jewelry that was previously owned, regardless of its age. It can be broken down into two types, vintage jewelry (less than 100 years) and antique jewelry (more than 100 years old.)
Vintage jewelry is jewelry that was created up to the point it is considered an antique. Today, vintage generally means a piece that was made after the 1920’s and includes the glamorous, Hollywood-inspired 1940’s jewelry, “Retro Era,” the Jacqueline Kennedy inspired 60’s jewelry, and even the dramatic and bold jewelry of the1980’s.
According to government guidelines, antiques are items that are at least 100 years old. Popular jewelry created in historic eras that are still commonly found in the U.S. through estate sales generally begin in the rare Georgian Era (1714-1837), in which every piece was hand-crafted and therefore very valuable. The Victorian years provided jewelry fashion within three distinct eras that include Early Romantic Victorian (1837-1850), Grand Mid-Victorian (1860-1880) and Late Aesthetic Victorian (1885-1990). The simplified jewelry of the Arts & Crafts Movement (1894-1923) was the hand-made jewelry artisans’ rebellion to the Industrial Revolution, while at the same time Art Nouveau Jewelry (1895-1915) was popularized by the famous French jeweler, LaLique. Edwardian Era-jewelry, named after Queen Victoria’s son, Edward, was popular during 1901-1910, followed by the visually forward Art Deco Style (1920-1935.)
Since the cost of buying estate jewelry often costs much less than its original price when it was new, it can be an excellent choice if you’re considering buying gold and diamonds as investments. The most valuable pieces will be those fine jewelry pieces that are considered antiques and are still in excellent condition.
If you would like to know more about the Vintage and Antique jewelry from Empire, visit Empire’s online store or contact us today.
back to top
The ABC’s of Diamonds
Color, Carat, Clarity or Cut…
If you’ve purchased a diamond, no doubt you’ve heard of the “4C’s” in evaluating its value. What is the global jewelry-industry standard can be confusing for many consumers, especially for first-time buyers. What is considered a “perfect” diamond? Which “C” is most important? What factors should you not compromise on when considering not just a diamond’s beauty, but its value for the long term?
In the 1940s and ’50s, the Gemologists Institute of America (GIA), an educational and research non-profit organization founded in 1931, developed the “4Cs” and the GIA International Diamond Grading System™ to objectively compare and evaluate diamonds. Today, even if you buy a diamond in another part of the world, the jeweler will likely use the same GIA grading systems.
When looking to purchase a diamond, one must first understand what the 4C’s indicate:
- Color: Most diamonds run from colorless to near-colorless, with slight hints of yellow or brown. “Color” is not how much color a diamond has, but the degree to which it is colorless. The GIA set the industry standard with its D-Z scale (D is colorless to Z meaning the most yellow.) The exceptions to this rule are the more rare blue or pink diamonds which aren’t included in the GIA’s D-Z scale.
- Clarity: Most diamonds have tiny crystals, feathers or clouds within them, called “inclusions.” Surface imperfections are called “blemishes.” The rarest diamonds are flawless and have no internal inclusions or external blemishes. The GIA uses a Clarity Scale of 11 grades that are measured using 10 x magnifications.
- Carat: Signifies the weight (not the size) of the diamond. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams. Since heavier diamonds are rarer than smaller diamonds, the value is higher the heavier the carat weight.
- Cut: The cut of a diamond refers to its proportions, symmetry and polish. When evaluating cut, two aspects are evaluated, first its shape (round, marquise, square cut, etc.). The second aspect is how well the cutting was executed, as it must be geometrically precise since it will affect a diamond’s fire (the flash of rainbow colors from within) and brilliance (its sparkle). Whereas cut was historically the most subjective and difficult to standardize during appraisal, due to advances in technology, the GIA introduced its cut grading systems in 2005.
The GIA International Diamond Grading System provides the industry standard when an appraiser evaluates a diamond’s value, and a report should be provided by an impartial expert, preferably one who is GIA-trained to prevent “over-grading” (over-valuation.)
Although your own personal preference will go into your purchasing decision, a general guideline for a diamond of quality would be a carat size of .50 points (1/2 carat) or larger, color of D-H, clarity of SI2 (slightly included 2) or better. For cut, it is preferred to have a depth and table proportion of 56%-62%, and good or better polish and symmetry.
Empire Jewelers, Inc. does not sell diamonds that are “enhanced,“ “treated,” “drilled” (designed to remove any black or colored inclusions) or over-graded, and highly suggest that diamond buyers beware of these terms because they will reverse the value of the diamond over the years and therefore are not good investments. In addition, Empire does not sell diamonds with clarity ratings of I2 to I3 as we believe they lack eye appeal.
Although there are additional factors to consider, these basics should help you choose a fine diamond that will always keep its value. For more information on the 4C’s of diamonds, visit the GIA website.
back to top
|
|
