GERTRUDE AND THE DRAGON

THE POTTI TEAM BLOG

Free Clipart Pictures  
*Please do not copy Jewelry Photos*

Whether you inherit  jewelry, or buy vintage jewelry for yourself or a friend, you may one day ask the questions that captivate those of us who collect or sell vintage jewelry:  How old is it?  And is it worth anything??! These are a few tips for evaluating what you have.  You will need a strong magnet and a magnifying glass. 

• Watch out for those extra letters! It is very exciting to find 14K or 18K inscribed in your jewelry, but it only takes two more letter to mess it up!  If you find extra letters like GE, GP, GF, HGE, the gold is on the outside surface of the piece only, and it does not have the intrinsic value of solid gold.  (This does not mean that you should throw it away, though.  I'll be glad to take it off of your hands!)

  

• Is the piece attracted to your magnet, even slightly?  Although it is remotely possible that the small amounts of alloy in silver or gold might be slightly magnetic, it is not likely.  Pawn shops use this trick all the time to weed out fakes.  And I do mean fakes.  I have been appalled at the number of pieces marked 14K , for example, that are simply not gold at all!!

• Notice the condition - the metal wear on the piece,  unevenness, scratches, damage or wear to the gemstones.   If there are rhinestones, are they cloudy, dark, or yellowed? Are there any problems with the catch or clasp? All of these can decrease the value of the piece.

NostalgicRose

•  Is there a word or name stamped on or attached to the back of your jewelry?  This is more than likely the name of the company which made it.  If you have such a word, this is good news!  You can Google "vintage Jewelry" and add the name of your company before you hit search.  Read all that you can about that company.  Find out when they were in operation.  This may help you put a date on your piece.  Most of all, search for pieces this company made like your own, that are in similar condition.  This can give you a good idea of the resale value of your own vintage piece. 



NostalgicRose

•         

  Sometimes vintage jewelry looks older than it really is, and there are times when even those who sell it are mistaken.  Here are a few dates to remember: 

GrandVintageFinery

• Aurora borealis rhinestones (ABs) were first developed, with improvement to follow, in 1953.  They were not in usage until around 1955.  ABs are rhinestone that have an iridescent finish causing them to reflect many colors on the facets. They also come in a variety of colors.  I have a vintage jewelry book in which an author dates a piece with ABs to the  1940s! Remember - no ABs before the mid-fifties.

MargsMostlyVintage

MargsMostlyVintage

Copyright Symbol

•  If your piece has a copyright symbol, it was made in the mid-fifties or after. The law which allowed jewelry to be copyrighted was passed in 1955 - mid-fifties again!    Before this time, some jewelry manufacturers actually had details of their jewelry patented to safeguard their rights!

Rollover Catch

• On a brooch, the catch can be a clue to its age.  After you pin it on your clothes, you tuck the pin into a catch.  If a section of this catch rolls over to hold the pin in place, (similar to the catches we use today), it was made in or after 1911 (unless the catch is a replacement).  This does not mean, however, that all of the simple (c-catches) were made before that time.  Handcrafted pieces continued to have c-catches long after most jewelry makers were using rollover catches.

  

  C-Catch

  

• Lobster clasps came into use in the 80's.  Or the 90's.  It depends on your source - I cannot find consistency among references!  The old lobster clasp, which had two moveable parts, was patented in 1940 by Monet. Other than that, don't expect anything with a lobster clasp to be vintage (over 20 years old). 

Monet Lobster Catch - Patented 1940

 I think those are more than enough dates for now!  To summarize today's lesson :     
                              

• ABs and copyright symbols - mid-1950's
  

• Rollover catch - 1911  (not Victorian)

• Lobster catch - likely not vintage

 Now when your Great-Aunt Murgatroyd is eaten by a dragon named Flame, and leaves you her jewelry box, you will remember that the rhinestones with the iridescent finish, and the copyright symbol and maybe even the way the jewelry fastens can help you date it!  You'll be able to find this information on the internet again, because you are computer savvy! 

You will recognize that the bright gold metal necklace with a lobster catch is probably not vintage at all, but was given to her by your little niece, Gertrude (your aunt's namesake) last Christmas.  Oh, you had forgotten that your aunt's name was Gertrude Murgatroyd?  It sounded hip at the turn of the century…(the twentieth century, I mean)… Oh - and did I mention  that the safety pin was patented in 1849…
Michele Davidson

VINTAGE BEAUTIES:

JessesVintage

ThePerfectTouch

JessesVintage

BlackRabbitTreasure

NostalgicRose

ThePerfectTouch

NorthCoastCottage

OurBoudoir

MargsMostlyVintage

GrandVintageFinery

BlackRabbitTreasure

OurBoudoir

Grand Vintage

NorthCoastCottage

JessesVintage