Estate Jewelry

Estate jewelry refers to previously owned pieces as well as all jewelry purchased from the estate of a deceased person. While antique jewelry can be estate jewelry, the converse is not always true.

Estate jewelry is fashionable throughout the world today, and its demand is on a steady rise. People attach significant value to estate jewelry today because these pieces cannot be duplicated.

Know what you are buying before you buy it. Learn as much as possible about estate jewelry and its hallmarks before you purchase it. Estate jewelry is known to be old, but can be very new. To be deemed a real and original piece of estate jewelry, the item must be authenticated as at least 100 years old, according to the US Customs Bureau.

Check for characteristics that define and date the piece of your estate jewelry. Know that there are 5 prominent styles of estate jewelry; Victorian, art nouveau, Edwardian, art deco and retro.