Jewelry - General

While jewelry items can be timeless accessories, specific designs and styles go in and out of vogue. Beyond personal consumer preferences, the worth of a fine piece of contemporary or estate jewelry is determined by specific measures of quality, craftsmanship, and current market demands.

The terms estate, vintage, and antique are often used interchangeably in the jewelry market, but their differences are important in determining the value of an item. In broad terms, estate jewelry refers to any piece that has been previously owned, regardless of its age. In order to be labeled an antique, a piece must be more than 100 years old. Antique jewelry, popular among collectors, is often handmade, making it more valuable than vintage pieces. Vintage jewelry is more than 20 yet less than 100 years old.

Dating back to the 1980s, contemporary jewelry has evolved from gold and sleek lines to colored diamonds in the 1990s as consumers became concerned with the quality and origins of gemstones. Since then, as new technologies and materials have become popular, the jewelry market has seen great innovations in both design and technique.