Jewelry

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 Different Types of Jewelry For Sale at Auction

The terms estate, vintage, and antique are often used interchangeably in the jewelry auction 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.

The Jewelry Auction Market

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. Bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces, loose stones, and more can regularly be found for sale at jewelry auctions, with rare and antique items continuing to fetch high sale prices year after year. One such example, the Pink Star Diamond, was sold by Sotheby's in 2017 for more than $70 million USD, while 79% of high net worth individuals said they purchased jewelry between 2017 and 2019 according to the recent UBS and Art Basel Art Market Report.

Learn more about purchasing jewelry at auction from the Invaluable Guide to Buying Jewelry and the Invaluable Guide to Jewelry Marks.