Antique Jewellery: Real or Repro?
Behold that pretty antique brooch you have been staring at for the last few days on the net! It is obviously Art Nouveau... is not it?It is often impossible to distinguish from a actual antique tiffany sale piece & a lovely reproduction. Here are some key points that you ought to bear in mind before you shop & pay for what you think is a Victorian piece of tiffany sale only to find out that it is a smart reproduction.Being able to identify the findings that are attached to the tiffany rings jewellery for function than design is sometimes a great way to decide age, although findings can often have been altered at a later date. Some examples of "findings" are the hinges, clasps & catches on the piece. The Victorian period featured tube hinges until a more streamlined design was introduced in the later part of the period. Other types of hinges such as roll over, C formed & safety pin types evolved over the years. A lobster catch won't be on a piece of authentic antique jewellery.The colours & metals changed in style through the years. The art deco period featured bright primary colours while the Victorian period did not. Being able to identify the cut of the stone & the type of stone in the piece will also help in dating the piece. Modern wonderful cut diamonds, for example, were not introduced to the market until the early 20th century.Aluminium, platinum, pot metal & copper have been the popular metals in the 20th century. White gold for example, although first introduced at the turn of the 1900s, wasn't in wide circulation until about 1920 when it was used as a less expensive alternative to platinum. As another example, 15 carat gold was a British Empire gold standard until it was discontinued in 1932 & it was often used in Victorian jewellery.But often in Victorian times there was more emphasis on the workmanship & beauty of the item than on the quality of materials used. Pinchbeck for example, an alloy of zinc & copper, was a respectable alternative to gold in the Victorian period but is often found at the cheaper finish of the market today when a lot importance is placed on jewellery being made of gold or platinum.Feeling the weight of the piece can also help identify its age but, if you are purchasing online, ask the seller how much it weighs. A brooch from the Victorian period can look a lot heavier than that was reproduced in recent years but often a giant piece was made light so that it didn't pull on the wearer's clothing. Check also to see if jewels are glued in & if the piece is hand made or the product of a mould.A registration mark on a piece will give you an correct timeframe as will hallmarks. A makers mark or label is another step in identification. There's lots of guides & forums obtainable online to help identify hallmarks.
Finally, try to discover a picture of the item to compare with the piece in query. Often pics are obtainable in books, such as Carter's Antiques Guide (Australia), or online.Obviously, a quantity of these checks are trickier to make use of if you are purchasing online but if the piece is not as described when you get it (ie. fake), then you are entitled to a full refund. Your local Trading Standards or Fair Trading agency ought to help you out in the event of any difficulties in this.Do your home-work. Check the seller's credentials & use the net for clues &, above all, ask lots of questions!