Vintage Costume Jewellery is fun and whimsical.  You might just want to consider a few things before buying your vintage piece.

1. Rhinestones in vintage jewelry may be set with prongs or glued in with paste. If rhinestones are glued in then they are more likely to be plastic stones. These can be lovely pieces but they will usually be less valuable than jewelry made with real stones. Prong set stones are more often real stones.

2. Take some time to learn just a bit about the basic vintage jewelry periods including Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Retro. Even a quick perusal of some basic history will help you to identify vintage pieces from the different eras.

3. Look for the following obvious signs that may lower the value of a vintage costume piece: missing stones or parts, badly worn plating, cloudy rhinestones, darkened stones, and chipped or scratched enamel. Of course, you may still choose to buy the item even if it has these flaws. Just be aware that the purchase price may need to be reduced to reflect these issues.

4. Not all vintage jewelry will contain a signature. In fact, there are many, many vintage pieces that were made without being signed by the designer. But, if you do find a signature, that will enable you to learn more about the treasure you’ve found. Make sure to take a good look at the piece to see if you can find a signature or mark.

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