Luxury jewelry is known for its expensive look and feel. These pieces use high quality materials and precious stones, and metals, making them quite out of range for many people. Buying pre-loved luxury jewelry is an excellent way to get your hands on these luxury pieces for a fraction of the price. Vintage luxury jewelry tells a story and can look incredibly chic when paired with the right outfit.

Here are some tips on buying preloved jewelry:

Examine the jewelry before you buy

Examine every piece of jewelry carefully. Look at the back of every piece, not just the front. Look for stamp and any engraving to have an idea of its age. Look for chips in the gemstone as well. If possible, try on the piece to see if it sits right. If it doesn’t, you can factor that into negotiating the price.

If it’s vintage, it should look it

If an advertised piece is stating it’s an antique, it should look it. When buying pre-loved jewelry, you should not be expecting sparkling jewels that are in pristine condition. Vintage pieces should have signs of wear, or else it’s not as old as it’s advertised to be. Check the prongs of a piece for signs of wear and tear, also have a closer look at the enamel for scratches. The weight and size of the jewelry are also good indicators of its age. Georgian jewelry, for example, was known for being very light.

Be realistic about the price

Renowned jewelry Instagrammer, Ismael urges people to be aware of the pieces they are buying. If a certain deal for luxury jewelry seems too good to be true, it probably is. Think logically when shopping for jewelry. Don’t buy a piece just because the price seems too low. The price is low for a reason. The piece might be in worse condition that advertised, or it might not be made of good quality materials.

Do your research

As with all things vintage, you need to know about the history of the pieces to help you approximate it’s true value. Reading up on antique jewelry before buying is the best way to begin your journey as an antique jewelry buyer. Buying pre-loved jewelry is like solving a good mystery, a mystery involving precious gems and jewels. Antique Jewelry University is a great place to begin your research on jewelry types and their history.

Visit Hilton House to shop jewelry consignments online. We offer unique and valuable jewelry pieces that you will love. We are a consignment store based in Orinda with over 20 years of experience in the business. Our consignment store in Orinda offers décor consignments, used furniture for sale, fashion consignments, and much more. Shop all these unique items at an amazing price!