Retro, Vintage, & Antique Jewellery: What Are The Differences?
Vintage, antique and retro are terms you may have come across often these days. Albeit they sound similar, they are in fact different from one another, especially when referring to different types of jewellery. The distinct differences affect the value of jewellery falling under any of these types and by being aware of them, you get to spot and acquire items that best suits you.
All the three types have one thing similar: they all look old. So, what makes one type different from the others?
Retro
Jewellery pieces that are retro aren’t necessarily old; in fact, they may be a lot younger than you think. These pieces simply imitate a style that’s old yet popular. The modern times have people who are fans of past fashion or styles. To make these old style items more accessible, they’re being replicated and brought back to life for all the modern fans to enjoy. Among the most copied styles of the olden times is Art Deco, which remains to be popular up to this day. Sometimes, these retro pieces closely resemble the original ones from the past and thus, if what you want are pieces that are truly vintage or antique, it’s important that you educate yourself to be able to tell the difference and not overspend on something that’s merely a copy.
Vintage
Vintage is associated to items that are over 50 years old but not more than 100 years old, which means that, at the time of writing this article, those pieces created from 1920 up to 1971 are considered vintage. You’ll find these items in a lot of places including your nearby local antique stores, online antique shops, antique fairs and auctions. They’re usually sold in stores where there are also antique pieces as they’re just as popular as the former. You can also check out classy pocket watches from Dalvey to match up your vintage look
Antique
From the Latin word antiquus, the word antique refers to items that are old or ancient. Items considered antique have to be at least 100 years old and anything younger would be vintage. Among the most valued antique items are jewellery pieces. To be sure that the antique item you’re buying is not a mere replica, it is recommended to go to the best place to buy antique rings online. You can check out established antique dealers and reputable online antique stores. These places also offer other pieces of jewellery and you can be certain that all items offered are authentic. The physical stores within your location are also worth a visit.
Learning The Differences
You may come across an object at auctions, antique fairs or even at local car boot sales that interest you. There are times that you can pick up bargains in these places, especially if you understand what you’re buying. It’s worth remembering that if a jewellery piece is made of precious metals, you would find a hallmark, which you can use to be able to find out more about the piece.
The internet is teeming with lots of information about a lot of things, including these three types of jewellery. With research and reading tips and reviews from fellow internet users, you should be able to get an idea on how to identify one type of jewellery from the others. Your local antique shop is also a great place to visit to view fine examples of these pieces of jewellery; the proprietor would also be able to answer your questions.
Get to know the differences between vintage, antique and retro jewellery pieces, and it’s a sure step to getting yourself a good deal and best of all, you will avoid overpaying for something you thought was valuable.
