Estate Jewelry

Photo Credit: CJ-Antiques-Ltd

1930s British 18K Gold & Natural Red Spinel Ring

Buy It Now Price: $495 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This natural, cherry-red spinel ring is surrounded by a halo of 14 single-cut diamonds that sit in a solid 18 karat gold Art Deco setting from the 1930s.

-This red spinel ring weighs 3.5 grams, which is fairly substantial.  After deducting the weight of the stones, we can infer that there is about $95 worth of gold in the ring (with the spot price of gold hovering around $1,200 an ounce).

–Spinel is a gorgeous, but poorly understood gemstone that is tremendously undervalued in today’s gem marketplace.  Spinel is a close cousin to ruby and sapphire, sharing a very similar chemical composition and physical properties with these better-known gems.

–18 karat gold is a superlative jewelry metal.  It preserves the rich yellow hue and superior chemical resistance of pure gold, while also possessing a degree of added strength and hardness that makes it perfect for use in jewelry.

-I estimate that the natural red spinel set in this ring is at least 1 carat in weight – and perhaps as much as 1.25 carats – making it a substantial stone.  Its color and clarity are both very good as well.  In my opinion, this red spinel is worth at least $100 to $200 per carat (and possibly more).

-I conservatively estimate the intrinsic value of this British red spinel ring at around $250 ($150 for the spinel, $95 for the gold and $5 for the melee diamonds).  This is actually a very good result – fully half of the purchase price is attributable to tangible materials.  It also means that you are only paying around $245 for the expert craftsmanship, transcendent beauty and vivid history captured in this remarkable piece of vintage jewelry.

-The 1930s Art Deco aesthetic of this natural red spinel ring gives it a classic, timeless look that would complement a woman wearing nearly any style of clothing.  I think it is safe to say that this ring will never go out of fashion.

-It is gratifying to be able to find a beautiful piece of antique jewelry that is set with a large precious stone selling for such a reasonable price.  I’ve written before about how difficult it has become to find fine vintage jewelry for less than $1,000.  But I am under no illusions that bargains like this will persist forever; affordable fine vintage jewelry is going extinct.

-With a buy-it-now price of only $495, this vintage red spinel ring is laughably cheap.  In fact, I am absolutely shocked that no one has picked up this steal yet!  The fact that it is still sitting with a “for sale” sign on it is probably at least partially attributable to the fact that spinel has such little name recognition.

Cons:

-I’ve got nothing bad to say here.  Nada, zip, zero.  This natural red spinel ring is a gorgeous all-original piece from the 1930s – over 80 years ago.  In addition, it is in great condition, with no evidence of any repairs whatsoever.  This ring is a no-brainer investment for less than $500.

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Photo Credit: mycollectioninc

Edwardian Platinum Pendant with Chalcedony, Pearls and Diamonds

Buy It Now Price: $1,948.21 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This Edwardian platinum pendant from the era of the Titanic is set with a mesmerizing, lavender-colored chalcedony gemstone that is surrounded by natural pearls and old European cut diamonds.

-Platinum is an incredibly rare precious metal.  It is mined at a rate that is only 1/15th that of gold and 1/130th that of silver.  Platinum is so uncommon that many people have never had the opportunity to handle, much less own, a piece of platinum jewelry.

-Pure platinum is alloyed with iridium, ruthenium or cobalt in order to harden and toughen it for use in jewelry.

-A large, 25 carat lavender chalcedony cabochon sits enthroned in the center of this elegant Edwardian platinum pendant.  Chalcedony is a translucent, microcrystalline variety of quartz that has been treasured since antiquity.  Chalcedony is not a very expensive gemstone, but it can be absolutely stunning when properly used in a piece of jewelry – as this example proves.

-Platinum is a very tough, strong and hard-wearing jewelry metal.  In fact, native platinum is as hard as pure iron.  This means that, all else being equal, platinum jewelry remains in good condition for far longer than softer gold or silver jewelry.  That is certainly the case with this Edwardian platinum pendant, which is over 100 years old, but still looks just as good as the day it was made.

-This Edwardian platinum pendant is almost certainly set with natural pearls!  Because they develop in oysters by pure chance, without the intervention of man, natural pearls have always been incredibly rare.  In fact, before the advent of commercially produced cultured pearls in the late 1910s, only the very wealthiest members of society could afford to indulge in pearl jewelry.  This pendant is one of those baubles of the Edwardian super rich.

-Platinum jewelry alloys are much higher purity than comparable karat gold alloys.  For example, 18 karat gold is only 75% pure while most platinum alloys are either 90% or 95% fine.

-This magnificent pendant contains an (estimated) grand total of 1 full carat of diamonds.  The majority of the weight, probably around 0.8 carats, is in the 8 old European cut diamonds that ring the lavender chalcedony.  These are actually quite sizable for Edwardian period accent diamonds, which is another indicator of the item’s incredibly high quality.

-Platinum is very undervalued at the moment, as evidenced by the platinum-gold ratio trading at substantially under 1.0.  This ratio has spent almost the entirety of the last 120 years well above 1.0, having only dropped decisively below that key threshold within the last few years.  If you have ever had an interest in vintage platinum jewelry, I urge you to take advantage of this unique investment opportunity while platinum prices are still low.

-The quality of this Edwardian platinum pendant is absolutely stellar.  I don’t often recommend jewelry this expensive, but this piece is a true work of art.  Even at a price of nearly $1,950, I think this pendant would make a great investment.

Cons:

-The pin on the back of this Edwardian platinum pendant/brooch has a slightly different color than the rest of the metal, indicating that it might have been replaced at some point in the past.  I consider this a fairly minor demerit for a piece that is otherwise flawless.

-The buy-it-now price of $1,950 might be too much to swallow for some buyers, but vintage items this superb are never cheap.  And it is a near certainty that a piece of comparable antique platinum jewelry will cost you far, far more than just $2,000 in another 10 or 20 years.

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Photo Credit: cutterstone

Artisan Hand-Crafted Sterling Silver Earrings

Asking Price: $176 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Artisan hand-crafted sterling silver earrings have never looked so good!  This gorgeous pair is complemented by faceted blue zircons and purple freshwater cultured pearls.

-These hand-crafted sterling silver earrings measure 1.875 inches (48 mm) long by 0.625 inches (16 mm) wide.

-Cutterstone jewelers is a husband and wife team based in Calimesa, in Southern California.  Cutterstone has been selling on the Etsy platform since 2010.  The husband, John, has been cutting gems since 1975 and repairing/crafting jewelry since about 1990.  This considerable experience is evident in the outstanding quality of every piece of Cutterstone jewelry.

-These hand-crafted sterling silver earrings have had been cast in a carved cuttlebone mold, giving them a uniquely organic, wave-patterned surface.  Cuttlebone casting is an ancient jewelry making technique that uses the bone-like internal structure of cuttlefish – a cephalopod that is closely related to squids.

-The purple pearls set in these earrings are almost certainly Chinese freshwater cultured pearls.  Chinese freshwater pearls, while undeniably beautiful, have been mass-produced in recent decades.  Although relatively common today, China’s ongoing struggle with water pollution makes it an open question whether their rivers will be able to sustainably support a commercial pearl industry in the future.

-A cuttlebone mold is always destroyed in the jewelry making process, ensuring that only a single example of any particular cuttlebone-cast jewelry can ever be made.  These artisan hand-crafted sterling silver earrings are absolutely unique, which makes them very desirable.

-I have had my eye on these earrings for a couple years now.  They are so compellingly beautiful and modestly priced that I simply cannot believe that someone hasn’t come along and snapped them up already!

-Zircon (ZrSiO₄) is a highly under-rated, natural gemstone that comes in a dazzling rainbow of colors; reds, yellows, browns, greens and blues (usually heat-treated) are all possible.  Zircon is not only a relatively hard gem (Moh’s hardness of 6 to 7.5 versus 7 for quartz), but also sports an exceptionally high refractive index (about 1.9 to 2.0 versus 2.42 for diamond), which grants it tremendous sparkle and eye appeal.

-Rather than spending $50 to $100 on a pair of generic costume jewelry earrings, it makes a lot of sense to splurge on these one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted sterling silver earrings instead.  At $176, they are hardly more expensive than most costume jewelry, but have the potential to appreciate in value over time.  And you’ll look fabulous wearing them in the meantime!

Cutterstone Hand-Crafted Jewelry for Sale on Etsy

(These are affiliate links for which I may be compensated)

Cons:

-The intrinsic value of these hand-crafted sterling silver earrings is relatively low.  I estimate that the zircons are worth about $20, the silver around $10 and the freshwater pearls $5 or less.  Even using optimistic assumptions, these earrings have a total intrinsic value of no more than $35 or $40.

-Purchasing contemporary jewelry as an investment is always fraught with risk.  While antique or vintage jewelry is generally safer from an investment standpoint, I believe that carefully chosen, artisan-made new jewelry can be a stealth investment.  In fact, I wrote an article on this very topic, focusing on a marvelous, hand-made Cutterstone pendant that I purchased a few years ago.

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Photo Credit: okeyssecretroom

1920s Tourmaline & Platinum Art Deco Stick Pin

Buy It Now Price: $595 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Here is a magnificent platinum and 18 karat yellow gold Art Deco stick pin from the 1920s.  It is set with a trillion-cut, green tourmaline gemstone and an old European cut diamond.

-This Art Deco stickpin measures approximately 2.5 inches (63.5 mm) long by 0.4 inches (10 mm) wide.  The piece weighs 2.2 grams in total, or approximately 0.071 troy ounces.

-Stick pins were popular from the late 18th century up through the 1920s.  A woman would wear one on her scarf or lapel.  A man would use a stick pin to hold his tie in place, giving rise to the jewelry’s alternative name – tie pin.  While they are not currently mainstream, there is no reason a fashion-forward man or woman couldn’t wear a stickpin today to achieve a distinctive and unique look.

-The combination of a platinum front and karat gold back is typical for 1920s jewelry, where the white look was very much in vogue.  These high intrinsic value precious metals are also indicative of an exemplary piece.  This is confirmed by examining the goldwork, which although relatively simple, is also superlatively wrought.

-The very unusual trillion (triangular) cut green tourmaline set in this Art Deco stick pin weighs an estimated 1 carat.  At the time this piece of jewelry was created, a trillion-cut gem would have been considered a custom-cut, and would have been significantly more expensive than a similarly-sized, standard-cut stone.

-The old European cut diamond set below the tourmaline weighs an estimated 0.05 carats and is a wonderful accent piece that sets off the main stone.  Although it doesn’t have a high intrinsic value, the accent diamond indicates that the jeweler who created this Art Deco stick pin wasn’t skimping on materials or cost.

-Although it is a rather simple design, the aesthetics of this Art Deco stick pin are flawless.  Sometimes the best jewelry is a piece that achieves elegance with a minimum of ostentation.

Cons:

-At $595, the asking price of this Art Deco stick pin is close to the top of the range for antique stick pin jewelry.  However, some of my greatest antique investing mistakes involved refusing to pay up for outstanding quality.  So given my experience, I think this Art Deco stick pin is a superlative piece that justifies its price.

-The intrinsic value of this Art Deco stick pin is rather modest.  The green, trillion-cut tourmaline is probably the most valuable part, with a value close to $100.  The old European cut accent diamond is probably only a $10 to $20 stone.  Although difficult to calculate exactly, the melt value of the gold and platinum is most likely between $50 and $70.  In total, the stickpin has an estimated intrinsic value of no more than $200.  However, you don’t buy an exquisite piece of Art Deco jewelry like this in order to scrap it.

Read more fascinating Antique Sage spotlight posts here.

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Read in-depth Antique Sage investment guides here.