You may have some jewelry about which you would like more information. There are generally two areas of interest... market value and jewelry history.

 

 
JEWELRY VALUE

Like any antique or collectible, the value of costume jewelry is determined by several factors: condition, rarity, artistic merit, selling venue, geographic area, and current trends. Costume jewelry has little inherent value because it is not usually made of precious metals or gems. It's value is not measured in a standardized way by stone size or karats, but rather by comparison to other sales in the market. 

It is possible to comparison shop at antique malls, shows and on the internet. Using the search engines, eBay or links pages to find jewelry web sites and browse the on-line auctions can add to your understanding of what is selling well and at what price. It is not definitive, but can give you general ideas about value. In addition, these Jewel Chat articles about QUALITY and DECADES will help you assess your jewelry and it's age. In the world of costume jewelry, remember that condition counts heavily. Damaged finish, missing or dull stones and broken parts drastically affect value. We rarely purchase pieces needing major restoration as we want to give out customers the very best most original pieces possible. Jewelry that is damaged or repaired has much less value than jewelry in original condition.

Appraisals by a jewelry store are usually replacement value for insurance purposes only and are much higher than actual retail prices will be. Contemporary fine jewelers often do not place much value on vintage costume jewelry at all. Because they are more accustomed to valuing jewelry based only on weight and stone size with little regard for historical or collectible interest.

There are many jewelry books with price guides, and they are fun to read and learn from. Be wary of using book values only, though, as books can be misleading. Some book values are set by the owner/collector of the jewelry rather than by an actual sales and therefore can be inaccurate. Also, note the year in which the book was published, as desirability can change rapidly with the fluctuations of supply and demand.... and with what's hot and what's not at any given time.

In the end, however, if you are selling, your jewelry is worth only what someone is willing to pay you for it, regardless of what "The Book" says, or what was on "The Antiques Road Show".

 
SELLING VENUES

After doing the research to price your jewelry you may choose to sell it yourself. If you wish to sell at retail prices you must establish a website, rent a mall space, or sell in an on-line auction. Some people will enjoy the challenge and learning experience of doing this. I do!

If you would like to sell to a dealer, select one who specializes in jewelry and who has a good reputation for fair dealing. Most dealers do not like to play a guessing game, so have an idea how much you want for your jewelry. A dealer must buy at a percentage of the price for which he/she expects to sell the jewelry.  Every dealer's percentage and the items they want to buy will vary depending on what they sell best, what they are known for, and what they have buyers for at any given time. 

As a dealer, I am often asked how I get so many wonderful pieces of jewelry. The answer is that I pay a fair price for worthwhile pieces, and deal honestly with sellers. Jewelry comes and goes, but a good reputation is irreplaceable. If you would like to see the kind of jewelry, purses and accessories I buy, you can browse Morning Glory Collects.

If you would like to sell, I am always delighted to see pictures and a price list, and you can E-mail me HERE. I am always interested in great jewelry, and can buy anything from an individual piece to an entire estate.

 

 
JEWELRY HISTORY

 If you want to know more about the history of jewelry there are literally hundreds of resources on the subject. JEWEL CHAT  is a wonderful reference where there is information available about many makers and styles of jewelry, and I add articles on a regular basis. I offer JEWEL CHAT  free of charge because I love to share information about vintage jewelry, and in that way I can share with many people all at once.

Dates, marks and manufacturers can also be found on this REFERENCE PAGE, jewelry dating information can be found on JEWELRY BY THE  DECADES. These will help you access the many resources on this web site.  Many books about jewelry are also available, and browsing an on-line book store like Amazon.com will give you an idea of what has been published in your area of interest.

There is no short-cut to learning about antiques, jewelry or otherwise. It took me years to learn about what I do for a living. It takes time and effort to learn about any area of collecting but it is joyously rewarding.

 

HOWEVER.... and there are no exceptions to this...

It is no longer possible to respond to individual questions regarding jewelry history, identification or value, or to offer written or verbal appraisals or opinions. The demand for this kind of information is absolutely too overwhelming for one dealer to fill. 

I love jewelry, but appraising and selling are two entirely different businesses, and I choose selling as my business.

So take advantage of the information above, do your homework and be enriched by the experience for yourself.
And if do you become ready to sell, please let me know. I am interested in buying wonderful and unusual vintage jewelry.


WE ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING JEWELRY & ANTIQUES
To see what we have purchased in the past, please see Morning Glory Collects.

If you would like to sell, whether a single piece or an entire estate, I am delighted to see pictures and a price list, and you can E-mail me HERE.

Thank you for shopping at Morning Glory Antiques!
 

 
UPDATE 2008
Since I am inundated with questions about selling to a dealer, let me offer a few tips.

 Even though I buy jewelry almost every day, I do not buy everything I am offered... who could? I buy based on what is popular, desirable and what I think will do well for me. As the WWII generation ages and dies, LOTS of jewelry is coming out of the woodwork and pieces that we used to think were rare are plentiful. That also means there is a huge group of jewelry floating around now looking for a buyer.  That is not to say there are not some wonderful pieces, too... there are and I buy many lovely pieces through this web site every day! But both buyers and dealers have more in quantity to choose from today than ever before and because of that, I find my buyers can afford to be even more selective, so I must be, too.

So if you would like to SELL, whether to me or another dealer, here's some advice you might consider to make the transaction both fun and profitable for both sides.

1. Be thorough. Since I am sure you would like the best possible price, take the best possible care to clearly state what it is you have for sale. I get many emails a day asking if I would like to buy something, but with no pictures and no real description of what is being offered (name, size, color since monitors can differ, and condition are a minimum). That's a waste of both your time and the dealer's.

2. Do your homework. Most dealers not keen on guessing games and "what will you offer" is only a thinly veiled request for a free appraisal. Have an idea how much you would like for what you are selling. There is little excuse these days with such rich sources of information on the internet NOT to know how much you want. (I might add here that if someone asks too little for a piece, I will offer and pay more. I always want them to leave the transaction happy and feeling fairly treated. My goal is to be the one they come to the next time they find something wonderful, too! That is exactly how I get such wonderful things). Asking for offers may get you ignored at best or a low offer at worst. If you sound intelligent and reasonable, your response from a dealer will usually be likewise. If you are reluctant to do your homework then my bet is that the price you realize if you DO happen to sell something will be way too low.

3.  Be reasonable. The mark-up in antiques is NOT 10%. For most antiques businesses, expenses eat up at least 25-30% of the retail price. That means if we sell a $100.00 piece, $25.00 of that will cover charge card fees, rent, supplies, web site costs, insurance, payroll, etc. So if we paid $50.00 for that piece that leaves $25.00 profit for us. (These are just example figures, but you get the drift).

   What a dealer will pay can vary widely. It will depend on what they specialize in, how knowledgeable they are, what they are expert in and sell best. It can also depend on how fair and honest a dealer is. Sell to someone with an excellent reputation. There is no set formula of how much a dealer will pay for anything, but in general do not expect to get more than 1/3 to 1/2 of full retail. There will always be exceptions, and rare or special things can bring much more (especially from ME!). But a dealer is not going to pay you $20.00 for a pair of earrings they can sell at $25.00.... there is just too little profit to be worth the work and expense.  And if you can find your item all over ebay for $25.00, do not expect to get that from a dealer, either!

4.  Understand that unless they know you, not too many dealers are willing to send large amounts of money before seeing the goods in person. Unlike individual sellers, most dealers have a presence either on line or in a bricks-and-mortar shop to show their credentials. As experts, dealers may find repairs or damage that would not be obvious to a seller so it can be important to see a piece before agreeing to purchase it. That means you must feel safe with the person to whom you are sending your jewelry. You should also have a clear advance agreement of what the payment policy will be. In the event that I have not paid in advance, for instance, but am buying on approval, I guarantee a seller that they will hear from me via email the day their package arrives and that I will either send my payment the next day or politely decline the jewelry if there is a problem, state what that problem is, and mail it back the next day. Asking for that kind of agreement is perfectly reasonable.

Hope this is useful!