Pieces of jewelry have been used to show status and wealth for centuries. The fact that people have been enamored with jewelry for so long means that there are many quality estate pieces available for purchase.
Estate jewelry can tell a story and often has more character than modern pieces.
The purchase of an estate piece is essentially an investment in your future, and there are some very compelling reasons why investing in estate jewelry is wise.
1. Estate Jewelry is Environmentally Friendly
Concern for the environment is higher than it has ever been among consumers. The jewelry industry is directly tied to the environment, since the metals and gemstones used in the creation of each piece must be mined from the Earth.
The materials used to manufacture estate pieces were mined before commercial mining practices became popular. This means that an estate jewelry piece is more environmentally friendly than its modern counterparts.
If you want to reduce your impact on the environment without sacrificing your access to beautiful jewelry pieces, invest in estate jewelry.
2. Estate Jewelry Can Contain Famous Gemstones
Certain mines throughout the world have gained a reputation for producing extraordinary gemstones. Unfortunately, some of these mines have long been defunct. The only way to obtain a jewelry item that features a stone from a depleted or abandoned mine is to invest in estate jewelry.
Some examples of gemstones used in estate jewelry that can be challenging to source today include turquoise from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona and emeralds from the Malysheva mine in Russia.
Since old-time miners didn't realize how scarce the stones would become when these mines were first worked, the gems tended to be more affordable for jewelry makers of the time.
Estate jewelry pieces give you the opportunity to own a rare and unique gemstone at a fraction of the cost you would pay for a modern jewelry piece with the same stone.
3. Estate Jewelry is Unique
Many of the jewelry pieces produced by modern designers are manufactured en masse. Estate jewelry pieces that were crafted before the industrial revolution were each created by hand.
Jewelers would work by candlelight to set each stone and create each decorative metal element. The difficulty of crafting jewelry by hand meant that fewer pieces were produced by each jeweler.
As a result, most estate pieces tend to be rare or one-of-a-kind. Anyone who likes the idea of owning something that can't be found anywhere else will benefit from investing in estate jewelry pieces.
4. Estate Jewelry Doubles as Art
Jewelry items are essentially small works of art. The appearance of a piece can tell you a lot about the aesthetic sensibilities of the time period in which it was created. For example, many people enjoy a Victorian or Edwardian aesthetic but find it challenging to source modern jewelry that reflects these time periods.
Estate pieces can be purchased to give vintage and antique lovers access to a real piece of history. You can choose to collect jewelry items from multiple eras, or limit your collection to the time period that you find most appealing.
Modern replicas of vintage and antique jewelry pieces lack the fineness and attention to detail the real items possess. An investment in estate jewelry is essentially an investment in a wearable piece of art.
In a world that is filled with economic uncertainty, investing in precious metals and gemstones can be wise. Estate jewelry tends to hold its value because of the quality materials and craftsmanship featured in estate jewelry items.
Contact Staples Jewelry to learn more about our collection of unique and affordable estate jewelry.