Now that you are on your way to having a fabulous vintage jewelry collection, it is important to make sure that each and every piece holds its value. Knowing whatmakes vintage jewelry valuable and the value of your existing collection isnecessary and helpful for a couple different reasons.  One very important reason is that it helps you to protectyour collection in the event of a catastrophe such as natural disaster or a 

robbery. When filing a police orinsurance report, you must be able to claim what pieces are missing ordestroyed, and how much they are worth. Trust me, as time goes on and your collection grows, you won’t remembereach and every piece you own and how much you bough it for. Be sure and save all of your receipts and digitize your collection on iTaggit by uploading photos of your jewelry and its accompanying documentation.  iTaggit also makes it easy to print reports of your collection with one click.  You will be happy you took these few extra steps to protect your treasures!

Another reason it is important to know the value of youcollection is when it comes to selling individual pieces.  Whether you are selling your jewelry tomake room for new pieces or selling it to make a little extra cash, knowingwhat makes vintage jewelry valuable can be very helpful when it comes topreserving the value of your own pieces and naming your prices.  The more you know, the more informationyou can use to back up your prices with valid selling points.  And when it comes to vintage andcostume jewelry, buying low and selling high is part of the trade. 

So what exactly makesvintage jewelry valuable?  I havedone a little research on the topic and would love to share with you what Ihave learned.

Below are some basic criteria considered when valuingvintage and costume jewelry:

*  The physicalcondition of the piece.  Is thepiece well cared for?  This doesnot mean that it has to be all shiny and new.  This is vintage jewelrywe are talking about here, meaning it was made in the past. The differencebetween a old, tarnished vintage piece and a valuable vintage piece is whetheror not the jewelry actually looks its age. Signs that a piece is not well caredfor can include missing, dirty, or discolored stones, broken clasps and links,chipping gold or silver plating.

*  Was it wellcrafted?  You can tell if you arelooking at a piece that was well made by looking for things such as an artistssignature or asking for additional information about the piece when youpurchase it.  Invest in a jeweler’sloupe (small, but powerful magnifying glass) to carefully observe jewelry.  If you find a “made in china” signaturesomewhere on a piece that you know was not hand crafted in china, chances arethat piece isn’t going to hold its value too much. 

*  Weight.  Does the piece feel heavy in yourhand?  Does it have substance?

*  Quality ofthe metal.  Is the item genuinegold or silver?  If it is costumejewelry, does the plating look cheap, discolored or chipping?

*  The quality of the stones.  Are all of thestones in tact, unbroken, clear, and free of chips?

* Settings.  Are the settingsof good quality?  Pronged are themost desirable settings.

Keeping your jewelry stored correctly (check out my lastpost, “KeepingYour Vintage as Good as New: How to properly care for antique and vintagejewelry” for tips on how to properly store you jewelry if you missed it!)can greatly affect all of these criteria. Remember to keep your jewelry in mint condition by keeping it in a dry,cool climate, preferably neatly in a jewelry box!

How to Value your Vintage Jewelry

You can easily value your jewelry with iTaggit's ValueRange It tool.  Here's How:

Simply type in the description of your item into the ValueRange It tool and Click "Get Value."

I typed in "Vintage Chanel Pearl Necklace."  iTaggit's ValueRange It tool displays for you today's average market value for your item as well as a graph showing you the average value over the last 90 days.  Below the graph, you will notice a list of catagories and items that iTaggit has pulled from various locations to determine the current average selling price for your item. 

Sometimes it is necessary to check the boxes and delete items irrelevant to your search in order to get the most accurate value of your item.  For example, I notices that there is a Vintage Goldtone Linked Pearl and Jet Chanel Necklace listed for $6.99.  To get an even more accurate value, you would need to check the box next to that listing and click delete check item to get rid of the irrelevant listing.  The ValueRange It tool will automatically take that into account and revalue your item!  You can also check all boxes that are relevant and click "Keep Only Checked" if more than one irrelevant listing shows up in your search (this is a really convenient feature!), or refine the search by catagory on the left hand side. 

It sure is quick, easy, and accurate, right? 

The first 25 users to email me at sbrown@itaggit.com get 10 free uses of the iTaggit ValueRange It tool and a free subscription upgrade!!  Act fast before everyone else snags up the offer!!