#GoldTone #Vintage #Costume #Jewelry #Buy #Leave #WorthPoint
Once upon a time, plain gold-tone pieces were the ugly stepsisters of the costume jewelry kingdom. I’d witness plain gold jewelry sit in brick-and-mortar shops and online venues for years, waiting to find someone who would love owning it. The good news is that times and tastes change; now, it’s much easier to market certain types and brands of plain gold-tone jewelry.
Does that mean you should buy every piece of gold-colored costume jewelry you encounter? No, but there are some sure sellers you can count on if you buy prudently. Others, however, you’d still be wise to avoid.
Gold-Tone Jewelry Early to New
Jewelry imitating gold has been made for centuries. For instance, sometimes you’ll find Victorian designs made of materials like pinchbeck or rolled gold. These are worth picking up if the price is right and the condition is good since many buyers are still seeking all things Victorian. They’re not common, so don’t expect to run across them often. Not familiar with these terms? You can learn more about how to recognize pinchbeck, rolled gold, and a bevy of other materials used during the Victorian era by reading all about them in the Worthpoint Dictionary.
Here are some other types of gold-colored jewelry you’ll run across more frequently:
Gold-filled—These pieces, created by bonding thin layers of gold to base metal, were first made in the 1800s, but in 1934, the law stepped in to protect consumers by regulating the material. Government mandates led to gold-filled jewelry pieces being marked to be easily identified. Look for stamps like “1/20 12K G.F.” on these designs, with 10-karat gold being the minimum fineness used to create them. Krementz and Van Dell are two brands that used this type of mark, and since gold-filled jewelry wears well over time, they’re usually in pretty good condition.
One thing to remember is that the desirability of gold-filled jewelry depends largely on the design, so it’s important not to overpay. Items like intricately crafted cuff bracelets, in other words, are worth more than small circle pins. Use the Worthpoint app while you’re out shopping to separate gold-filled items to buy from those to leave behind.
Gold-plated—What you’ll find even more often is gold-plated costume jewelry. Gold plating equates to a layer of gold applied over base metal. The quality varies depending on the manufacturer and sometimes on the age of the piece. For instance, during the World War II era, many pieces of costume jewelry were produced using sterling silver. The look of gold was popular in retro design; however, so many of these styles were plated with what collectors call a “gold wash.” This wash is a thin layer of gold plating, and with heavy use, it tended to wear away. It doesn’t mean a piece is worthless if the gold-washed sterling is worn, but be sure to pay according to the condition.
Many other types of costume jewelry moving into the ‘50s and ‘60s were gold plated more heavily, so the finish wore a bit better over time. By the ‘60s, brushed gold-tone finishes became more popular, and in the ’80s, jewelry was made with a matte gold finish quite frequently. Since so many different companies made gold-plated costume jewelry, it’s important to look at the overall design and quality when purchasing these pieces.
For instance, Monet made lots of gold-plated jewelry from the 1940s through the 1970s. Their advertising tagline, in fact, was “in the golden manner of Monet.” It was hard to sell these pieces for quite some time, but now they’re garnering a lot more interest from collectors. Many pieces of Monet are worth picking up now, especially bib, collar, and lariat necklaces, even though that wasn’t the case 10-15 years ago.
Lower-end brands and unmarked gold-plated jewelry can still be difficult to sell, so keep that in mind while you’re thrifting.
High-End Brands to Look for, with a Caveat
As the 1970s wore on, jewelry tastes changed, and more demure pieces of gold-plated jewelry were marketed to consumers. These usually imitate fine jewelry rather than being overtly faux like the fashion jewelry of the 1960s. By the ‘80s, however, fashion jewelry was back in a big way. Brands like Chanel and Dior made lots of gold-plated jewelry during this time period. Gold-plated pieces marked Dior were among those that would languish in shops previously, but now there’s more demand for them, so they’re worth buying at the right price.
The same goes for gold-plated jewelry by Chanel, but be keenly aware of fakes when you run across a too-good-to-be-true deal. Some Chanel copies are very close to the originals, so you must look for key details to determine whether an item is authentic. Earrings are one of the most commonly counterfeit items in the market. To help you identify authentic Chanel earrings, I have written a detailed article for Costume Jewelry Collectors International. Going through this resource before heading out to your preferred high-end store would be helpful.
What to Definitely Avoid
First, let me say that what I buy to wear and what I buy to sell are two different things. If I love the style, I’ll buy a lesser-quality gold-tone necklace or bracelet. When buying for resale, however, I look for brand names and high quality. Whether it’s Napier, Trifari, Ciner, or another well-known manufacturer like Monet, I can count on vintage pieces made by those companies to sell, provided I buy at the right price. I avoid unmarked plain gold pieces for the most part because they tend to get lost in the internet shuffle.
In closing, I’ll also issue the longstanding reminder to leave gold-tone pieces with excessive wear behind. From badly dented Victorian bangles to ‘80s earrings with severely worn plating, you’ll have a hard time finding a buyer for those items. In other words, you probably wouldn’t wear them, and neither will your clientele.
Pamela Siegel is a freelance writer and author who has been educating collectors for more than two decades. In addition to three books on topics relating to antiques and collectibles, she frequently shares her expertise through online writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela is also the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Chic Antiques by Pamela.
WorthPoint—Discover. Value. Preserve.
