Best web sellers of vintage jewellery inc Ebay sellers!

[ArtDeco]

Gemcherub Morgan is scrummy! Mine both had Santa outfits at Xmas, so cute!

I think Tinks is right about your lovely ring. Sure you know all this but hallmarking is quite unreliable before 1973 (or 1975 for platinum) when legislation made hallmarking compulsory. Vintage pieces have often also had several owners down the decades and marks can be applied after manufacture by a secondary seller who wants to prove what they have got. I have a ring like that, it's a Deco design but I firmly believe it comes from the post-WW2 revival when Deco style was massively popular again as people harked back to the good old inter-war period. It's marked '950' in what we'd recognise as Deco style font which was actually far more usual in the 40s as jewellers sought to make their pieces as authentic-looking as poss. I'd say the design of yours is definitely French, the marquise influence is clearly there, and the cut also dates it to late Edwardian.

I also love antique jewellery boxes and cases. I bought a diamond brooch from Ullmanns and it came in the original box from Carrington and Co Regent St. Did some digging and they were royal jewellers (there's a heraldic crest in box) and eventually were bought out by Mappin and Webb who are still there if you know where I mean, fairly near where the Poxytane shop is now :wink:

Can I just say everyone I'm loving this thread, thanks for joining me and brightening my day :hi:. Am typing quietly one-handed and hoping the baby stays asleep on my lap so I can reply to you all!

 

[ArtDeco]

Art Deco my ex husband and son were both asleep upstairs when they came in. I was away for the weekend. It was horrible at the time but no one was hurt and the instance replaced everything. In many respects we were lucky. They wanted the car and anything else was a bonus. We live in a very safe neighbourhood and robberies are very very rare.

I do hide my expensive jewellery now though and I have security lights etc. I don't feel vulnerable at all.

Have to say where we live is very safe too, been here seven years, neighbours been here 32 years from when the houses were built and no-one's even heard of a break-in. It's very suburban, all detached which means people could in theory get round the back at either side, though all our gardens back on to each other. To be honest most people here either have one person working from home, a couple of us are at home with kids, many retired, so there's usually someone around. And we are all total net curtain twitchers, nothing gets missed, OH says we are a close of trap-door spiders! If someone gets a parcel from a new online seller and someone else takes it in we all know where people have been spending their brass! Have to say we are all good friends as well as neighbours, we're not in and out of each others business (other than amusing speculation over online purchases!) but we are all there for each other when it counts. Had a power cut a couple of weeks ago and we were all out in the close swapping torches and disabling each others screaming alarms, those of us with a gas hob making hot drinks for those who've gone over to induction!

 

[ArtDeco]

I keep threatening to sell some of my jewellery to raise money to buy more! I really don't imagine I'll ever wear my eternity ring again, as I've realised I much prefer vintage and my eternity is a new piece, platinum claw-set, 5 diamonds totalling .65ct, G colour, VS clarity, very good cut (bought loose and properly graded by a reputable diamond merchant!) Not that much sentimental value really, a lovely piece objectively and worth quite a bit in todays market, but doesn't really speak to me IYKWIM. Took me a long time to realise I far perfer vintage. Might try my luck on Fleabay, be a seller this time, not a buyer!

Meant to say Vienna your engagement ring sounds fabulous. The diamond merchant I worked for always sourced his stones in Israel, he travelled there twice a year and always maintained it was the best place to buy from. He was properly GIA trained and knew his stuff. Went straight to him for my engagement ring (which I don't really wear now, again, bit too modern for me!) it's a really unusual design, high set three stones in platinum, claws look quite spidery, which is hilarious as I hate the dratted things! Must find out how to upload photos on here...

 

[ArtDeco]

Vienna and Tinks - I need to take photos my jewels for insurance, they told me to do it ages ago and I haven't got on with it, thanks for the reminder!

Sascha - where did you get your diamond tester from? I'd like one! I have a feeling Captain 6 Antiques are based in Lancaster where I am. I know Laurelle and Emerald Aisle are, two other Ebay sellers. I'm sure Nickerla is in Grange-over-Sands, just up the road, favoured by Victoria Wood as a place to take the mickey out of! Not that it matters with the web being so worldwide (ha ha!) but I wish I knew where they kept their stock!

My local high end jeweller has just reduced all his pre-owned stock by 50%! OH says in the current economic climate people are selling more than buying so there's a bit of a glut.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Art Deco ... do make a note of what you know about the piece too. I had a receipt for my Tiffany bracelet so there was no argument, but I do know other people have had a bit of a fight to get the insurers to cough up for jewellery.

And do check your insurance to see what value limit they place on personal possessions. They will want you to let them know about individual pieces over a certain value ... mine is £1500. And they will also place a limit on personal possessions. So if you have umpty dumpty pieces under £1500 and together they go over the limit they may not pay out. You are far better to list the items and pay extra if you need to.

 

[ArtDeco]

Art Deco ... do make a note of what you know about the piece too. I had a receipt for my Tiffany bracelet so there was no argument, but I do know other people have had a bit of a fight to get the insurers to cough up for jewellery.

And do check your insurance to see what value limit they place on personal possessions. They will want you to let them know about individual pieces over a certain value ... mine is £1500. And they will also place a limit on personal possessions. So if you have umpty dumpty pieces under £1500 and together they go over the limit they may not pay out. You are far better to list the items and pay extra if you need to.

Thanks Tinkerbelle. My policy dates back some years and whilst quite costly relatively speaking it is very generous in the event of a claim. Single items are covered up to £5000 in the house, £1500 outside, so I pay a premium for more expensive pieces which are listed. The cover for personal possessions is unlimited, which is why I keep the policy - doubt I'd get something similar now. In fact when I'm in the bank, renewing car insurance etc etc and they ask about my home insurance to try and get me to switch to them they go white and say they can't match it! But I do need to get photos taken. I've kept all web-based info on online purchases too.

 

[Sacha]

Sascha - where did you get your diamond tester from? I'd like one! I have a feeling Captain 6 Antiques are based in Lancaster where I am. I know Laurelle and Emerald Aisle are, two other Ebay sellers. I'm sure Nickerla is in Grange-over-Sands, just up the road, favoured by Victoria Wood as a place to take the mickey out of! Not that it matters with the web being so worldwide (ha ha!) but I wish I knew where they kept their stock!

My local high end jeweller has just reduced all his pre-owned stock by 50%! OH says in the current economic climate people are selling more than buying so there's a bit of a glut.

Hi, at first I couldn't recall if it came from Amazon or Ebay as I got some jewellery digital scales at the same time. It's available from both but there are more sellers on Ebay, as you might expect. Mine is marked 'Dalman Diamond Tester' and came in a protective pouch in a box with instructions...in English. The nearest match I can find is the seller 'directsales' as their description matches the one I have and the name seems familiar....it was a few years since my purchase. :blush:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Diamo...407&pid=100040&prg=1011&rk=1&sd=400358622778&

 

[gemcherub]

Tinkerbelle and Pinkpussycat can we see your beautifull sounding rings please?
Artdeco don't you have any photos?
You could sell your ring on here and save on fees x
PS how old is your eldest?

 

[Tinkerbelle]

That all went weird and posted twice. Sorry!!

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I've posted mine on here before. I know it wouldn't be everyone's choice but I love it. My previous engagement ring had been a trilogy with a central Ceylon sapphire and my eternity ring was five diamond band. I wore one or the other rarely both. Anyway I wanted something very different. It's 18ct rose gold and a really weighty piece.

View attachment 8707

This is my ring on my right hand so I could take the picture easier

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Oh arse now the pictures have gone lol

 

[Tinkerbelle]

And there's the other one taken with the ring on my right hand. I'm off for a lie down now!

 

[gemcherub]

Wow thank you looks very sparkly x

 

[Tinkerbelle]

It's a stunning central stone. It's almost lit from within. Its a big ring and I will have to have a wedding band made if I wear one at all. I probably won't. And we're not planning to get married any time soon.

The first picture is more true to the actual colour on my screen. It's very peachy pink.

 

[gemcherub]

I've seen Charles & Colvard Moissanite loose in their workshop as they share a building with the jeweller I always use in Birmingham.
They were showing me pieces and CAD ring designs and the finished rings but I just don't get it myself? I know its very popular but to give me a diamond anyday.
By the by my ring isn't so big its a 6.5x5.5 cushion but quite deep so I guess 0.80ct-1.00ct?

 

[Tinkerbelle]

It's still a serious bit of bling though GemCherub. I've no real idea of its value. I'd guess that central stone has to at least a carat. Then you've got all the surrounding stones. Given the rings that I've had roughly valued at £1500 yours has to be worth way way more than that.

 

[gemcherub]

I paid £700 for it so feel chuffed now
Thats never a diamond in your ring is it? I've read the posts and I am confused as you've meantioned a pink diamond? If it is I'm the one who needs to lie down lol I thought my 2ct Lucida was big lol

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Christ no! It's a morganite lol. It's 4 carats (I think ... it might be 4.5). Either way its not a diamond.

I know a lot about jewellery ... styles, cuts etc ... but I'm not that hot on valuations but that has to be worth way more than you paid for it.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Vienna is the lucky girl with the pink diamond.

 

[gemcherub]

Christ no! It's a morganite lol. It's 4 carats (I think ... it might be 4.5). Either way its not a diamond.

I know a lot about jewellery ... styles, cuts etc ... but I'm not that hot on valuations but that has to be worth way more than you paid for it.

Lol I nearly fainted. Was there mention of a pink diamond or am I going mad?