Makers marks and hallmarks: the stamps that anchor value
A makers mark is the stamp a workshop or jeweler punched into a piece to sign it; a hallmark is the official stamp certifying the metal's fineness. Together they answer the two questions every buyer asks first: who made this, and what is it made of. A documented maker can multiply a piece's value over an identical unsigned one, and a fineness mark tells you the melt floor before anyone debates the artistry.
The two traditions differ. British pieces typically carry a full set of official hallmarks: a fineness mark, an assay office mark and a date letter, which can pin a piece to a city and year. American pieces usually carry only a fineness stamp like 14K or STERLING plus the makers mark, so identifying the maker does more of the work. Worn, tiny or unfamiliar stamps are exactly what our counters read every week, free, with a loupe in front of you.
Faceted stones, old cuts and cabochons
A faceted stone is cut with flat polished faces to throw light; a cabochon is polished into a smooth dome. Antique pieces often carry faceted diamonds in old-mine or old-European cuts, hand-cut shapes with small chunky facets and a soft glow that modern brilliant cuts do not reproduce. Collectors increasingly pay for those old cuts rather than discounting them, so never recut or "upgrade" an antique stone before selling. Cabochons dominate in antique garnet, opal, moonstone and turquoise work, where the material shows best without facets.
Define diadem: the diadem and diadems definition, coronets and other headpieces
A diadem is a jeweled headband or crown form, the open circlet you see in portraits from the Georgian and Victorian eras through the 1920s. Most diadems that surface in estates today are costume pieces made for weddings, pageants and theater, worth little beyond decoration. Precious ones are exceptional: solid gold or silver construction, real stones and period craftsmanship, and they can be significant finds. A coronet is the same idea in full-crown form, a small crown worn by nobility below a monarch, and coronet-set stones borrow the name for a crown-shaped prong arrangement. The difference between costume and precious takes minutes to establish with a magnet, a loupe and an XRF test, all free at the counter.
Talisman jewelry: the talismanic definition and meaning, and how talismans are priced
A talisman is an amulet or symbolic piece worn for protection or luck: hands, evil eyes, saints, zodiac charms, lockets with inscriptions. Talismans are priced on three things: the metal they are made of, their age, and the quality of the craft. A gold talisman always carries its melt value at minimum; a documented antique one with fine work carries more. Sentimental symbolism itself does not add market value, but the age and workmanship that usually come with it do.
Brooches and pins: is there a difference, and do they sell?
In the trade, the brooch is the ornament and the pin is the mechanism that fastens it, which is why an appraiser may call the same piece by either name. Period brooches sell on the same two layers as everything else on this page: the precious metal underneath sets the floor, and the age and craft build on top. Georgian, Victorian and Art Deco brooches with intact fittings and fine work are steady sellers, and even a damaged gold brooch never falls below its melt value.
Festoon, lapidary and other terms appraisers use
A festoon necklace drapes in swags, chains or garlands hanging between fixed points, a style beloved in Victorian and Edwardian work. Lapidary is the craft of cutting and polishing stones, so a "fine lapidary work" note on an appraisal praises the stone cutting rather than the metal. And a boule is the carrot-shaped ingot of lab-grown corundum produced by the Verneuil process, which is how synthetic rubies and sapphires have been made since the early 1900s; a synthetic stone in a genuinely old setting is common and does not make the piece a fake, just a piece priced on its metal and craft.
Brooches: the definition, plus vintage and decorative pins
The definition is simple: a brooch is an ornament made to fasten to clothing, worn on the chest, lapel or shoulder, with the pin as its working mechanism. Vintage brooches and decorative pins turn up in nearly every estate box we open, and the sorting rule is always the same: precious metal first, then age, maker and condition. A gold Victorian brooch with its original fitting sells on both layers; a base-metal costume piece, however decorative, sells on neither.
Cameos and hairwork (hair work) jewelry
A cameo is a design carved in relief, classically from shell, agate or coral, and Georgian and Victorian cameos in gold frames are steady estate finds; the carving quality and the frame's metal decide the money. Hairwork jewelry, pieces woven from or containing human hair, was Victorian mourning tradition, and while the sentiment does not price, the gold fittings and fine period examples genuinely do. Neither should ever be cleaned or restrung before an appraisal.
Rose cut diamonds and the diamond cluster ring
A rose cut diamond has a flat base and a domed crown of triangular facets, a hand-cut style dating to the 1500s that glows softly rather than sparkling, and genuine rose cuts are prized by collectors precisely because nobody cuts stones that way commercially anymore. The diamond cluster ring, small stones grouped to read as one larger stone, is the other estate staple: it is priced on the total stone weight and the mounting's metal, honestly and separately.
Spanish necklaces, Roman jewellery and the jewelry of ancient Rome
Spanish necklaces in the antique trade usually mean Iberian gold work: filigree, religious medallions and the high-karat yellow gold Spain and its colonies favored, often purer than American 14K and worth more per gram accordingly. Jewelry in ancient Rome ran to gold serpent bracelets, intaglio rings and glass beads; genuine Roman pieces belong with an antiquities specialist, but the Roman-revival jewelry the Victorians made in imitation is exactly what our counters see and buy.
Sapphire earrings and the vintage cocktail ring
Sapphire earrings from old estates are checked for two things: whether the stones are natural or the early synthetics that flooded settings after 1900, and what the mounting metal is. Both checks are free and settle the price honestly. The vintage cocktail ring, the big bold dinner ring of the 1940s and 1950s, sells on the same two layers, and the oversized colored stone at its center is often the smaller part of the value next to the gold.
Sterling silver vintage jewelry and rings
Vintage sterling silver jewelry, rings included, always has its melt floor at the live silver price, and the right names build real premiums on top: Georg Jensen, early Mexican silver from Taxco, and signed Arts and Crafts work all bring collector money. Unsigned sterling is bought on weight, cheerfully and by the boxful, so bring the whole drawer rather than guessing at the counter's answer.
Define faceted: the faceting, facets, festooned, festoon and embossing definitions appraisers assume you know
To define faceted simply: a faceted stone is cut with flat polished faces, and faceting is the lapidary craft of placing those facets so the stone returns light. The definition of festooned is draped in garlands or swags, which is why a festoon necklace hangs its chains between fixed points. An embossing definition worth keeping: a design raised in relief from the metal's surface, the machine-age cousin of hand repoussé. None of these words changes what a piece is made of; they describe the work, and the work builds value on top of the metal.
Boule: the definition behind synthetic rubies and sapphires
A boule is the carrot-shaped single-crystal ingot grown by the Verneuil flame-fusion process, the method that has produced synthetic ruby and sapphire since the early 1900s. Stones cut from a boule are chemically real corundum but lab-grown, and they appear in genuinely old settings constantly. A synthetic stone does not make an antique a fake; it just means the piece is priced on its metal, age and craft rather than the stone.
Star setting, prongs and burnished finishes
A star setting sinks the stone into the metal at the center of an engraved star, a Victorian favorite for diamonds in wide band rings. Prongs are the small metal claws that grip a stone above the surface, the most common setting of all, and worn prongs are a repair note rather than a value killer at our counter. A burnished finish is metal polished to a mirror by rubbing with a hard tool, and burnished-set stones sit flush inside the metal with no prongs at all.
Orfevrerie: the French goldsmith's art on appraisal papers
Orfevrerie is simply the French word for goldsmithing and fine metalwork, and it appears on European appraisal and auction paperwork to describe the quality of the fabrication. A piece praised for its orfevrerie is being praised for its handwork, which is exactly the layer of value that a scrap-only buyer ignores and a trained counter does not.
Bakelite, marcasite, cloisonne (cloisonné) and faience: the materials that fill estate boxes
Bakelite is the early plastic of the 1920s to 1940s, and while it contains no metal, genuine Bakelite bangles and figural pins have real collector markets of their own. Marcasite jewelry sets tiny faceted pyrite-family stones into sterling silver, so its value is the silver plus the condition of the stonework. Cloisonne, also written cloisonné, is enamel fired inside little wire cells, a technique the finest French, Russian and Japanese workshops elevated to art; the metal underneath and the maker decide the money. Faience, the glazed quartz-paste ceramic of ancient Egypt and later Europe, turns up in revival beads and is priced as the collectible it is, not as metal.
Nephrite jade, chrysoberyl, chatoyancy and the cat's eye gemstone
Nephrite is one of the two true jades, the tougher, subtler cousin of jadeite, and antique carved nephrite can carry serious value that has nothing to do with metal. Chrysoberyl is the mineral behind two famous effects: alexandrite's color change and the cat's eye gemstone, whose bright moving line across the dome is called chatoyancy. Both are evaluated by eye and instrument at the counter, free, because a genuine cat's eye chrysoberyl in an old ring is a find worth catching.
Hornblende, prasiolite and stones people mistake for something else
Hornblende is a common dark rock-forming mineral with no gem value, but polished black stones in old jewelry get called everything from onyx to jet, and sorting them honestly is part of the appraisal. Prasiolite is green quartz, usually heat-treated amethyst, attractive and real but far more modest than the emerald it is sometimes hoped to be. Neither answer costs you anything at our counters, and the metal around the stone keeps its full value either way.
What are cubic zirconias, and how to tell if a gemstone is real
Cubic zirconia is a lab-made diamond simulant: convincing to the eye, nearly worthless as a stone, and extremely common in otherwise real gold settings. How to tell if a gemstone is real takes instruments, not folklore: a thermal tester, a loupe, magnification of the facet edges and, when it matters, a lab report. We run the checks free and tell you plainly which stones are genuine, because the gold holds its value regardless and honesty about the stones is what keeps sellers coming back.
How much is a ruby worth? It depends on origin and treatment
Ruby, how much is it worth is really three questions: is it natural or synthetic, has it been treated, and how good are the color and clarity. Old synthetic rubies from the boule era are common in estate rings and carry almost no stone value, while a natural, well-colored ruby can outvalue the gold around it many times over. Origin and heat treatment move the number dramatically, which is why any promising red stone gets the instrument check before we quote.
Chatelaines, lorgnettes, pomanders and Faberge: the objects inside estate lots
A chatelaine is the waist-hung clasp with chains that carried a Victorian household's keys, scissors and thimble; silver and gold examples with original attachments are genuinely collected. A lorgnette is a pair of eyeglasses on a handle, and gold lorgnettes double as jewelry and object. A pomander is the pierced scent-holder pendant of earlier centuries, revived in silver through the 1900s. Faberge, the Russian imperial workshop of Peter Carl Fabergé, is the name that outranks them all: genuine Faberge frames, boxes and hardstone pieces are auction material, and even the possibility earns a careful look rather than a scale.
Quatrefoils and the motifs that date a piece
A quatrefoil is the four-lobed clover-like motif borrowed from Gothic architecture, and its appearances help date jewelry: Gothic revival Victorians loved it, and modern luxury houses built entire collections on it. Motifs are honest dating evidence because they follow fashion, and dating a piece correctly is often the difference between a scrap quote and a period-jewelry offer.
Classical jewellery, art deco jewellery, 80's jewellery and jewellery in the 80s
Classical jewellery in the trade means work in the Greco-Roman tradition and its revivals, priced like the Roman-revival pieces above: metal first, then period and craft. Art deco jewellery, the geometric platinum-and-diamond style of the 1920s and 1930s, remains the most demanded period in the estate market, and genuine deco pieces with old cuts and original mountings command real premiums. Jewellery in the 80s went the other way: bold, yellow, and heavy, which makes 80's jewellery a quiet winner today, because those chunky chains and earrings carry serious gram weight at today's gold prices even when the style is dated.
Birthstones per month: the gem, gemstone and birthstone for every birth month
Every month has its birthstone, from January's garnet through December's turquoise and tanzanite, and birthstone jewelry is a steady share of what estates contain. The stone rarely drives the price; the mounting metal and the maker do, with the birthstone adding when it is a precious example like ruby, sapphire or emerald. Our full birthstones by month guide walks all twelve.
The glossary: what each term does to value
| Term | What it means | What it does to value |
|---|---|---|
| Makers mark | The workshop or jeweler's signature stamp | A documented maker can multiply value over an unsigned twin |
| Hallmark | Official stamp certifying metal fineness, fullest on British pieces | Confirms the metal and can date the piece; anchors the melt floor |
| Faceted | Stone cut with flat faces to throw light | Old-mine and European cuts now command their own premium |
| Cabochon | Stone polished into a smooth dome | Standard for opal, moonstone, garnet; value rides on the material |
| Diadem | Jeweled headband or crown form | Usually costume; precious examples are exceptional finds |
| Talisman | Amulet or symbolic protective piece | Priced on metal plus age plus craft, never on the symbolism alone |
| Lavalier | Drop-pendant necklace, Edwardian era | Fine period examples in gold and platinum sell well |
| Filigree | Fine twisted-wire openwork, common 1900s to 1930s | Intact delicate work adds; damage is hard to repair invisibly |
| Repoussé | Metal hammered into relief from the reverse | Hand craft that adds when crisp, especially on silver |
| Vermeil | Gold-plated sterling silver, not solid gold | Worth its silver plus any maker premium; we test free to confirm |
The honest summary: marks anchor value, metal sets the floor, and age and craft build on top. If a term on your appraisal is not here, bring the paper with the piece and we will translate both.
Do not guess at worn stamps or mystery metals. Bring the piece and we read the marks free, test the metal in front of you, and pay the same day.
See how selling antiques worksAntique jewelry term FAQs
How do makers marks differ from hallmarks?
A makers mark identifies who made the piece; a hallmark certifies what it is made of. British pieces usually carry both in a full official set, while American pieces typically show just a fineness stamp and the maker. Both matter: the maker drives the collector premium, the fineness sets the melt floor.
What is the lavalier meaning in antique jewelry?
A lavalier is a drop-pendant necklace, typically a delicate chain carrying a small pendant with a dangling stone or pearl. The form peaked in the Edwardian era, and fine examples in gold or platinum with old-cut stones sell well as intact period pieces.
Are diadems found in estates ever valuable?
Occasionally, and that is why they are worth checking. Most are costume pieces from weddings and theater, but a precious diadem in solid gold or silver with real stones is an exceptional find. A magnet, a loupe and a free XRF test settle it in minutes.
What does faceted mean on an old appraisal?
The stone is cut with flat polished faces rather than a smooth dome. On antique pieces the facets are often old-mine or old-European cuts, hand-cut shapes that collectors now pay a premium for, so never have an antique stone recut before selling it.
Is vermeil the same as solid gold?
No. Vermeil is gold-plated sterling silver, so its metal value is the silver underneath plus the maker premium, not a gold price. It can look identical to solid gold on the surface, which is exactly what the free XRF test at our counter resolves in front of you.
Do talismans and amulets have real market value?
When they are precious metal, always: the gold or silver sets a floor at the live market price. Age and craftsmanship add on top of that, and documented antique talismans with fine work can carry a genuine collector premium. Symbolism alone, on a base-metal piece, does not.