Antique Jewels – a long term investment

Style – 1 March 2014

Antique jewels lure women with a premium mindset. They have a story to tell that is worth listening to. They exude style, are well crafted and improve with age.

To help you to navigate the world of antique jewellery, woman with drive spent an afternoon with Kirtsen Albrecht, owner of Australia’s premier jeweller and Melbourne jewellery landmark Kozminsky, to find out what you should look for in an antique piece and how to care for it.

Kozminsky is synonymous with antiquities of note from around the world. It curates a considered selection from significant times in history including Georgian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Momento Mori, Belle Epoch and Mizpah.

“The advantage in buying an antique piece is of course that it’s unique – it’s rare to see duplication in antique jewellery. It holds its price and it is a piece of history; this is something our younger clientele are appreciating too” says Albrecht.

Entering Kozminsky is like entering Aladin’s cave, treasures abound. There are significant pieces that carry a price to match, and then there are stunning pendants, circa 1940, priced at $100. Kozminsky items attract a diverse clientele from rock stars and actors through to Prime Ministers and plumbers.

The Kozminsky team is knowledgeable to say the least: in fact, they speak as historians about the different movements and the history of jewellery. It is a fabulous way to learn while looking at beautiful things – win, win!

Kirsten explains, “More and more women come to us to buy pieces for themselves, they no longer rely on a man to treat them. They know what they want and when they want it, so why wait ?”

A trend for which Mae West lead the way – “I have always felt no gift of diamond shines so much better than one you buy for yourself.”

Kirsten has provided woman with drive with five tips for purchasing your piece or maybe when you’re preparing a ‘gift’ list for your upcoming birthday:

1. Always buy from a reputable and well-regarded jeweler who specialises in vintage jewellery.

2. Take time to consider what style and era interests you and what precious or semi-precious stones relevant to the period.

3. As well as being fun to wear, think of your purchase as an investment to be treasured for future generations.

4. Spend an afternoon surfing the internet for inspiration and education.

5. Always, and we really mean it, decide whether you will be able to wear it and enjoy it as you wish. If the jeweler says it’s one hundred years old and quite delicate, then perhaps it’s not for you. It will save time and angst in the future.

Kirsten also recommends caring for your piece as follows:

1. Think about your jewellery as you would your clothes – both require your care and attention.

2. Bring your jewellery into a reputable jeweller for a condition appraisal regularly, say every two years.

3. If they offer to clean it while you wait, accept! They are the experts and know how to clean jewellery safely.

4. Your job is to take all jewellery off when you are doing any physical labor, including sleeping!

5. Clean your diamond jewellery gently with a soft toothbrush in some soapy water and a little cloudy ammonia.

For further details on each of the movements that impacted on jewellery design and to understand the history and worth, woman with drive has collated the following links – it’s a fascinating journey.

Georgian

http://www.adin.be/en/georgian-jewelry-georgian-jewellery-georgian-jewelers.htm

Momento Mori

http://ashesthouart.com/history.html

Mizpah

http://www.kalmarantiques.com.au/Mizpah-jewellery-and-history.aspx

Art Nouveau

http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Art_Nouveau_Jewelry

Art Deco

http://www.allaboutgemstones.com/jewelry_history_art-deco.html

Arts and Crafts

http://www.victorianweb.org/art/design/jewelry/moller10.html