There's a reason why old jewelry feels different when you hold it in your hand: it's heavier, more solid, as if it had been designed to really last.
A lot of vintage jewelry already has a story behind it. Someone wore that ring every day. Someone bought that bracelet for a birthday, milestone or wedding. Decades later, it's still there and, in many cases, in better condition than recently made jewelry.
Beyond their sentimental value, vintage jewelry can also be genuinely valuable.
Built to last
Old gold jewelry was often made from higher-carat alloys than those found today. 18-carat and 22-carat gold were common in estate jewelry of past decades. A higher carat means that there is more pure gold in the jewel, which counts at appraisal time.
Manufacturing was different too. Frames were designed to hold, chains were thicker, and jewelry was made to be worn for a lifetime, not replaced after a few years.
As durable as jewelry can be
No new mining, no new refining: the gold in a ring from the 1950s has already gone through the whole process. Buying vintage jewelry means giving an object a second life, rather than creating a demand for something new.
Gold can always be melted down and recycled, but a piece of jewelry that remains intact retains more than just its metallic value: it also retains its history.
What is its true value?
This is often where people are surprised. Vintage jewelry can have two types of value: the value of the precious metal and the value of the design or collection. These two aspects don't always go together and are not valued in the same way.
At Canada Gold, we look first at the metal: the carat, the weight and what it represents at today's market price. This is your base value. Some jewels are worth more because of their maker or rarity, while others simply correspond to their metal value. In any case, it's better to know than to guess.
Many people have inherited jewels that are sitting in a box somewhere without ever having had them appraised by an expert. They think it's either worthless or worth a fortune. The truth is usually somewhere in between, and it costs nothing to find out.
Come and discover it
If you have vintage jewelry at home and wonder what it's worth, bring it in. Canada Gold offers free appraisals at all our branches across Canada. No appointment, no obligation.
Sister company: 100 Ways
Over the years spent appraising gold, silver, coins and jewelry, certain items kept coming back. Vintage rings, old chains, handcrafted mounts: pieces with real character that deserved better than to be melted down. This led to the creation of 100 Ways. 100 Ways was founded to give these pieces a second chance: to be worn again rather than disappear into a refinery.
If you love antique jewelry, take a look at the collection. You might find a room ready to start its next chapter.
