How to Buy Vintage Fashion Costume Jewelry

Tips for buying fashion antique jewelry and budget friendly bling bling.

Are you obsessed with a little old time sparkle? Want to add a few pieces of vintage costume jewelry into your existing collection of baubles?

For the past few shopping seasons, big and bejeweled statement jewelry hung around the necks and dangled on the ears of globetrotting style stars and local jewel-loving socialites.

While costume jewelry aficionados hunt religiously at vintage boutiques, auctions and European flea markets for unique antique jewelry, you too can score a sweet piece of antique or vintage costume jewelry or even a girls bracelet for your daughter using these 6 smart jewel-sleuthing strategies.

Know your vintage costume jewelry history.

Peruse vintage costume jewelry boutiques in your city or make an appointment with an antique dealer to become familiar with historic statement pieces.

Consider the fashion jewelry’s resale value.

Costume jewelry for the 1920s and 1930s are particularly valuable and coveted by collectors and auction house curators. Stick to the classic statement pieces that are legendary like Art Deco or inspired by films that featured Hollywood actresses for maximum resale value.

Buy in places where competition is low, but sightings of vintage jewelry pieces are high.

Visit estate sales, flea markets and garage sales in ritzy neighborhoods. Some consignment shops, which cater to a sophisticated clientele, will have showcases filled with antique rarities and glam goodies priced considerably lower than retail.

Determine what statement costume jewelry is currently in vogue.

Pieces that serious vintage lovers are clamoring over will determine which items are stylish and will appreciate.

Consider recent collections like costume pieces from the ‘70s and ‘80s like Givenchy and Saint Laurent and even current pieces from Vera Wang and Burberry Prossum that whose value will appreciate among vintage jewelry collectors in upcoming years.

Buy jewelry that you love.

If you can’t live without a piece of jewelry, that’s the one treasure that you must purchase. When in doubt, go for the WOW effect.  Select the one ring, necklace or pair of earrings that speaks to you, and complements your existing wardrobe.

Look for flaws and jewelry details that are beyond repair.

Your local jeweler can fix a broken clasp and add a few links to a chain. On the other hand, cloudy rhinestones, cracked stones and tarnished or oxidized metal are difficult to mend and not worth the investment.

Finding the perfect piece of vintage costume jewelry is similar to unearthing buried treasure.

If you develop an eye for what’s in and what’s valuable, you might find the perfect brooch, charm bracelet or chunky necklace that will be the signature statement trinket in your personal box of jewelry bling.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 9:53 pm and is filed under Designer & Couture, Fashion Trends. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.