The Charm of Ancient and Antique jewellery is everlasting. Demand for it is as strong now as it’s ever been. Along with being hundreds of years old,hand made, one of a kind pieces of true beauty, they also tend to come at very reasonable prices that make it easier for collectors to get started and grow a collection. Gathered here is everything you need to know if you would like to get into collecting antiquejewellery.
Before spending money on these items, this is the first question you need to ask yourself. If you are planning to wear it religiously and more regularly, then you have to be careful and cautious about buying them. Most ancient jewelleryare much softer then today’s pieces, and require a delicate knowledge of how to handle them correctly. Look for hinges, and stone settings, as these would be the first to break or come apart. Fixing ancient jewellery can be quite costly, as it requires a goldsmith with expertise.
It is a common notion that ancient jewellery is overpriced. However, there is a way you could buy them at wallet-friendly prices. Lot’s of auction houses, including Harrington’s Auctioneers provide a steady stream of ancient jewellery to the public. Most of the pieces sold at auctions are very reasonably priced. Althoughsome spendhuge amounts to buy their object of effection that they “must have”, it is still possible to be a prudent buyer and get your money’s worth by looking at comparable sales from previous auctions and bidding wisely.
Most collectors gather these antique items because they are old and give a vintage look. However many old items are sold which even though being hundreds of years old, still look vibrant and modern. They have bold colours with conspicuous looks making them desirable for everyone.
Every civilization and culture, like today, always valued gold and silver. They were highly-priced even in older days. However, here is another thing to consider; in older days the gold used in jewellery was extremely pure, almost 24-carats. The purest gold is very soft; it is extremely difficult to resize it further. For this purpose, few impurities are added or it is mixed with a little of the modern gold. This makes the gold soft or less rigid, and it can be moulded in your desired size.
Many ancient pieces of jewellery show off some symbols. These symbols have a very strong historic background and deep meaning. When you buy an ancient item, look for an engraved symbol. These symbols could be animals, portraits, or any ancient gods. The most popular symbols used are Mercury, god Jupiter Ammon, goddess Athena and Greek hero Hercules.
Knowing the origin of the ancient item you are buying makes it all the more interesting. Because every piece carries a story behind it; about the civilization of its time, the prevalent traditions, their gods, and many more.
Selling antiques has become such a large business all over the world. So many people are interested in these items and ready to spend of dollars for their collection. This has also paved the way for many to try to sell items that are reproduced, fakes, or simply an antique inspired piece, misrepresenting the age, and thus cheating customers. Many have also adapted to create almost perfect copies of ancient items with different styles. But there are ways to know if the items are ancient or fake. A good dealer or auctioneer will be able to guide you to understand the ways to spot fakes. You need to have full knowledge of different styles used back in the days and the ways used now.
Starting an antique jewellery collection can be fun and rewarding. With a little research and lot of passion, a jewellery collection can be an investment that pays off by not only growing in value, but also by giving the collector a sense of joy and beauty of history.
The collection of Spanish colonial art introduced the artistic achievements of Latin America, from Columbus’s first experience with the people of the Caribbean through the region’s independence movement and the successive formation of nation state. In 1492, Columbus’s world-changing journey
joined the wide network of trade routes between Asia, Europe, and Africa to the knowledgeable system of trade and interconnection that already existed in the Americas.
The various forms of art produced throughout Latin America reflect the productive changes in the development of the new colony. The swiftness with which Europeans established themselves in the New World prompted a huge demand for artistic creations, especially with the founding of large religious institutions. Both fine and attractive arts flourished, reflecting the convergence of native and foreign traditions
Spanish colonial art includes paintings, sculptures and attractive objects manufacture across one and a half continents, from Mexico down to South America,
over a period of about 330 years. All art and objects from this region that precede Christopher Columbus’ appearance in the New World in 1492, marking the conception of the European conquest, are termed pre-Columbian.
The Spanish colonial period ends around 1820, when Spain began to lose its influence on its colonies in the New World and independence was won by many of today’s Latin American nations.
The arts that progress in the Spanish viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru were, from their beginnings in the sixteenth century, very different from those of the much younger North American
colonies. Because of its incredibly broad scope, Spanish colonial art cannot be defined by any one particular style, subject or form. It gives many paths of information or concepts to the peoples through their arts.
Dedicated to preserving a unique feature of our state’s history, the Spanish Colonial Art Museum is a great place to learn more things about the history of New Mexico and the beginnings of our state’s trademark art.
With consistent changes to the exhibits, there is always something new at the Spanish Colonial Art Museum. If you are visiting in 2020, be sure to visit the Delgado Room, where you can see some fabulously objects that trader and merchant Don Manuel Delgado collected during his life in the 1700 and 1800s. The Trade and Trails Exhibit explores amazing finds that showcase how New Mexican art was influenced by both Spain and Native American cultures.
As the only museum in the country with this particular focus, the Spanish Colonial Art Museum has a special place in our city. The gallery has over 3700 pieces of both historical and contemporary works in their collection. Even the museum itself is a work of art. It was created to have the appearance and feel of a native New Mexican home. It makes the Spanish Colonial Art Museum even more unique.
The Spanish Colonial Art Museum is a fantastic place for all ages. Step back in time with your children and allow them to fully appreciate the way people lived a few hundred years ago. Kids can put on traditional and historic costumes and truly get to experience a new-to-them culture.
Our city is beloved by people all around the world and our rich culture is just a part of it. Come experience the vast blue skies, deep purple mountains, and wild, untamed beauty of the high desert. Santa Fe is a treasure in and of itself, and our beautiful inn is proud to be a part of it.
History of van cleef and arpels
The founder of this company; Alfred Van Cleef and Arpel were related uniquely. It was as if the wholeuniverse conspired to found this company. Alfred Van Cleef who was a son of a diamond cutter fell in love and married a beautiful girl, Estelle Arpels. Estelle was a daughter of Salomon Arpels who was a dealer in precious stones. They got married in 1895 and the following year Van Cleef and his father in law decided to found this company and named it "Van Cleef and Arpels".
The first boutique of this company opened in 1906 at 22 Place Vendome; after the death of Arpel. Charles and Julien brothers-in-law of Alfred joined and helped him set up his first boutique. This firm was soon joined by the third Arpel brother, in 1912. At that time, it had expanded to many places and they needed help to cope with it. Between 1910 and 1920, within only 10 years it expanded its braches to Nice, Vichy, Lyon, Cannes, and Deauville.
It became a family affair and in 1926 Alfred's daughter Renee Puissant joined it as the controller to the artistic direction. She worked here for about 12 years. Many other family members continued to join it years later as it expanded far and beyond.
Important pieces and collections:
Stones are inserted in gold rails of very small thickness. These stones are first cut and then placed in. This requires a lot of labour and working hours. They then kind of modified this technique and made more complicated and beautiful designs. In the 90s they were able to cut diamonds and incorporate them into different designs. This mystery set remains true to its name and it is one of the most sought-after pieces of this company.
This design rose to popularity in the 40s especially after being worn by the famous actress Paulette Goddard and Doris Duke. A flexible gold snake chain is used on which are clipped two flowers. The metal rails of the chain are detachable and thus this necklace can be converted to bracelet, choker, or brooches. The flower is made up of sapphires in yellow and blue colour with a ruby at the centre.
This has a quite interesting history. Daughter of Alfred, Renee Puissant, and the Duchess of Windsor was conversing over having something based on and similar to the normal zip. This necklace was therefore created and became a hit instantly. Although, it took many years to finally found a perfect way to design it, and only a few were made initially. To make this, gold and platinum are used, covered with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, or sapphires.
Jon Rubel was the creator of the first ballerina brooches. He was the main manufacturing jeweller for the company for many years. In 1941, "Spanish Dancer" was created but this was just the start. Then a series of fairies, ballerina, and dancers were produced. These owing to their unique design became very popular. The different dance poses, made with diamonds, gold, emeralds, and rubies was suddenly a new fashion and the clients of this company made sure to show their admiration by busying it in large numbers.
The popularity of these pieces
The jewellery of Van Cleef and Arpels have been very popular among celebrities and many big names including the royals. The most important clients they have had include Marlene Dietrich, Princess Faiza of Egypt, the Duchess of Windsor, etc. The stones used in this jewellery are exquisite and with patterns of variations in colours, boldness, and design, attracts everyone's taste.
Engraving gems was known as a luxury art form of ancient civilizations. Though the sizes of the gems are maybe small, the artistry could very well compare with monumental marbles in terms of the artistic skill required in the field. People in the past used to wear these engraved gems mounted on rings.
The first history of engraved gems dates back to the civilization of ancient Mesopotamia and from there it gradually spread to places like Minoan, Greece, Persia, and then to Egypt. The tradition was then lost at the end of the Bronze Age but the 6th century BC saw its return. From thereon, the 5th and 3rd century BC saw the details on the gems getting finer and the designs more exquisite.
The Romans made major advancements in the field; they went on to make glass from which cameos were cut which provided more colour to work with. Along with rings, they made the sizes bigger so that they were able to wear the gems as necklaces. It is also believed that the Ancient Greeks and Romans offered many of the engraved gems to their Gods.
Intaglios and Cameos
Intaglios and cameos are referred to as engraved gems that are carved with images and scriptures. There are a few differences between intaglios and cameos. The design of intaglios consists of cutting depressions into one of the sides of the gem, whereas in cameos, the extra material of the gem is cut down to remove excess which will then leave a raised curved image.
The high price of engraved gems comes from the fact that they are made from precious and semi-precious stones. This includes the likes of garnet, sapphire, carnelian, agate, jasper, chalcedony, rocky crystal, and amethyst to name a few. The gems can then be set in either silver, gold, or bronze mounts or be left as it is. This also added to the prize of the gemstones. The kind of material that is used, the size of the stone as well as the colour of the gem is in complete accordance with the taste of the customer.
Making and purpose of the engraved gems
In ancient times, the making of engraved gems started with cutting gems by hand and by the use of tools iron tools such as pointed drills.
This was then combined with abrasive powder to complete the design. Most of the gems were drilled in the centre so that it became easier to be mounted.
Engraved gems were initially used as seals to ratify documents as signatures did not yet exist, but with time engraved gems became more of a fashion item. They displayed the interests and beliefs of the wearer.
Different types of Motifs
The designs that were engraved on the gems consist of all kinds of images and scriptures. Some gems were designed with mythological figures while others consisted of animal portraits. Then some gems displayed the portrait of their owner and some which had inscriptions written to identify the owner. A few of the engraved gems also included the name of the artist who worked on the gems.
Survival of Engraved Gems
Engraved gems have usually been a find of archaeological excavations. Most of them have been found due to chance alone. A lot of engraved gems were found when Roman and Israeli baths were drained; it was believed that these gems were probably dropped when people from these times were taking baths.
In recent times, they have been preserved as souvenirs in various museums and different tourist spots and are available for tourists to look at and admire.
The love for vintage watches has returned. It was one thing to come across old watches and then to restore and polish those for that "new chic look", but this is no longer the case. The desire for vintage watches with marks and scratches has increased over the last decade. It is believed that these aging watches are far more desirable than modern ones as the aging process tells of the durability as well as the quality of the watch. There seems to be a different kind of appeal towards watches that have seen the ravages of time.
The patina trend of watches is believed to originate in Japan and watch collecting is widely practiced there. With the shift in the trend for true patina, vintage sports watches by Rolex have been in high demand. Japanese watch collectors have kept an eye for those watches that have been made beautiful by years of wearing. The fading and scratches are highly priced. Of late, more than an immense amount of interest has developed in watches with a black dial that has turned brown with the passing of time.
The search for aging watches has now reached the rest of the world and the number of watch collectors has increased in number. They are all looking for watches that have been made unique by wear and tear process of aging. The problem that exists in the search of true patina is that it is not easy at all. The process of searching is extremely difficult and some watches like the Rolex Submariner is very rare to find in its original condition. Those who own the watches usually make sure to keep them serviced and polished by removing the scratches and these people usually have no idea about what the watch might be worth to a watch collector.
Watches like the Rolex chronograph, whose Paul Newman dial has turned tropical or brown and the Rolex Submariner whose dial gives a "star-dust effect "due to aging processes are highly sought after, every watch collector wants their hands on them.
In 2016, a Rolex with reference of 8171 was sold for 161,000 dollars on auction day after an intense competition had taken place for it. Its discovery was seen as a marvel. This particular watch was bought by a pilot in the 1950s and worn until it had stopped working; this watch is believed to be the most complicated watch to be made by Rolex. Over the years, due to the heat and moisture, the dial of the watch had turned a unique, striking color that was a dream of every watch collector. It had luckily been passed down generations, unused with all of its original parts. Another famous watch that was auctioned for 21,250 dollars was the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris dive watch from 1968. This watch was in an almost perfect condition and the dial of the watch had turned the kind of topical brown every watch collector is after these days. In addition, the Omega 'Ed White' Speed-master with reference 105.003 was also found to have the tropical dial and had retained the original bezel which had aged beautifully. The case of the watch had remained unpolished and this is seen as a rarity by many watch collectors. It was sold for 30,000 dollars.
The vintage market for watches has now reached a new height with increase in the number of watch collectors. The aging process of the watches, visible in the form of scratches and tropical dials adds a characteristic charm to their value on auction day.
A watch may not be the first thing you notice about a person but if they have a good watch, believe me, it would be the only thing you notice in a person. Most people are more into watches than into jewelry.
As much as important is it to have a good quality watch, it is equally important to maintain and store it so it stays in good condition. Here we would be talking about ways to help you keep your watch in the best condition.
· Get the right storage
Keeping your watch in good storage is the first and foremost thing you should do. The storage would help it against any humid conditions and the dust.
· Protect valuable pieces
To protect your watch from theft you should always have pictures of your watch and the serial numbers. In case if your watch is stolen, you can send these records to the officials and of course, the insurance companies. In this way, they can inform you if they ever get it for service.
Alternatively, you can post the serial number of your watch on any website or a platform about it being stolen. In this way, a person who wants to buy your watch, will look its serial number and will know that it is a stolen item.
How often should you wear your valuable watch?
If you too were a watch lover, you would understand that it does not matter if your watch is new or antique; you enjoy wearing it to most occasions. However, before doing that, you must research the type of watch that you have and whether it would be a good idea to wear it more often or not.
Regular service and good communication with your watchmaker
Like the way you need a good tailor for your clothes, for the service of your valuable watch you should know a good watchmaker. It is suggested to get your watch serviced at least once every two to five years, but age for service, too depends on the type of watch you are wearing because some watches need more frequent services.
At the same time, it is equally important that you have good communication with your watchmaker about the type and extent of service they should provide you. For example, your watchmaker may polish your watch when you do not want it or replace some items when you don't think it is necessary.
Professional polishing of watch
Although professional polishing gives your watch a new life, in many cases, it reduces its value. Polishing completely renews the exterior of your watch, giving it a look of a brand new watch but at the end of the day, nothing beats originality. Let your watch have an antique-cy look, it will only increase its value.
The bezels, dials and the crystals
The dials and the bezels are the actual essences of a watch and the whole value of your watch depends on them. If you are into vintage watches and want to keep your watch as original as possible, protect the dial and the bezels.
However, Collectors show flexibility and leniency in terms of replacing the crystals. If you lose the crystals on your watch, you can replace them without reducing the value of your watch. They only add to the aesthetic beauty of your watch, but when it comes to dials and bezels; they give the real value to your watch. But at the same time, even if you replace the original crystals of your watch, keep the originals ones with you.
The original straps or bracelets
Collectors are always on a lookout for original bracelets. Although the straps tend to worn-out over some time, and it is very difficult to keep them intact. They are most especially important for visual appeal and they are of very high value to the collectors.
The movement
The most obvious reason for a watch is accuracy. Likely most of the important aspect of of your watch, the movement’s accuracy depends on the expertise of your watchmaker. That is why it is so important to have a trusted and well-experienced watchmaker.