The question of, “is my ring an antique?” can create a surprising amount of anxiety. While the term antique is used to describe an object that is at least 100 years old, but determining whether a piece meets that definition is rarely straightforward.
I was inspired to write this after creating content about how a ring in my shop was actually a Victorian revival. Determining whether a piece is antique is looking for consistency across multiple things. So here’s my checklist that I use when I am trying to understand an object’s age.
I also calibrate my findings with Jessie who provides an independent perspective and brings extensive expertise as a jewelry historian. It helps keep me in check as it reduces the risk of seeing only what I want to see.
This only addresses how I handle pieces from the 1800s – 1940s. Feel free to use it, I think it’s a great conversation starter with a business if you are thinking of buying an antique or vintage piece.
1. Material. Different metals and gemstones were accessible or popular at different points in history. The presence of certain alloys or technology can help establish the earliest possible date point.
2. Gemstone and cutting style identification. This one is an interesting one. Certain gemstones were identified in points of time, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t rule it completely out as some gemstones could have been mined and simply misidentified throughout history. Cutting styles can also be replicated and I am looking at the traits of hand cut character such as wear in facet junctions, polishing look, proportions, and asymmetries.
3. Manufacturing review. Technology has granted us faster and more efficient methods of make. Creations such as casting techniques, die striking, and machine assisted production can leave a unique fingerprint on a piece. Does it have characteristics of the use of advance technology?
4. Design review. While inspiration and trends can meld together, are there key aspects of the design that can lend itself into a placement in a certain time frame? This one is my favorite guidance from Jessie. Design trends do not automatically start and stop, they ebb and flow within one another.
5. Hallmarks. Different countries have legislation requirements and they have also changed over time. The United Kingdom is often viewed as having the most comprehensive hallmarking systems which makes it useful to study. However, hallmarks are sometimes not a reliable source as they can be worn in and wiped out by resizing.
6. Sign of wear and age. Wear alone does not prove age. I’ve seen vintage pieces that had more wear than the antique ones. I look for wear patterns that make sense such as looking at the micro scratches that accumulated with a side wall on a band versus the scratches that accumulate on a pendant.
My goal is to understand the piece as honestly as possible. Not every piece remains exactly as it has left the hands that had made it. Over its lifetime, a gemstone might get replaced or there could be conversions of different pieces into other things. These changes are part of the object’s history and I call them out as clearly as possible so that we can preserve as much of the story as we can. My goal is to continue to communicate history with transparency and care.