Genuine Antique or Modern Replica: Tips for jewellery buyers

How can you ensure you are buying a genuine original antique and not a replica? Many traditional antique styles are reproduced today, and some are so cleverly executed they could outwit even the most savvy of buyers. Megan Austin discusses the intricacies involved when attempting to separate an antique from a replica.

There are many factors to consider when separating a genuine antique from a replica. Unless the item is blessed with a set of good, crisp hallmarks and has no obvious signs of alteration we must rely on other clues. These include design, type of metal and carat, construction technique, quality of craftsmanship, findings, setting style, finishes, gemstone type, cutting style, and treatments.

A seller should always represent an item of jewellery accurately by stating if it’s antique, vintage, modern or a mixed marriage. Certainly, it’s preferable to buy from a trusted seller or one who offers a reasonable return period. This is trickier if you’re buying online but then if the item is not as described when you receive it, you are technically entitled to a full refund. Consumer friendly payment options such as Paypal will investigate any claims with the seller on your behalf. Otherwise, the ACCC or Office of Fair Trading should help you out in the event of any difficulties in this regard. Some sellers are unaware of the true age of the item and so I would also advise that you do your research and ask lots of questions pre-sale.

Below are some pairs of rings that might look similar in style, but only one is a genuine antique. Can you guess which one?

 

 

Crisp hallmarks found on the inside of the ring shank on the left indicate the name of the maker (S.H&C), Country (England), Town (Birmingham), the carat stamp (18ct) and a date letter that indicates the year of manufacture, which in this case is 1919, making this ring a genuine antique. Hallmarks aside, other clues that indicate this ring is an antique include the style of design, it’s high quality handmade execution and setting style that features beautifully finished and very fine claw tips. The turquoise gemstones are not exactly matched in terms of cut and shape and show some signs of discolouration that is consistent with age.

The ring on the right is of similar ‘London bridge’ style. However, this item has been manufactured using the casting technique, which is often used in modern mass production. Another red flag is the perfectly even coloured blue of the turquoise gemstones, which appear to be stabilised (a modern treatment) and perfectly symmetrical, and that lack the minor cutting inconsistencies of the first ring. Fortunately, this ring also contains hallmarks. These allow us to deduce the maker (S&K), Country (England) and Town (London), the purity as 9ct carat gold and the 1993 date letter, making this ring late 20th century, not antique. That is a whopping age difference of 74 years between the two rings.

An inexperienced buyer may not pick up these differences.

We have a similar dilemma with the two rings pictured below. Both rings have a similar style of band that contain one or more hammer set gemstones, however each ring has a distinct set of hallmarks.

 

 

The ring on the left has a hallmark which indicates it was made by E.V in England (Birmingham) in 1889 and is 18ct gold, so it’s late Victorian in age. The ring on the right has hallmarks that tell us it was made by J.H.W. in England (Birmingham) in 1928 and is 18ct rose gold. So, technically the first ring is antique, and the second is considered vintage and should be sold as such.

Have a guess about the age of these rings? Antique or modern reproduction?

Genuine Antique

This is a genuine antique early Victorian 22ct yellow gold rhodolite garnet ring, made in England in 1847. It contains a rhodolite garnet which has suffered some small chips and has some surface pits and cracks, consistent with the age of the ring. The ring is handmade and the setting contains multiple claw tips that are quite finely shaped to hold the centre gem.

Vintage Replica

This is a modern vintage replica of an antique ‘basket’ ring. It contains modern round brilliant cut synthetic rubies, brilliant cut diamonds and onyx. It is of budget cast construction that potentially could have been made in the hundreds, and is let down by poor finish.

Mixed Marriage

This is a mixed marriage of antique and modern. The antique silver topped setting contains a garnet surrounded by old cut diamonds and the band has been later added. The setting may have originally been a brooch.

If you are in doubt about the age and origin of your latest purchase, contact Megan Austin Valuations to obtain a professional opinion.

(07) 3210 1975 or email info@meganaustinvaluations.com.au

Cast Jewellery: Tips for jewellery buyers

The word ‘cast’ evokes cynicism within the jewellery trade and is traditionally associated with low-end mass-produced product. So you might be surprised to learn this centuries-old technique is practised by luxury high-end brands including Tiffany & Co and Van Cleef & Arpels. Megan Austin explains.

Today, jewellery is cast using one of two techniques: traditional lost-wax casting where a mold maker creates a custom wax model; or CAD (Computer Aided Design) – CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing). The latter technique uses computer software to design a piece of jewellery. The digital files are then sent to mills, printers or growing machines where they are transformed from data to a 3-D wax or resin form.

When assessing casting quality, it’s important to acknowledge that there are different levels in the market each offering different qualities of cast jewellery. The adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ is generally true in this sense.  High end cast jewellery should have barely visible solder joins, no porosity (minute surface holes), securely set gemstones, a superior mirror-like finish and evenly applied rhodium plating. The middle of the market covers the widest range of quality in various price points and should still display many of these factors although not quite to such a high standard. Budget construction typical of the lower end of the market is manufactured to suit lower price points. eg. $100, $250, $500 etc. At this level of the market, the items are very lightweight, hollowed out and generally hold small gems of lower quality.

Factors to consider when assessing cast jewellery include the quality, suitability and complexity of the design, the skill of the mold maker and the expertise of the technician used to assemble, polish and plate the final product. To emery and polish metal, different grades of abrasive compounds are used in a multi-step process. Very fine scratches are gradually removed, leaving a smooth, mirror-like surface. The area inside a prong or bezel setting is often overlooked during pre-finishing and polishing so it’s important to carry out a full inspection. Although these areas take time to finish properly, it will add value to the piece and make it more attractive to the eye.

Casting Fails 

Although there’s a significant difference in price between luxury high end cast jewellery and mass-produced cast jewellery, the perception that the former is always superior to the latter is outdated and incorrect. Each item should be judged individually. Make sure you examine the underside of the item and all the ‘nooks and cranny’s’ as it’s these areas that are traditionally overlooked in cheaper quality finishing.

Photo 1 shows a poorly finished ring from a high-end Danish brand. Distracting growth lines from the CAD/CAM process have been left unchecked, resulting in a substandard product. 

Photo 2 shows a mid-range ring with distinct growth lines resulting from CAD/CAM.

Photo 3 shows distracting lumpy mold marks on the underside of a traditionally cast ring.

 

Photo 1

CAD/CAM growth lines on a high end Danish brand

Photo 2

CAD/CAM growth lines on a mid-range ring

Photo 3

Distracting mold marks to the underside of a cast ring

Careful examination of cast jewellery will help you make an informed decision at the time of purchase.

To have your cast jewellery valued contact Megan Austin Valuations on (07) 3210 1975

5 tips to rate your handmade Engagement ring setting

You've spent endless hours researching a stunning diamond for the most significant purchase of your adult life - an engagement ring. So make sure the quality of your setting is worthy of your diamond and not just an afterthought. Ensure you choose a handmade setting that will not only compliment your diamond but will ensure its security for long term wear.

You can easily determine the quality of your setting using your eyes, a loupe and a good light source. Rotate the piece in your hand to view it from all angles and read through the following checklist to rate your jewellers job -

1. Design - Good design is the first benchmark of a quality handmade engagement ring. The mount must primarily allow adequate security for your gemstone, however, the overall design should be aesthetically pleasing, proportional and practical. The ring must be comfortable to wear everyday with no sharp edges to catch on clothing or people. When selecting a metal type, keep in mind that some metals require more maintenance than others; for example white gold requires regular rhodium plating; while platinum and yellow gold can simply be polished.

Design

2. Manufacture - A good quality jeweller will demonstrate their technical expertise by bringing your design to life. Each component of the design should be pre-polished so as to produce a high end finish when soldered together. A quality handmade piece will have solder lines that are almost invisible to the naked eye because the joins are well aligned and are evenly filled with solder, with no ugly gaps. Lopsided or badly centred settings are a sign of poor craftsmanship and lack of attention to detail. 

Manufacture

3. Gem setting - Preparation is the key to a top quality setting job. The mount should be carefully prepared and gems should be positioned and seated before they are securely set. Symmetrical gemstones such as squares, ovals or rectangles should be dead centre with all claws being of equal size. When examining shoulder gems, bright cut borders should be even and smooth with no rough edges while channel edges should be uniform. Gems set in a row should be consistently spaced, with no tilting or overlapping. Overlapping can cause chipping to the gemstones which will need to be replaced and reset, a costly and time consuming process.

Gem setting

4. Finish - After construction has been completed, your jeweller should pay particular attention to the finish of your ring. Subtle shaping of the shank and setting will elevate an average piece of jewellery to exceptional. Particular attention should be paid to preparing the piece for polishing using the correct grades of emery paper, then graduating through the various types of polishing compound to produce a bright mirror-like surface. But be warned, over polishing can result in losing too much metal and detail. For white gold rings, the final stage of finishing is rhodium plating. The rhodium should be white and even, with no spotting or spilling into non-rhodium areas. 

Finish

5. Valuation - Once your ring is finished, ensure you obtain an independent appraisal to verify its quality and workmanship. A valuation is particularly important if you have bought your diamond and/or setting online or overseas as it will provide a current insurance replacement value from Australia. And if your purchased diamond has a laser inscribed identification number on its girdle your valuer will verify this number against the Diamond Report. 

Valuation

To make an appointment for a jewellery valuation call Megan Austin Valuations

(07) 3162 5424