Observe whether the piece is Georgian, Victorian, Art Deco, Retro, etc. Secondly, while you may not be able to pin down an exact date of manufacture, by identifying the style of the piece the time period of the search can be narrowed down considerably. This is important to observe when researching the who, what, when and where of jewelry identification… is it a ring or a brooch? Sometimes the answer is not immediately apparent. On the other hand, if the top portion of a ring has been removed from its shank and a pinstem placed on the reverse, the piece is now a pin and no longer a ring.

This may make it difficult to identify exactly who made the piece, but the item fundamentally remains a brooch or a ring. A resized ring or repaired pin mechanism may have had hallmarks, maker’s marks and/or purity/assay marks and the repair or change may have removed the marks. Basic repairs, such as resizings and pinstem replacements may be found, and while these don’t fundamentally change the purpose of the item, they may alter or remove important details. are essentially done in the same manner, but since some designers, manufacturers, and retailers specialized in certain types of jewelry it is important to acknowledge the item’s function.Ĭhecking to see if the piece has been fundamentally altered is also important. Examining a ring, brooch, bracelet, necklace, etc. Who made it and Where were they located?įirst and foremost it is important to classify the function of the jewelry item.Let’s begin by examining our jewelry item and asking (and hopefully answering) the basic questions… Forearmed with the basic jewelry era parameters on the item under investigation helps to target further search efforts. A maker’s mark on an Art Deco Brooch is unlikely to be found in a book on Victorian jewelry – unless the maker was in business over several design periods. Books specifically listing hallmarks are usually organized by country and further by time period within the country. Many of the hallmark and maker’s mark reference materials are organized by time period, some books covering only a particular jewelry era. Spending a little extra time at the outset, getting to know as much as possible about the piece, before beginning to research for hallmarks, maker’s marks and purity/assay marks will save time in the long run. To take the investigation to the final step of identifying the maker, the country of origin and the circa date of manufacturing requires a more specialized type of jewelry detective work involving all of the aforementioned skills, access to a wealth of research materials and a touch of tenacity. However, labeling a piece as having originated during a particular era requires an understanding of the style, design attributes, materials available, gemstones and their cutting techniques, manufacturing techniques and a basic knowledge of world politics, events and influences during the time in question. At its most basic, we can usually easily identify the type of jewelry i.e. It is important that consumers and clients use the AIC Find an Appraiser to verify that the individual who has provided them with a report is a member in good standing with the AIC and is authorized by the AIC to use the designation they have indicated in their report.Solving the intriguing riddle posed by the marks stamped onto a piece of jewelry involves the use of a variety of skills and a wealth of knowledge. Recently, there have been concerns brought to the AIC’s attention regarding reports produced by individuals (particularly in Ontario and the GTA region) who have used the AIC AACI™ and CRA™ designations without the AIC’s authorization. Tip: If the property to be appraised is in a smaller town or village, try searching for an appraiser in the closest city. Not all of the fields need to be filled out, however, having more information may narrow your search. If you don’t know the name of the appraiser, search by City/Town, Province, Organization Type of Property and/or Service Type. Use this search tool to find an appraiser.

Red swan jewelry appraisers