While not all that glimmer is gold (some of it may be pinchbeck, tombac or some other base metal alloy), even what is perceived to be gold, may not be all that precious. Let’s go […]
When does your jewellery box turn into a collection? In my mind at least, it happens when you actively search out something in particular, rather than just buying something because it looks nice. Consider the […]
While I find the idea of digging my hands into a huge jewellery box and lifting them up filled with gold and gemstones laughing maniacally oddly appealing(I’m not the only one, right? Right?), neither old […]
A 200 g gold bar’s value will only fluctuate based on the current gold prices. Unless there’s something about the bar that makes it particularly collectible to some people, the value will only be affected […]
Have you ever laid your eyes upon the most magnificent piece of antique jewellery, only to realise that something’s awry? That there’s just something that’s not right? Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in the […]
Not all natural materials are created equal, and some, while stunningly beautiful, are more temperamental than others. The unholy trinity in this respect is, I believe, pearls, turquoise and opal, and they are as difficult […]
Gold is a chemical element, and in its pure form, it can’t really be used in jewellery. This is due to its softness and malleability – while you’d be able to turn it into something […]
If you follow some antique jewellery dealers on Instagram, you’re likely to get tons of ads for “sustainable” jewellery. The reasoning behind the marketing seems to be that they use very little gold and synthetic […]
Nobody wants to be fooled, but it is easy to be fooled by perceived antiques. A piece of jewellery may be made in the style of Art Nouveau, it may be a reproduction intended to […]
Lead can be present in most if not all older alloys (including gold!), as people in ye olden days simply didn’t know how dangerous it was. Old paste jewellery will also contain lead (just like […]
