If you are lucky enough to have been handed down or have purchased a piece of antique jewelry whether it is a necklace, ring or broach it is strongly recommended that you insure your treasured piece.

You may assume that your antique jewelry is covered by your home insurance however this is not always the case, quite often your home insurance will cover you if your piece of antique jewelry is stolen but it may not cover you is the is lost or damaged.

Although you will never be able to replace the sentimental value of a piece of antique jewelry it may easy your mind if you can at least replace the item should it be lost.

It is wise to read you insurance policy very carefully or contact your insurance company to ask if you are covered for this type of event.

If you current insurance policy does not cover you fully for your antique jewelry then you may be able take out additional cover however it important to know and understand the cover you are going to be paying for.

Make sure your policy will cover you for loss and damage and also check if you will still be covered should the loss or damage happens when you are out of the country.

Check that you will be reimburse for the items full replacement cost and will you receive a replacement piece of jewelry or could you opt for a cash settlement.

Quite often your insurance company will ask for an appraisal before they allow you to take out the insurance to cover your antique jewelry. Check if this is something you can arrange yourself or if it is something your insurance company will need to arrange.

Will you have to pay an excess, if you lose or damage you antique jewelry and need to make a claim will you have to pay a sum of money before the claim can go through, how will this effect your existing policy and most important how much is the excess.

If your insurance company does need your antique jewelry appraised then it is advisable that you receive more than one appraisal so that you can compare the estimates and know that you are insuring your item for what it is actually worth, it is quite common to purchase a piece of jewelry one day and get an appraisal the next for a much higher amount. I would recommend that you have an appraisal done regularly and advise your insurance company of any increase / decrease in value.

The 4Cs comprise of Carat, which refers to a diamond’s weight; Clarity, which measures the purity of a diamond; Cut, which determines the diamond’s brilliance and Color, which gauges a diamond’s whiteness.

An antique diamond ring for wedding

Since it signifies romance, innocence, and reverence, antique diamond rings are becoming one of the most popular choices in wedding rings today.

For a ring to be antique, it should be over than 100 years and originates from the Georgian, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, and Art Deco. Typically ornate and detailed, antique diamond rings are usually authentic pieces or a reproductions inlaid in gold, platinum, titanium and silver.

Remember that antique diamond ring personifies character and history, which sets it apart from other modern designs. Before you purchase an antique diamond ring as a wedding or engagement ring, here are some of things you might want to consider:

* Make sure that the antique diamond ring is professionally appraised before your pay for it. By doing this, you can be sure that all of its gems are authentic. You can also determine if the ring has been repaired or if it need repairs in case there are stone chips or cracks.

* Look for a photograph with a hallmark or written and signed interpretation to know when was the ring authenticated.

* In case the antique diamond ring needs a repair, get an estimated cost of before proceeding.

* Be open-minded. There are gemstones and designs other people consider as unlucky. If you’re not into these myths, you might want to consider these antique diamond rings because they might be less expensive than others.

* Make sure that you inspect and examine closely the condition of the antique engagement ring. Take note of the prongs holding the center diamond and the shank of the ring.

For porcelain collectors, Always Treasured offers a vast selection including famous names and styles. Browse the porcelain gallery for beautiful Nippon porcelain, Noritake porcelain, blue and white plates and dishes, gorgeous Haviland Limoges items, Royal Albert, Royal Vienna and much more.

Always Treasured also has a gallery full of vintage jewelry boxes and trinket boxes. These are perfect for the collector or make great gifts for any special occasion.

The vintage glass and glassware section is also popular and features a range of collectible glass items as well as more functional pieces. Always Treasured has just restocked this area with some beautiful vintage Fenton glass items.

Always Treasured just added a brand new gallery loaded with men’s vintage jewelry including vintage tie tacs, vintage tie bars and some superb vintage cufflinks. Always Treasured is loading this section up with items from our inventory every week.

In the age of the Web , it is common for people to head for online auction sites, such as eBay, in the hope of finding a good deal. Sadly you are going to be only one amongst thousands trying to find the same thing. Even worse, the seller is likely to be experienced with antique jewelry, knows exactly what the piece he’s selling is worth, and has calculated his pricing strategy correctly.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t find some major bargains at online auctions. Keep an eye out at popular auctions just in case bargains us do come up however. These bargains can sometimes be found in other sections not just wholesale antiques. An essential part of using online auctions is to establish the credibility of your seller before you enter in a bid. In cases where the initial fee charged by them is high it is advisable to possibly use the service of an escrow service. Keep the channels of communication open with the seller so that you and they both understand what it is exactly that you are hoping to buy.

Don’t let this get you down as if you know where to look there are better sources of wholesale antique jewelry to be found elsewhere. Remember sometimes to find the best results you need to be able to look in areas others simply cannot compete in. One great resource is your local newspaper. ideally sometimes potential bargains can occasionally be found in the local newspaper. Check them out, because it’s very likely the seller doesn’t have a clue what any jewelry they’re selling is worth. This has to increase your chances of getting a bargain from local sources.

If you’re going to trawl local sales for bargains, though, don’t make it too obvious when you’re interested in a piece of jewelry. Too much interest too soon can alert the owner and you are likely to put them off. It is extremely likely that if you know your antique jewelry in your assumption may well be correct. You may well find that you actually say more by taking the jewelry off site once you’ve bought it and confirming your suspicions in private.

The downside to this strategy is that occasionally you make mistakes and can end up purchasing junk. The genuine pieces you find will more than make up for the few bucks you spend on false starts.

You may find yourself becoming addicted to this sort of exercise once you have procured your first major find. On a personal basis I have found that estate sales tend to produce better bargains even if they happen on a list regular basis. It is not uncommon to find that the grandchildren of wealthy families are totally unaware off how valuable some of that elder relations jewelry is.

Their motivation may be purely driven by the fact that they desperately need the money. Nowadays, such is the expensive nature of the upkeep of large estates that the owners are more and more prepared to realize cash from the sale of family jewelry and in quite a few cases do not realize the value of what it is they are trying to sell.

Antique jewelry is typically very valuable, and purchasing such jewelry costs quite a bit of money. But then again, it is possible to buy antique jewelry wholesale as well – if you know where to look.

Most people think that online auctions, such as eBay is the way to go. While this is true occasionally, you will usually find that the seller knows the value of what they are selling, and the price is quite high. There are other ways to find antique jewelry at wholesale prices – or below.

Keep an eye on your newspaper for advertised estate sales and garage sales. Typically, at these sales, the people holding the sale really don’t know the value of what they have. You can literally purchase hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of antique jewelry for just a few dollars on a typical Saturday morning.

It is important that you not look too closely at the jewelry when you are buying it. If the piece is valuable, you don’t want the seller to know how valuable it is! It isn’t your fault that they didn’t get it appraised – as you will as soon as you leave! Keep a straight face, keep your happiness and joy to yourself, and pay the fifty cents or two bucks that they want for the piece, get in your car and head to a trusted jeweler for an appraisal!

It is possible that the piece isn’t worth anything – but occasionally, you will stumble across some real finds! Even if the piece isn’t worth anything, if you make jewelry, you may be able to disassemble it for the parts.

Finding antique jewelry wholesale is very exciting. In fact, spending those Saturday mornings at the yard sales and estate sales may even become addicting! Yard sales and estate sales – especially estate sales where grandchildren are not interested in their grandma’s old ugly jewelry are the best sources for antique jewelry at wholesale prices – or below wholesale prices.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t some real find on eBay as well, so don’t discount it. Keep an eye on the jewelry categories, as well as the antique or vintage categories. When you do find something you want to bid on, make sure that the seller has a good reputation. If the piece is very expensive, use the escrow service that is recommended by eBay. Also talk to the seller quite a bit to be sure that you understand exactly what is being advertised!