Antiques.com turned a year on Feb 1st 2011!  Thanks to all of our vendors for helping us to build our site into one of the best antiques sites on the web!  We’ve had more than 15oo dealers join in the fun so far, and we’re always looking for more.  We’re excited to offer over 80,000 items for sale on Antiques.com, but that number increases every day as more and more vendors sign up to be a part of our growing family.

To all of the people that visit Antiques.com looking for the perfect gift, trying to spruce up their home with a beautiful antique, or simply out of curiosity, thank you for coming!

And for everyone, vendors and antique aficionados alike, we’ve recently added a few features to our home page that we think you’ll enjoy!

- First, check out the Deal Of The Day – Each day we’ll offer a new deal from a vendor that is eager to give you a beautiful antique for a steal!

- Next, feast your eyes on the Cool Antique Of The Week – Each week we’ll show you something interesting from the site that is available to be purchased and fawned over by it’s new owner!

- And finally, have some fun with What Is This Antique? – Each week we’ll choose a new and interesting, if not a bit obscure, antique to feature for this game.  Take a guess, or several guesses, at what you think it is, and then each Monday we’ll publish the list of guesses submitted by everyone, along with the actual name and description of the antique.

Antiques.com strives to offer a wide variety of beautiful and interesting antiques, collectibles, and fine art pieces.  We’re looking forward to another stellar year where we add to our already impressive list of vendors and push our inventory to over 100,000 items!  So Happy Birthday To Us!  We’re looking forward to another fantastic year!

The Gypsy people, also called Roma or Romani, can trace their origins back more than 1000 years to the Indian subcontinent. Gypsy bloodlines and cultures have since proliferated across Europe and most of the rest of the world. During the early part of the 20th century, many Gypsy families arrived in the United States, bringing with them their culture and of course their possessions, which tend to showcase the Roma’s unique skill with intricate metalwork. This skill is easily recognized in a form of rare and now highly valued antique jewelry.

Metal smelting, plating, and shaping skills were believed to have developed among the Roma more than a millennium ago and have since been passed down from one generation to the next. As a result, the most beautiful and prized antique jewelry of this century is often set in or composed of various metals, specifically copper and gold. Gold cuff bracelets and earrings, gold belts, and gold medallions made by Roma are often more valuable then the gold used to make them– worth more than their weight, so to speak. But there are other reasons why these pieces are so sought after, many originating in aspects of the Roma culture and lifestyle.

For example, as a nomadic people, Gypsies historically limit their possessions to what they can carry or wear, so jewelry has become a form of wearable currency. But this exposes items to damage and loss and so, as generations go by, truly antique jewelry can become harder to find. The Roma also traditionally bury possessions with their owner upon the owner’s death, the possible exception being a single ring given to the owners oldest daughter. Jewelry belonging to a deceased person cannot be sold, and even as these restrictions have changed and lifted over the years, it still remains taboo to sell this jewelry within the Roma community. All of these factors contribute to a general attrition of truly authentic antique jewelry displaying Roma metalwork. The current rarity of these items can also be traced to the 1930’s and the great depression which left many families in financial circumstances that forced them to pawn or melt antique jewelry pieces down in order to sell the gold.

A few features to look for when evaluating antique jewelry with Gypsy origins: First, the metalwork. Gems and stones are often set in the pieces, but Gypsy owners typically preferred to invest in gold, since gold is more difficult to counterfeit. Intricate wirework, or filigree, is also a common feature of authentic Gypsy pieces.
Keep an eye out for Gypsy motifs as well, the most popular being horseshoes, hearts, and the head of a beautiful woman in profile, often referred to as “the Gypsy queen.” If you happen to own antique jewelry displaying these images, keep in mind the Gypsy belief that such pieces are good luck to own, but bad luck to sell. This also, of course, escalates the pieces in both rarity and value.

- Erin Sweeney

In 1784 the widow Maria Fitzherbert was introduced to The Prince of Wales– who would later become George IV– at a gathering in London. The two began a secret affair that would continue until their controversial wedding in the drawing room of her home a year and a half later. In the interim, in order to carry a keepsake of his paramour while keeping her identity hidden, the prince had a miniature watercolor created of her—but not of her entire face. Her eye—just one of them—was drawn on a tiny piece of ivory which the prince carried around like a locket. The effect was charming, whimsical and mysterious, and “lover’s eyes” soon took off as a trend among members of London high society.

Between 1790 and about 1825, it became a popular custom to have a miniature watercolor of the eye of a lover, friend, or sister painted, and then sealed under glass and ornamentally framed in a ring, brooch, or pendant. Sometimes the portrait extended as far as the eyebrow, and some portraits contained hints of sideburns or soft curls of hair. The rings and lockets were designed for men as well as women, though most pieces feature portraits of women no matter which gender wore or carried them.

Though the practice of keeping a lover’s eye was persistent, it never quite became universal. The custom continued for a quarter of a century, but less than a thousand or so of these tiny portraits exist in the world today. Because of their scarcity, lover’s eyes are now considered extremely valuable and coveted pieces of antique jewelry.

It’s difficult to adequately describe the weird beauty of an authentic Georgian lover’s eye. When set in antique rings especially, these portraits are not at all out of place in the most elegant vintage antique jewelry collections. But they also call to mind a curiously modern and playful steampunk style– half ornamentation, half secret code, and suggestive of a different form of Georgian art, the anatomical sketch. True lover’s eyes are utterly mesmerizing specimens of antique jewelry, and their high appraisal value only adds to their elusively.

Even more so than with other forms of antique jewelry, forgeries of lover’s eyes abound. With modern scanning technology, the portraits have become easy to replicate, and of course high demand only increases the temptation to counterfeiters. If you own a lover’s eye, take the proper precautions before you part with it. And if you plan to invest in one, be aware that lover’s eyes represent a foray into what is considered high–risk collecting. Even skilled antique jewelry appraisers can mistake authenticity, and the sheer beauty of a piece for its own sake can be fatally alluring.

Remember: there are very, very few of these in the world. If the cost a lover’s eye seems too good to be true, it probably is. Appreciate the artistry and the history of the piece, but be cautious.

By Erin Sweeney

What does one do with antique jewelry if it can’t be safely or stylishly worn? My friend Ellen inherited a beautiful collection of antique jewelry, including several dozen brooches and lapel pins. She created an elegant method of displaying them. She built the top of her coffee table into a honeycomb of cubes, each one a frame large enough to display three or four carefully matched pins. Then she lined each frame with a background material—sand in some cases, distressed velvet or tiny pebbles in others. Finally she laid each pin down in its cube and made a hinged glass lid for the whole table. Together, the antique jewelry and the display itself make an excellent conversation piece.

By Erin Sweeney

for Antiques.com

In the words of Julie Andrews…”These are a few of my favorite things…”

I’m always looking at the latest and greatest. What new gadget is there to replace the one I bought 3 months ago; what colors and styles are in this season, what the hottest new accessories are on the market, etc. My eyes are often bigger than my pocketbook, so while I see plenty of things to fall in love with, my budget only allows me to acquire them one thing at a time (instead of everything at once!)

Not everyone can afford (or justify) a new $2500 purse each season, or a colorful Picasso for the new home. Does that mean we shouldn’t have said items?

Of course not!

In my search for the next best thing, each week I’ll talk about what all the fashion and style magazines are reporting as “must haves” and show YOU how to find something similar, for less.

This weeks “Favorite Things” finds…

FASHION:

Oversize bags are still in. What girl can travel without one?

Hilary Duff was seen carrying her Hermes Birkin Bag recently:

If you don’t have multiple thousands to shell out, have you considered buying a pre-owned Birkin?

There are numerous legitimate dealers of vintage and gentle used accessories that can have you hooked up and looking like a celeb overnight.

Visit our friends at “Strictly Pursonal” to see their great selection of pre-owned AUTHENTIC designer bags: http://www.strictlypursonal.com/

JEWELRY:

A common question asked on the red carpet is not only who are you wearing, but what jewelry designer are you wearing as well. Many names come to mind such as Yurman, Van Cleefs, Tiffany, Cartier, etc.

Have you considered rockin some vintage Chanel to make a bold, yet affordable statement?

Try visiting Very Vintage: http://www.veryvintage.com for an assortment of yummy things.

Finally, I’ve seen numerous fashion magazines lately with photos and advertisements of necklaces sporting vintage looking key’s hanging from them like the one seen on the neck of Kate Moss here:

Naomi Watts was seen wearing one in 18kt gold valued at $800 in the latest issue of InStyle.

Certainly you can hit your local antique shop and find numerous authentic Victorian keys for a few dollars and hit your local jewelry store for a great necklace to hang it on. If that’s too much trouble, why not visit Etsy.com – they offer numerous artists selling them for under $100.

I’d love to hear how you take the “old” and make it new again. Write me here!

Happy Hunting!

Reyne

“Reyne Gauge” is a monthly syndicated column written by Reyne Haines.  Purchase Reyne’s new book “Vintage Watches” by clicking Here

I visit Vancouver British Columbia a lot these days. It’s a spectacular city of urbanity, snow capped mountains, bays and an incredible sophistication that’s a melting pot of Canada, Asia and the United States. While shopping there, an activity always a part of any trip someplace new, I discovered the jewelry designs of Martha Sturdy. I knew I had discovered something that was exquisite in line and form, projected a distinctly glamorous tone and elicited a zen like response from my left brained persona. Working in a highly sculptural manner, rarely using embellishment, the facility with which this designer worked with geometry, metal and finishes blew me away.

Continue Reading…

At least once a month I hear about a “score” made by a collector or dealer in the jewelry field.

They’ve either purchased a gold necklace thought by the seller to be gold plated, or a diamond mistaken for a cubic zirconia.

Believe it or not, this happens all the time.  Some early gold jewelry was not stamped with the carat mark, therefore, it’s mistaken for costume jewelry.  The same can be said for early miners cut diamonds, as they are not the same look as the round brilliant diamonds we know today.

What are some steps you can take to ensure you don’t end up giving away your family heirlooms?

First, if you think it might be something, yet it is not marked, take it to your local jeweler. They can quickly tell you a) if it’s gold or platinum and b) if the stones are authentic.

If you find that your jewelry is fine, and not costume, you might then ask the jeweler to tell you more about the stones used.  If they are diamonds, what can they tell you about the size, color and clarity.  If the diamond is not over a carat, you should enjoy the piece, or pass it down to the next generation.  If it is over a carat in size, you might spend some time on Mondera.com to research the current retail value of your stone.

What if you have more than one item?  I highly suggest locating a jewelry appraiser in your area.  You can find one by visiting The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers at:

http://www.najaappraisers.com/

Once you’ve determined what you have and what it’s worth, how do you go about selling it?  There are a few options to choose from:

1. Try your hand at selling it locally by listing it on Craigslist.org  – This site is free, and you can upload multiple photos and a great description.  I suggest having the buyer meet you in a public place, not your home.
2. Consign it to auction.  There are numerous auction houses across the nation that have quarterly jewelry sales. Their specialists know how to properly market your items to maximize their selling potential.
3. If you don’t want to try to locate a collector for your goods, you can always sell them to a jewelry dealer.  You’ll have to take a lesser price for your items, but there are always plenty of jewelry dealers looking for inventory.

On a final note, if your jewelry turns out to be costume you should still do some homework. Some costume jewelry makers wares can command hundreds to thousands of dollars.  You just never know when you might have a gem!

Recognized 20th Century Decorative Arts Expert and Appraiser.  As seen on CBS “The Early Show” and NBC’s “The Art of Collecting”. Haines has written numerous articles and books on collecting. Her most recent pubication is “Collecting Wristwatches” for Krause Publications which comes out April 2010.  Reyne is a frequent appraiser on PBS Antiques Roadshow.