Both vintage and antique jewels have always been part of history since the dawn of time and over the years have changed their roles becoming, depending on the era, a symbol of power, wealth, belonging to a certain social class and proof of affection and esteem.

These precious items, nowadays, have turned into a real passion, an investment and collector's items. The production of antique jewelry dates back to ancient times, with precious ornaments, up to the first half of the 19th century. Antique jewelry is, for some, a real essential accessory to enrich their clothing and embellish their style, for others it represents an artistic masterpiece rich in history and magic, while for others still it is a valid investment.

The jewels have reflections, lights and an unmistakable manufacturing. They acquire immense value and represent a concrete investment especially when they are made by great master goldsmiths, such as Louis Cartier, creator of the style called garland through which he transformed the jewels of the time into true works of architecture, enriching them with lace, garlands of flowers, bows and so on, taking inspiration from decorations present in texts dating back to the eighteenth century.

Another authoritative French master, Peter Carl Fabergé , jeweler to the tsars, he gave his jewels new decorations such as animals carved in hard stone, enamelled eggs embellished with the most precious stones and set on both gold and silver bases and flowers, all jewels full of charm where every detail was taken care of down to the smallest particular.

Even Buccellati jewels designed and made with tulle, lace or honeycomb workmanship, embellished with flowers, high-value stones and so on, are objects of great skill. Boucheron jewels are legendary, the wonderful diamonds used to create them enhance the collection of animals with an original design, giving it creativity and an incomparable cut.

The workmanship of the antique jewelry was done with both yellow and white gold, with tubular mesh workmanship, with precious stones of intense brightness such as baguette-cut diamonds, navette diamonds and sapphires, cabochon emeralds and rubies as well as pearls. They depicted single flowers or bouquets, animals and, often, also female images.

Both vintage and antique jewelry increasingly represent safe havens, especially in times of economic uncertainty and with fluctuating trends in the financial markets. To be sure of purchasing a valuable jewel that, at the same time, will be a solid investment over time, it will be necessary to turn to jewelers with proven experience and seriousness or rely on auction houses and, above all, prefer jewelry made by renowned master goldsmiths, whose signature is synonymous with guarantee and value.

The ancient jewelry was made with a combination of 18-karat gold and with parts of 925 silver, the jewels were decorated with animal heads such as lions, scarabs, griffins or other mythological figures, embellished with gold petals, with spiral beads, ivy leaves and so on. They were often embellished with hard stones such as garnet and almandine that were masterfully set in gold. Ancient goldsmithing felt the influence first of the Lombard current and then of the Byzantine one, giving life to jewels increasingly full of gold and stones of great value. Starting from the Middle Ages, ancient jewels were decorated with gems and at the beginning of the 18th century with diamonds. The ancient jewels of the 19th century, thanks to an increasingly detailed and refined workmanship, became a real precious accessory that could not be done without.

The production period of vintage jewellery can be classified into different typologies and eras, one starting from 1800 until the second post-war period with particularly sumptuous jewels displayed in the great French courts and a second, between the 19th and 20th centuries, represented by typical Art Nouveau jewels with hard stones and elegant workmanship, also intended for the middle class, especially in the United Kingdom.

Vintage jewelry holds the mysteries of the past and allows us to learn about the history of humanity and its evolution. They are a valid aid in understanding the habits and customs of our ancestors, their traditions, their superstitions, their way of life, their economic and political life. They have fascinated since ancient times, and continue to do so thanks to their beauty and original design. Vintage jewelry was used as lucky charms, to highlight the legal or social status of its owners, to please the desire for vanity and to embellish the aesthetic aspect. The stones that made up the jewels, over time, took on different meanings becoming real talismans, such as the amethyst that was used to defeat drunkenness, the diamonds considered first, the symbol of the strong and the winners and, later, of love.