What Material Is It Made of?
Vintage costume jewelry pieces are made with a wide variety of materials. In fact, some collectors think that costume jewelry should be separated into sub-categories by the type of materials used in making it. Why? Because pieces that are gold-filled, rolled, or plated can have very different levels of worth. However, more often than not, people will lump all three together as either costume or fine jewelry. Many costume jewelry designers use a material called “German Silver,” also known as “Alpaca Silver.” That material actually contains no silver at all, which, to an unsuspecting buyer, could be very misleading. Natural stones, glass, semi-precious gems, plastic, resin, lab-created, and synthetic materials all are commonly used in costume jewelry design. Anytime you can find costume jewelry that contains actual gold, silver, blown glass, crystals, and natural stones, you are sure to find more value than if the materials are an alloy or plastic. Here’s what you need to know, even without gold or semiprecious stones, costume jewelry may still be very valuable, bring it in to Sal to find out. He’s been trading in costume jewelry for a long time and he knows the difference between trash and valuable merchandise.

The More Rare, The More Precious
Mass production of anything, and that includes costume jewelry, drives down price. But every now and then, you come across a particularly rare piece of costume jewelry, and that’s always a find. Why would there be rare pieces? Sometimes a piece was designed for Hollywood, for a particular movie or movie star. Sometimes the jewelry was massed produced, but the material it was made of was delicate enough that to find a piece that’s “like new” is nearly impossible. Sometimes a designer only had a few pieces produced to begin with, keeping it valuable through making it exclusive. Naturally, those one-of-a-kind pieces are more difficult to find and, like most things, the more rare a design is, the more expensive it is. Rarity is why precious stones and metals hold such value. Unique pieces created by well-known designers could exponentially increase the value of your costume jewelry collection. If you spot an iconic movie piece or signature design, then you can bet that it will be a good purchase.

How to Determine Value for Costume Jewelry
Costume jewelry can be found in lots of places: antique stores, yard sales, flea markets, jewelry stores, and online. A piece can range in cost from $1 to $100 or more depending on all of the factors we have noted. Costume jewelry pieces even have been known to run thousands of dollars when sold in auction houses, estate sales or in large lots. To determine the value of your costume jewelry or pieces you are interested in, you should contact a professional, like the jewelry experts at Judy’s Jewelry.

We Can Meet Your Costume Jewelry Needs
Picking through stacks of costume jewelry can be fun, but also time-consuming. If you have a specific style or piece in mind, then contacting Sal at Judy’s Jewelry is the way to go. Judy’s Jewelry is Southwest Florida’s largest buyer of antique and vintage jewelry pieces. Whether you have your eye on an art-deco necklace, a Victorian or Georgian style statement ring, or funky pair of bedazzled earrings, we may have what you seek. We’re also willing to buy collections of costume jewelry. Even if you need just a couple of stunning simple pieces to complement your daily wear, you don’t have to overspend online or risk getting shoddy knockoffs. Your costume jewelry can be valuable, beautiful, and just as collectible as fine jewelry. No matter what you are looking for, Judy’s Jewelry can find it.

Let Judy’s Jewelry Antique and Estate Jewelry, Fort Myers, FL Give You an Appraisal

We buy military and historical artifacts, antiques, oil paintings, marble statues, vintage and antique toys, select antique furniture, jade, porcelain, unique collectibles and more. We pay cash for the items we buy from you.

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