Guides
Authenticity, hallmarks and caring for antique jewelry
How to tell a period piece from a reproduction, how to read maker's marks, and how to look after a piece that has already survived a century.
How to tell if vintage jewelry is real
Genuine period jewelry usually agrees with itself. Reproductions rarely do.
8 min read
Reading maker's marks and hallmarks
How a mark set is built, what each stamp actually proves, and what it never can.
9 min read
How to care for your vintage jewelry
Why repolishing can halve the value of a piece that took a century to earn its surface.
6 min read
How to read French gold and silver hallmarks
The eagle's head, the boar, the owl, and what French hallmarks can and cannot tell you.
8 min read
How to read British gold and silver hallmarks
Assay office marks, the date letter, and how the UK's hallmark system works.
8 min read
How to read Dutch gold and silver hallmarks
The zoetermeer, the lion, and how the Netherlands marks precious metal.
7 min read
How Cartier marks its jewelry, and how we verify it
Signatures, serial numbers and why marks alone never settle authenticity.
7 min read
How Tiffany & Co marks its jewelry, and how we verify it
Signatures, silver marks and why we verify attribution beyond the stamp.
7 min read
How to date a vintage ring
Work through marks, metal, construction, cut, setting and wear in order, and settle on a range rather than a year.
9 min read
How to clean gold jewelry safely
Warm water, a soft brush and patience will do more good than any cleaning product.
6 min read
How to clean silver jewelry without ruining the patina
Tarnish is not always a problem, and the pieces where it matters most are marcasite and niello.
7 min read
Everyday wear and what actually damages jewelry
Chlorine, the gym and a good night's sleep cause more damage than clumsy hands ever do.
7 min read
Written in the workshop
Everything here is written by the people who buy and restore these pieces
No stock copy and no invented history: if a fact is not on the piece or in its paperwork, we say so.
From the reading to the piece
