Guides
Gold, silver and platinum in antique jewelry
Karat, color and hallmark. What European metal standards mean for an American buyer, and how they change the way a piece wears.
Understanding European gold hallmarks
American gold says 14K. European gold shows you a lion, an eagle's head or a tiny crowned figure. Here is how to read them.
10 min read
14K vs 18K gold explained
Two numbers that decide the color, the durability and a surprising amount of the price of a piece.
7 min read
White gold vs yellow gold vs rose gold in vintage jewelry
What gives gold its color, and what each color tells you about a piece's age.
7 min read
Silver and platinum in vintage and antique jewelry
Why platinum defined an era, how sterling silver is used, and how to tell them apart.
7 min read
Solid gold vs gold-filled, vermeil and plated
Four things sold as gold, with very different amounts of gold in them.
6 min read
22K and high-karat gold in antique and regional jewelry
Why some traditions favor 22K and 24K gold, and how it wears differently.
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
