About Retro Jewelry
The Retro era in jewelry dated to the 1930-40s. These ten years brought us a distinct look that has been highly admired through the years.
During the World War II the entire world was changing, and jewelry world was under the influence as well. For instance, a popular bracelet design of the 1940s was inspired by the geometry of tank treads. In order to confront that brutality, for some of the pieces jewelers reinstated Victorian floral motifs in a romantic and even fragile way. That approach resulted in a vast variety of brooches. Butterflies, flowers, starbursts, birds, and animals flooded jewelry market during retro era.
Some of the materials — such as platinum — were hard to find and even forbidden to be sold. That’s why retro jewelry was often made of yellow, rose and even green gold alloys.
Shortage of gemstones forced jewelers to use semi-precious stones: citrine, aquamarine, amethyst. Pave technique allowed to achieve a big look with little diamonds. Another sign of that time was enamel that was used to accentuate the stone or even replace it.
About Vintage Brooches
Since we started taking our very first steps into the jewelry world, vintage brooches and pins have always been our favorite pieces.
Wearing a brooch is a smart, unique way to express your personality and style. Pin it to your lapel, scarf, or a bag, and with just one brooch alone you can create the whole new fashion piece out of any garment or accessory. Some brooches could be worn as pendants, so you get two pieces in one. A gold brooch is an amazing jewel that is fun, elegant, and expressive at the same time.
Choose and pin down your own fabulous version of a vintage brooch here.
About Estate Jewelry
Estate jewelry is an excellent way to buy high-quality pieces at a fair price. Those who appreciate classic or one-of-a-kind pieces prefer purchasing estate jewelry for a wide range of styles and historical influences.
Buying jewelry online can be challenging. The quality of the making has not gotten better over time while the design is getting more and more generic. Add ever rising prices and you could end up not finding anything suitable. To purchase a high-quality jewelry piece for an obtainable price consider buying estate items.
- Quality vs Quantity
Estate pieces mostly belong to the era when jewels were handmade and not mass produced. There were simply less jewelry makers at that time and they cared about their reputation. Opposed to the current fast fashion approach, life pace was in general slower. That allowed makers to take more time to craft a truly quality piece.
- Fair price vs Overpriced
Designer pieces aka signed pieces can cost multiple times more than their unsigned equivalents. We pay not only for an item itself but also for the brand advertising campaigns and all the buzz the name creates. Prices for estate jewelry form differently and mostly depend on the cost paid by a seller. A pre-owned Bulgari ring and a brand-new Bulgari piece have a significant price difference. Ask your local jewelry store about the retail price of the desired piece and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. .
- True value vs Seasonal Rush
Pre-owned jewelry retains its value as over time it gets unique and sought-after. Think about purchasing a new car that loses its value right after you leave your dealer versus buying a vintage vehicle.
At Nadine Krakov Collection we are in love with all the things beautiful. Each of our estate jewelry pieces is in excellent condition. We preserve the history and the greatest styles of the past so our clients can enjoy it to the fullest.
