About Aquamarine Jewelry:
An Aquamarine is a precious gemstone from the Beryl family. The name came from a combination of two Latin words. “Aqua” means water, “marina” means sea. Together they named a gemstone with the color of the sea water.
Aquamarine color varies from greenish blue to blue. The stone receives this color from ferrous iron. The range of the hue goes from very light to moderately dark. Therefore, aqua rarely can be darker than Swiss blue topaz.
Aquamarine prices depend on depth and purity of color and clarity. Well-pronounced blue to slightly greenish blue with no visible inclusions are usually the best choice. Although, a high-quality cut, which you can recognize when the stone is dazzling, emphasizes the color and clarity.
When choosing setting for your aquamarine ring, keep in mind that low crown will provide higher brilliance. However, to deepen the color choose higher crowns.
Aquamarine usually pairs with white gold and platinum. This combination creates an airy, summery feel.
About Vintage Jewelry:
Vintage jewelry is something we can talk about for days. Since the subject is that big and has multiple aspects to discuss, we’d like to focus on the most important parts of it. So, what is vintage jewelry? Why it's so appealing? And how to buy your vintage jewelry online?
In the industry, different sellers and makers have different opinions on the time period when vintage jewels were made. Here at Nadine Krakov, we consider vintage as anything being made between 50 and 100 years ago. Therefore, all jewelry produced from 1930 to 1980 called vintage. This time frame is comprised of Art Deco, Retro and Mid-Century.
Why do we love vintage jewelry so much? It's all about the quality of making and – of course – the look.
Vintage pieces were mostly made by hand or at least hand-finished while modern jewels are mainly cast. As the lifestyle back in the days was much slower, jewelry makers literally had more time in their hands. Skilled craftsmen honed their craft and reputation. They couldn’t allow a flimsy, poorly done piece to ruin that. Mass market jewelry didn’t exist at that time. Each little detail of a piece was executed thoughtfully and with the high quality in mind.
How to shop your vintage jewelry online? Ask questions about maker's marks and hallmarks, request a video of the piece, and show it to your jeweler. The easiest way to be confident with your purchase is to find a trustworthy, reputable seller. And if you are happened to be in Beverly Hills area, just google “vintage jewelry near me”, find Nadine Krakov Collection store and stop by for a good chat with a sip of champagne.
About Estate Jewelry:
Buying jewelry online might be challenging. The quality of the making has not gotten better over the time while the design is getting more and more generic. Add ever rising prices and you could end up with not finding anything suitable. To purchase a high-quality jewelry piece for an obtainable price consider buying estate items.
Estate pieces mostly belong to the times 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 truly quality pieces.
- Fair-Priced 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 is creating. 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 ring have a very appealing price difference. Ask your local jewelry store about a retail price of the desired piece and you’d be pleasantly surprised.
- True value vs Seasonal rush
Pre-owned jewelry retains its value. Over the time it gets rare and more expensive. Think purchasing a new car that loses its value right after you left your dealer versus buying a vintage vehicle.
At Nadine Krakov Collection we love beauty and high-quality. Each of our estate jewelry piece is in excellent condition. We preserve the history and the greatest styles of the past so our clients can enjoy them at the fullest.