This is meant to be an introduction to buying costume jewelry online. Prior to buying online make sure that you are very familiar with the styles from different time periods and the styles of different makers. There are many fakes out there and many times I have seen items categorized as something they were not. For example, I cannot tell you how many times that a Retro item (one from the 40s) categorized as being Deco (from the 20s). The best way to familiarize yourself with styles and makers is by looking at books if you don't have hands on access to pieces.
First, lets talk about the difference of buying retail as opposed to at auction. You should expect auction prices to be significantly lower than what you would pay for a retail item. This is because the person is getting rid of the item immediately as opposed to retail people who may wait months before finding someone to pay the price for an item. On Ebay I saw one bracelet sell for $170, and a couple weeks later, the same bracelet came up for auction with the matching necklace just with different color stones and the two of them together, in the same condition, only sold for $100.
How do you go about buying via online auction? If you are buying from an established professional auction house such as one that lists via Live Auctioneers, you can feel pretty confident of their descriptions and conditions. These auction houses usually have professionals working for them who are specialists and often have taken appraisal courses or are certified appraisers. Certified appraisers have to know the legal standards of appraisal, must pass a test and must maintain a membership with a professional organization.
However, if you are buying via Ebay or retail sites such as Etsy, Bonanza and Ecrater to name a few, most people are laymen, even antique dealers. Many sellers do very little, if any research on the items they are selling. This is good and bad, because on one hand, you can get burned buying something that is misrepresented, but on the other you can get a really good steal if you know something the seller does not.
Most websites, including retail websites, seem to have a little to no oversight over the actual content because there is too much to police. They rely on the buyers to police the sellers. The problem with this is that most of the buyers are also not experts, so they don't know if they're receiving a fake or something that is really a reproduction. Do not expect a accurate condition report from many buyers and ask if they do not have the condition of the item listed. Always ask the condition because if you want to return an item it's best to have in writing what they said about the piece. For example, I bought what I thought was a nice vintage piece online for a song that was listed "in excellent condition." It would have been a lovely piece if someone hadn't painted it badly with cheap gold paint.
When buying either at auction or via retail do not hesitate to ask sellers for more information or photographs. If the person does not list a condition always ask for one. That way if the item is not as described you can return it. Also, always check their return policy because you do not want to be stuck with a dud. Most people accept returns within a 7 day period but some do not.
In conclusion, unless you're buying from a professional auction house or a company that you trust online, you really must know what you're doing. The internet is a place to get great bargains. However, it is also a place many people sell items that are not what they think they are. Ways to familiarize yourself with jewelry include reading books, familiarizing yourself with styles and makers and checking out patent websites. In the following blog entries I will talk about various makers and styles as well as how to date costume jewelry.
I will leave you with a few trade terms to know when you're buying costume jewelry.
Trade Terms to Know:
Gold tone- refers to a base metal that is gold in color, or something that is sterling silver with a coat of gold colored coating
Silver tone- refers to a base metal that is silver in color or has a silver colored coating
Gold Plated- This means that the item is a base metal with a gold plating, although sometimes I think that some dealers describe items with gold tone as being gold plated. Usually if they're gold plated someone will put 24k, 18k, etc. Some people believe that gold plating increases the value of the item but there are many items made of base metals that are far nicer than some that are gold plated.
Style/Revival- e.g. Deco Style, Retro Style, Victorian Revival, et al, this means that the piece is in the style of that time period NOT that it is from that time period.
Estate- This is a really vague term and could mean just about anything. Technically if you bought an item from a garage sale it is 'from an estate.' Personally, I use this term to mean that the item is used and I'm not sure what time period it is from.
925- Is a mark that is used on jewelry to denote that the item is made from sterling silver
