Your vintage jewelry pieces can have a lot of sentimental and monetary value. The vintage jewelry experts here at Charles Schwartz & Son make the buying and selling process a breeze! Our vintage jewelry experts will evaluate your vintage jewelry and family heirlooms to offer you the highest possible price while treating each customer with the utmost care, professionalism, and confidentiality.
Finding Experts To Sell Vintage Jewelry
Charles Schwartz & Son is Washington DC’s oldest jeweler. Based in the nation’s capital for over 130 years, we take pride in our name as arguably the most recognizable and finest jewelers in Washington. We take great care in meeting the jewelry needs of our customers. Whether refurbishing a family heirloom or finding the right gift for that special occasion, we are here to serve you.
With over 130 years of experience in the Washington D.C. jewelry industry—you can trust Charles Schwartz & Son on all of your jewelry-related needs.
How to Know You Are Selling Vintage Jewelry
A piece of jewelry is considered “vintage” if it is more than 50 years old, but less than 100 years old. Unlike antique jewelry, vintage jewelry is often worn and displayed. Vintage jewelry is less likely to break due to its relatively young age. As many vintage designs are still in tune with modern trends, vintage jewelry has become the ideal choice for making unique fashion statements or adding a little contemporary flair to an outfit.
Types Of Vintage Jewelry To Sell
We purchase fine vintage jewelry and heirlooms from a variety of jewelry eras, including the Art Deco Era (1915-1935) and the Retro Era (1945-1960), along with many others.
The Art Deco era is known for great technological advances, swift urbanization, and unbridled consumerism. Jewelry from the Jazz Age, more commonly known as the Roaring Twenties, was inspired by society’s recent advances in industry and architecture, leading to the striking linear symmetry and bold geometric elements found in pieces from the Art Deco era.
The Retro era was a whimsical distraction from the horrors of World War II. The Retro era’s characteristically big, bold, and oversized designs mimicked the glamorous, coveted Hollywood lifestyle of the time. Retro jewelry, more commonly known as cocktail jewelry, originated in France with a number of light, fun designs including birds, ballerinas, bows, and heart motifs.
Although silver was less common compared to previous jewelry eras, gold grew significantly in popularity during the Retro era, extending its range to include rose gold, yellow gold, and green gold.
The most popular jewelry designers of the era included Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Bulgari, and Castelli. These European designers pioneered the unique style of Retro jewelry, which was adopted by American designers shortly thereafter. Bulgari in particular became infamous for his remarkable works of “animalier” jewelry – jewelry in the shape of animals.
Trustworthy Places To Sell Vintage Jewelry
Started by the Schwartz family in 1888 and passed on to the Pastor family in 1984, Charles Schwartz & Son is your family jeweler. Charles Schwartz & Son Jewelers has had the honor of servicing the dignitaries of Washington and the world. Along with them, we welcome you to be a part of our family. We invite you to stop in and visit us at any time.
When selling a piece of jewelry we know it can be stressful, sometimes even emotional to part with it. Oftentimes family heirlooms or personal belongings are the hardest pieces to let go of. We work to treat each customer with the utmost care, expertise, and of course, confidentiality.
