Notes & stories
The School of Fine Jewelry
lessons in antique & vintage jewelry
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Get Oldmine on Your Home Screen
Did you know the shop can live on your home screen just like an app? No app store, no downloads - here is how, in...
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The Classic Pieces Every Jewelry Collection Needs
Nine pieces that never date and never sit unworn, drawn from what actually leaves my cases. The solid chain, the bangle, the old band and...
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How to Spot Reproduction Antique Jewelry: A Dealer's Checklist
Construction, wear, findings, stones, hallmarks - the checklist I run through before I believe any piece is old.
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Is Antique Jewelry a Good Investment? Yes, and Here Is Why
Fifty-eight grams of Danish 14K. Gold has been money for five thousand years, and this is what that looks like on a wrist. Danish Vintage...
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The 4Cs Explained, and Why They Matter Less on an Antique Diamond
Two old mine cuts, each ground by hand to a shape the modern grading scale has no column for. Old Mine Cut Diamond Solitaire Stud...
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How to Tell if Silver Is Real: The Tests That Work at Home
Sterling has a particular weight and a particular coldness, and both are noticeable before you find the mark. Architectural Vintage Bangle, sterling silver Silver is...
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Gold Filled vs Gold Plated: Why One Lasts a Century
Twenty grams and solid 18K through every link, which is the standard the other constructions are measured against. Antique Watch Chain, solid 18K gold, 20...
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Why Buy Vintage Jewelry Instead of New? The Honest Arithmetic
Follow the honest arithmetic behind why vintage jewelry beats new on price, craftsmanship, and footprint, and learn exactly when new still wins.
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Hollow vs Solid Gold: What "Real Gold" Doesn't Tell You
Two chains can wear the same gold stamp and still tell very different stories. I will show you how to read the weight, not just...
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How Much Is My Gold Worth? The Honest Math
Curious what your gold jewelry is truly worth? I walk you through the honest math, so no buyer can outsmart you with a lowball offer.
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What Is a Cameo? How to Tell if Yours Is Real and Valuable
Learn how to spot a cameo's true material, judge her carving quality, and understand why her frame might be worth as much as she is.
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How to Tell if Pearls Are Real: The Tooth Test and What Comes After
Learn how the tooth test really works, why natural and cultured pearls are worlds apart in value, and how to keep an old strand glowing...
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