Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry, 1840-1950: Identification and Value Guide

by C. Jeanenne Bell

A Jewelry Classic For three decades, Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry has served as the most respected and authoritative reference to the subject of vintage jewelry on the market. The new edition of this timeless classic finds acclaimed jewelry expert C. Jeanenne Bell at her best û sharing her impressive understanding of the subject with unbridled passion for her life-long pursuit. Offering significant historical information and lavish images of remarkable pieces, this best-selling guide to antique jewelry takes you on a beautiful and edifying adventure. Bell's historical sense, coupled with her keen eye for detail and value, makes her work a cherished addition to the library for both the beginning or veteran jewelry collector. This new edition features nearly 1,000 all-new color photographs of the most collectible jewelry today from 1840 to 1950, fully vetted values, and offers indispensable insight for various jewelry styles, including: A former appraiser for "Antiques Roadshow," Bell also provides additional information on maker's marks, trademarks, designer marks, and circa dating clues.

Genres: Jewellery, Reference, History, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1981

Reviews

[Nicole O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have an interest in antique jewellery, then I recommend this book as a must-have-read. It is a blend of history, fashion and jewellery. For me, understanding past trends and fashions is an integral part of retaining knowledge about jewellery styles. Who thought Queen Victoria could be a trendsetter? But she was exactly that with her black mourning brooch. Those tit-bits of information help one see the big picture of the historical jewellery timeline. Further in the book, the author displays many photographic examples of antique jewellery alongside prices paid. To me, those prices may be of value now but will soon outdate with inflation and demand. I have not read to the end of the book yet, so perhaps I state this prematurely, but I would have enjoyed knowing from what regions did the Victorians (and other eras) obtain their gemstones. To collectors, the origins of gems may add or subtract significantly from jewellery value. After doing independent research, I discovered that amethysts and green garnets from Siberia were of particular importance due to their unique and distinctive colour tones. However, the Victorians also obtained stones from India and Brazil -- maybe a mention of this because the Indian amethysts are of a paler, less valuable colour. Old mining information would have been a curious bonus to add to this lovely book. None the less, a delightful book for curious-minded collectors.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was so interesting about this book, was not only the jewelry pieces (lots of pictures in color}, but at the beginning of each chapter, before going into the jewelry, the author treats us to a romp thru the history of that time. She covers the events, briefly, but also covers what ladies clothing was like, and lifts entire sections from magazines of the times, starting with Godey's Lady's Magazine.
I was able to download this book into my e reader, from the Hawaii State Public Library, and flip thru what was uninteresting.

[Donna Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4th Edition, 1996