Abercrombie Jewelry buys antique jewelry in Austin, including Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian, and Art Deco pieces, evaluated for period design, maker, and collector demand, as well as material value. Our GIA-trained team has been purchasing antique jewelry since 1989 and gives you a same-day cash offer with no obligation.
Antique jewelry is a category where the wrong buyer consistently undervalues what you have. A dealer who prices by weight misses out on the collector premium for an intact Victorian mourning brooch. A generalist who doesn’t recognize Edwardian filigree misses the market for fine platinum work with original stones. At our Westlake showroom, we’ve been specifically evaluating antique jewelry for more than three decades. We know what period design adds, what collectors are currently buying, and how to give you an offer that reflects the full value of what you’re bringing in. Our antique jewelry specialists in Austin bring period knowledge to every evaluation.
We define antique jewelry as pieces made before 1920. Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, and early Art Nouveau all fall within this range. The period boundary isn’t rigid; some Art Deco pieces made between 1920 and 1935 share construction methods and materials with earlier antique work, and we evaluate those on their specific merits.
What We Buy: Antique Jewelry by Period
**Georgian (1714–1837)**, handmade gold jewelry with foiled stone settings, hairwork, and mourning jewelry. Georgian pieces are increasingly rare, and genuine examples carry strong collector premiums. We examine construction methods carefully to distinguish period pieces from later reproductions.
**Victorian (1837–1901)**, the most expansive antique period for jewelry. Early Victorian mourning jewelry in jet and gold hairwork, Mid-Victorian archaeological revival pieces with Roman and Etruscan motifs, and Late Victorian diamond and colored-stone pieces in silver and gold all fall into this category. Cameos, lockets, brooches, and long chains in yellow gold are among the most common Victorian pieces we purchase.
**Edwardian (1901–1915)**, the platinum and diamond era. Edwardian jewelry is defined by delicate filigree work, milgrain detailing, and the white-on-white aesthetic of platinum and Old European-cut diamonds. Lace-like openwork settings, garland motifs, and delicate chain necklaces are characteristic. These pieces require buyers who understand what intact filigree and original stones mean for collector value.
**Art Nouveau (1890–1910)**, enamel work, flowing organic forms, and the female figure. Signed Art Nouveau pieces from Lalique, Mucha-influenced design, and plique-à -jour enamel work command strong collector premiums. We evaluate signed and unsigned Art Nouveau with attention to design quality and enamel integrity.**Early Art Deco (1920–1935)**, geometric forms, onyx and emerald contrast, and platinum with old European cut diamonds. Early Deco pieces often share construction with Edwardian work and are evaluated accordingly.
How Period Value Is Determined
Material value, gold weight, platinum content, and diamond quality are the baseline. For antique jewelry, it’s often not the dominant factor.
Period integrity matters most. A Georgian ring with original foiled stone settings and hand-cut shanks intact is worth more than the same ring that’s been re-shanked and re-set. An Edwardian brooch with original stones, unaltered filigree, and a period clasp is worth more than one with replaced stones and a modern safety clasp.
Maker’s marks and signed pieces command significant premiums. Cartier, Marcus, Tiffany, and major British and continental makers from these periods are actively collected, and current market data for signed examples drives our offer on those pieces.
Condition and rarity interact. A common Victorian mourning brooch in average condition has modest collector value. A rare example in exceptional condition with original provenance documentation is a different conversation. We assess both factors.For clients with estate collections that mix antique and more recent pieces, our estate jewelry purchasing team handles the entire collection across all eras in a single appointment. Our vintage jewelry buyers cover mid-century through 1980s pieces alongside antique evaluation when collections span multiple periods.
Diamonds in Antique Jewelry
Old European-cut and old mine-cut diamonds are central to antique jewelry from the Victorian and Edwardian periods. These pre-modern cuts have distinctive character, high crowns, small tables, and larger facets that produce a different optical quality than contemporary brilliant cuts. Collectors value them specifically for that character, and the market for these stones has strengthened consistently over the past decade.
We don’t price old cuts against modern brilliant equivalents. We evaluate them against the current collector demand for those specific stones, which produces better results for sellers. Our diamond evaluation team, which assesses old cuts under magnification, works alongside antique evaluation for pieces where diamond quality is a primary driver.
Rose-cut diamonds, flat-bottomed, domed stones common in Victorian and Georgian jewelry, are also evaluated against collector pricing rather than generic melt-plus formulas.
Gold, Silver, and Coins Alongside Antique Jewelry
Most antique collections include more than jewelry alone. Our Austin gold buyers handle gold pieces of all karat weights, along with antique evaluation.
Our sterling silver buying services evaluate antique silverware, flatware, and hollowware, including American coin silver and British hallmarked sterling. Our Austin coin dealers evaluate numismatic collections and pre-1933 U.S. gold coins, which frequently appear in estate antique collections.
For platinum antique pieces, our platinum jewelry buyers confirm metal content and assess Edwardian and early Art Deco platinum work.Clients with antique engagement rings can use our antique engagement ring buying services. Those with antique diamond pieces can work with our diamond ring buyers at the same visit.
Consignment for Significant Antique Pieces
Exceptional antique pieces, signed Art Nouveau enamel work, rare Edwardian parure sets, or documented Georgian jewelry with original provenance sometimes achieve their best result through consignment rather than immediate sale. Our consignment program displays select antique pieces in our showroom and markets them to collectors specifically seeking period jewelry. A commission applies, but for the right piece, the outcome can exceed an immediate offer by a meaningful margin.
We’ll give you an honest read during the evaluation on whether consignment is realistic for your piece. If outright purchase is the better path, we’ll say so directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get An Expert Appraisal – Gems + Precious Metals
At Abercrombie Jewelry in Austin, we buy gold and jewelry, precious stones and precious metals. If you’re interested in selling your gems or precious metals, schedule an appointment today!