Art Deco Jewellery Appraisal Online
Upload photographs of your Art Deco jewellery and receive a researched written appraisal covering its apparent age, design, materials, gemstones, hallmarks, construction, condition and estimated current market value.
How It Works
Send us clear photographs and information about your jewellery, we research the piece, and your completed appraisal is emailed directly to you.
Upload Your Jewellery
Choose your appraisal package and upload clear photographs from several angles, including close-ups of gemstones, hallmarks, clasps, settings and the reverse of the piece.
We Research & Appraise
We assess the apparent Art Deco period, design, materials, gemstones, hallmarks, construction, condition and relevant market comparisons.
Receive Your PDF
Your completed appraisal is emailed to you as a PDF, normally within 48 hours once we have received all required photographs and information.
What You'll Receive
Assessment informed by antique and vintage jewellery, period design and historical construction techniques.
Your jewellery is individually reviewed and researched rather than passed through a generic valuation calculator.
Where a gemstone, material or other characteristic cannot responsibly be established from photographs alone, this will be made clear.
Choose Your Appraisal Package
Select the package that matches the number of pieces you would like us to assess.
Selecting a package will open a short appraisal form below it. Tell us about your jewellery and upload clear photographs of the piece, hallmarks and any other relevant details. Once complete, select Continue to Checkout to securely purchase your appraisal.
Single Item Appraisal
Two Item Appraisal
3–5 Item Appraisal
Art Deco Jewellery Appraisal Online
Art Deco jewellery is among the most distinctive and collectible jewellery of the twentieth century. Strong geometry, symmetry, contrasting gemstones, platinum, diamonds and bold use of colour all became important elements of the style during the 1920s and 1930s.
An Art Deco jewellery appraisal online can help determine whether a piece appears consistent with the period, what materials and gemstones may be present, and how comparable pieces are currently valued in the market.
Rings are only one part of the category. Art Deco jewellery also includes bracelets, brooches, necklaces, pendants, earrings, clips and other highly decorative pieces.
When Was the Art Deco Period?
Art Deco is principally associated with the period between the First and Second World Wars, particularly the 1920s and 1930s.
The style developed alongside major changes in architecture, fashion, design and manufacturing. Jewellery became increasingly geometric, structured and visually dramatic compared with many earlier Edwardian and Art Nouveau pieces.
The 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes is closely associated with the term Art Deco, although elements of the style had already begun developing before the exhibition.
What Does Art Deco Jewellery Look Like?
There is no single Art Deco jewellery design, but several characteristics appear repeatedly.
- Strong geometric shapes
- Symmetrical arrangements
- Stepped or architectural forms
- Platinum and white-metal settings
- Diamonds combined with strongly coloured gemstones
- Black and white contrast
- Milgrain borders
- Pierced and openwork settings
- Calibré-cut coloured gemstones
- Bold lines and repeated patterns
Not every genuine Art Deco jewel contains all these features. Simpler pieces existed alongside highly elaborate jewellery made by the leading houses of the period.
Types of Art Deco Jewellery
Art Deco Rings
Diamond cluster rings, geometric engagement rings, sapphire and diamond designs and strongly architectural platinum settings are widely associated with the period.
Art Deco Bracelets
Flexible diamond bracelets, geometric line bracelets and gemstone-set designs were important forms of high jewellery during the period.
Art Deco Brooches
Brooches can range from compact geometric forms to elaborate diamond, sapphire, emerald, ruby and onyx designs.
Art Deco Earrings
Long articulated drop earrings, diamond pendants and strongly symmetrical geometric designs became particularly fashionable during the 1920s.
Art Deco Necklaces
Long sautoirs, diamond necklaces, pendant designs and bold gemstone combinations can all appear in original period jewellery.
Dress Clips & Double Clips
Convertible clips became one of the more distinctive jewellery forms of the 1930s and can be particularly collectible when complete and original.
What Determines the Value of Art Deco Jewellery?
Age alone does not determine value. A genuine Art Deco piece can be relatively modest or extremely valuable depending on its quality, materials and desirability.
Important factors include:
- Authenticity and likely date
- Quality of craftsmanship
- Precious metal
- Gemstone quality and size
- Diamond content
- Condition
- Originality
- Maker or jewellery house
- Rarity of design
- Current collector demand
Art Deco Jewellery and Platinum
Platinum played an important role in fine Art Deco jewellery. Its strength allowed jewellers to construct detailed settings with comparatively little visible metal.
This suited the light, geometric appearance of diamond jewellery particularly well and allowed intricate pierced designs to be created around numerous small stones.
Some pieces may be marked PLAT, PT, 950 or with recognised hallmarks depending on their country and period of manufacture.
White Gold in Art Deco Jewellery
White gold also became increasingly important during the early twentieth century and can appear in genuine Art Deco pieces.
It offered a white appearance similar to platinum while generally being less costly to manufacture.
Yellow gold did not disappear from Art Deco jewellery either. Genuine period pieces can combine yellow gold with white settings or use yellow gold throughout depending on the design and market for which they were produced.
Diamonds in Art Deco Jewellery
Diamonds feature prominently in Art Deco jewellery, both as principal gemstones and as accents around coloured stones.
Because jewellery from this period sits between older hand-cutting traditions and the development of the modern brilliant cut, several diamond cuts may be encountered.
These include old European cuts, transitional cuts, single cuts and other early brilliant-style diamonds.
The type of diamond cut can provide useful evidence when assessing a piece, although it should never be used alone to establish the age of the entire jewel.
Sapphires in Art Deco Jewellery
Blue sapphire and diamond was one of the most successful gemstone combinations of the Art Deco period.
Sapphires could be used as principal stones, as geometric borders or as small calibré-cut accents designed to fit precisely around diamonds and architectural settings.
Fine sapphires can contribute substantially to value, but treatment and geographic origin normally require physical gemmological examination or laboratory testing rather than visual assessment from photographs alone.
Emerald Art Deco Jewellery
Emerald provided a vivid green contrast against diamonds and platinum and became another important gemstone in Art Deco jewellery.
Original pieces may contain Colombian, Zambian or other emeralds, although geographic origin cannot responsibly be assigned based on colour alone.
Emeralds also frequently contain natural inclusions and require particular care because some stones may have surface-reaching fissures or historical treatments.
Rubies in Art Deco Jewellery
Ruby and diamond combinations produced the same strong contrast that made sapphire jewellery so successful during the period.
Rubies can appear as central stones, geometric side stones or small calibré-cut elements in rings, bracelets, brooches and clips.
Natural versus synthetic origin and treatment status can have a major effect on value and may require laboratory testing in important pieces.
Onyx and Black-and-White Art Deco Jewellery
Black and white contrast became particularly characteristic of Art Deco design. Onyx was frequently used alongside diamonds to create sharp geometric patterns.
The result can be visually striking even when individual gemstone values are relatively modest because the desirability lies in the complete design and period craftsmanship.
Calibré-Cut Gemstones
One of the distinctive techniques found in fine Art Deco jewellery is the use of calibré-cut gemstones.
Small sapphires, emeralds or rubies were cut into precise shapes so they could fit tightly into geometric channels or borders.
Replacing a missing calibré-cut stone can be difficult because a replacement may need to be individually cut to match the original setting.
Complete original gemstone arrangements can therefore be important when considering condition and value.
Is My Jewellery Genuine Art Deco or Art Deco Style?
This distinction is important. Art Deco has remained fashionable for generations, and large quantities of jewellery have been made in an Art Deco-inspired style after the original period ended.
A geometric appearance alone does not prove that a piece dates from the 1920s or 1930s.
Features considered when assessing likely age can include:
- Metal and construction
- Gemstone cutting styles
- Diamond cuts
- Hallmarks
- Maker's marks
- Clasps and fittings
- Wear patterns
- Hand finishing
- Setting techniques
- Evidence of alteration
Online photographs can provide substantial evidence about style and construction, but an attribution should remain responsible. Where the evidence is insufficient to distinguish between a genuine period jewel and a later Art Deco-style piece, that limitation should be stated rather than presenting an uncertain date as fact.
Art Deco Hallmarks and Maker's Marks
Marks can provide valuable evidence when researching Art Deco jewellery. Depending on the country of origin, they may identify precious metal fineness, maker, assay office or date.
French, British, American and Continental European jewellery may use very different marking systems.
Some pieces are unsigned, while others may bear the marks of major jewellery houses. Clear photographs of every visible stamp should therefore be included when submitting jewellery for appraisal.
Signed Art Deco Jewellery
The maker can have a dramatic effect on the value of important Art Deco jewellery.
Pieces associated with leading jewellery houses can command premiums because collectors value design history, craftsmanship and provenance as well as the gemstones themselves.
However, unsigned jewellery should not automatically be considered inferior. Many beautifully made original Art Deco pieces have no famous signature.
Condition and Originality
Condition can strongly influence the market value of Art Deco jewellery, particularly when pieces contain delicate platinum work or numerous individually set gemstones.
Potential issues include:
- Missing diamonds or coloured stones
- Damaged or replaced calibré-cut stones
- Worn claws
- Cracked platinum work
- Broken clasps
- Later replacement fittings
- Modern alterations
- Poor solder repairs
Not every repair is a serious negative. Jewellery approaching a century old often requires maintenance, and sympathetic restoration can preserve an important piece without destroying its character.
Converted Art Deco Jewellery
Antique and vintage jewellery is frequently altered over time. A brooch might be converted into a pendant, a dress clip into a ring or part of a bracelet into another piece of jewellery.
Conversions can still produce beautiful and valuable jewellery, but the final item should not necessarily be described as completely original if substantial alterations have taken place.
Originality can be especially important to collectors of high-quality period jewellery.
How Market Value Is Assessed
A useful Art Deco jewellery appraisal considers comparable pieces available and traded in the current market.
The strongest comparisons take account of period, gemstone content, metal, workmanship, condition and design rather than relying on superficial resemblance.
Retail prices, auction estimates, auction results and dealer purchase offers also represent different parts of the market. They should not be treated as identical valuations.
Art Deco Jewellery and Scrap Value
Scrap metal value is usually a poor measure of a desirable Art Deco jewel.
The amount of platinum or gold in a fine geometric brooch may account for only a small proportion of the price a collector is willing to pay for the complete piece.
Destroying an original period jewel for its metal can therefore eliminate the craftsmanship, gemstone arrangement and historical value that made the item desirable in the first place.
How to Photograph Art Deco Jewellery for Appraisal
Good photographs greatly improve the usefulness of an online appraisal.
Start with a clear image of the entire piece, then photograph:
- The reverse
- Both sides where appropriate
- Clasps and fittings
- Gemstones closely
- All hallmarks and signatures
- Areas of damage or repair
- Any removable or convertible components
Measurements and weight are also useful. For rings, provide the ring size where possible. For bracelets, necklaces and brooches, include overall dimensions.
Can Gemstones Be Identified Online?
Photographs can often provide a useful indication of what a gemstone appears to be, but they cannot reproduce the tests available to a gemmologist examining the stone physically.
Important questions such as natural versus synthetic origin, treatment, geographic origin and exact diamond grading may require physical or laboratory testing.
If an Art Deco piece appears to contain a particularly important sapphire, ruby, emerald, diamond or other fine gemstone, further gemmological testing may be recommended before assigning a more precise value. A remote appraisal should not substitute guesswork for information that genuinely requires laboratory evidence.
Inherited Art Deco Jewellery
Many Art Deco pieces survive as inherited family jewellery. The owner may know little more than the name of the relative who previously wore it.
Even without receipts or certificates, the jewellery itself can provide useful clues. Construction, gemstones, hallmarks, fittings and design can all help establish its likely period and context.
An online appraisal can therefore be a useful first step before deciding whether to keep, sell, restore, insure or further investigate inherited jewellery.
Art Deco Jewellery Appraisal Before Selling
Knowing what you own before approaching a buyer can make the selling process easier to understand.
A dealer buying jewellery for resale may offer less than its specialist retail value because they need to account for costs, restoration, selling time and commercial risk.
Auction estimates may also differ from private-sale or retail values.
An appraisal can help put these different figures into context and identify when a piece may warrant specialist attention rather than being treated simply as old gold, platinum or gemstones.
Art Deco Jewellery Appraisal Online vs Physical Examination
An online appraisal offers convenience and can provide substantial information from good photographs, particularly about design, likely period, hallmarks, market context and visible condition.
Physical examination provides additional possibilities such as gemstone testing, metal testing, microscopic examination and more precise measurements.
The appropriate approach depends on the piece. Many jewellery owners simply need an informed initial assessment, while particularly rare or valuable pieces may justify further specialist investigation.
Art Deco Jewellery Appraisal FAQs
What kinds of Art Deco jewellery can you appraise?
Rings, bracelets, brooches, earrings, necklaces, pendants, clips and many other types of Art Deco jewellery can be submitted for online appraisal.
Do I need to post my jewellery to you?
No. The standard online service uses the photographs, measurements and information you submit through the appraisal form.
Can you tell whether jewellery is genuinely from the Art Deco period?
We can provide an opinion based on the visible design, construction, gemstones, metal, hallmarks and other evidence. If photographs are insufficient to make a reliable period attribution, that limitation will be made clear.
How long does an Art Deco jewellery appraisal take?
The completed PDF is normally supplied within 48 hours once all the necessary photographs and information have been received.
Can you appraise unsigned Art Deco jewellery?
Yes. Many genuine period pieces are unsigned. The maker is only one of many factors considered when assessing a piece.
Does platinum automatically mean jewellery is Art Deco?
No. Platinum was important during the period but was used both before and after it. Metal should be considered alongside design, construction, gemstones, hallmarks and other evidence.
Is Art Deco jewellery valuable?
Some pieces can be highly valuable, particularly when they combine fine gemstones, strong period design, quality workmanship, originality and desirable maker attribution. Other pieces may be comparatively modest in value.
Can you value Art Deco jewellery containing sapphires, rubies or emeralds?
Yes, but important gemstone characteristics may require physical or laboratory testing. The appraisal will distinguish between what can reasonably be assessed from photographs and what would require further examination.