Understanding the difference between antique and vintage jewelry reminds us of the timeline changes from earlier centuries till now. The jewelry evolved as a precise embellishment ornament and its popularity among women from all cultures. Both the jewelry design terms are unique and cover the huge limelight of jewelry designing creativity. There are some people who only prefer the ‘antique’ designs or the ‘vintage’ artifacts. 

To understand in simpler terms, it is necessary to know the meaning of the words. The term ‘antique’ is to describe an object which is valuable for ages and has certain qualities that makes it antique.

Similarly, the ‘vintage’ designs were prominent for their quality and style and the technical specification varies from various products. The best example of a vintage object is the wine which is made from grapes and kept in preservation to give the best taste. 

In the jewelry industry, the major thing to check is to identify when the piece of jewelry was made and in which fashion instinct. Rather, this helps in eliminating confusion with the modern designs as the jeweler might use poor quality raw materials to make the piece and it is also out of the authentic techniques and materials. 

Let us understand the trade definitions of both the jewelry types:

Vintage

In the jewelry trade, the term ‘vintage’ describes a piece of jewelry art made that is 50 to 100 years old. So in writing, this vintage jewelry must have been constructed between 1920 and 1970. During the Retro Modern Era (1945-1960), there were other different eras of vintage jewelry. These Jewelry prominently became Hollywood-inspired with a fusion of colorful, flamboyant, and bold designs of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and charm bracelets. Later, Gold became a choice because of its abundant availability in the jewelry industry at the time of World War II.
Fashion runs cyclically, vintage jewelry will always remain on-trend and it incorporates style, designs and can be a real showstopper jewelry collection. 

Antique

Antique Jewelry is a piece that is over 100 years old. Antique jewelry is a rare piece and has a lot of historical association. The antique piece is characterized by decades. Firstly, the Georgian Era (1714-1837) has pieces which are handmade. This jewelry was often used before the Industrial Revolution and very few pieces have survived so far. Georgian Jewelry is rare and detailed, made of precious crystal stones. Later, the Victorian Era appeared and in the early times, the jewelry was nature-inspired designs in the silver or gold metals. During the Victorian Era, Lockets and brooches became popular along with gemstones and diamonds. In the middle of the Victorian Era, the colorful collection was converted into dark and pastel colors. Finally, in the Late Victorian Era (1885-1990), the jewelry was made of star and crescent designs with flowers and the shade of springs. 

Then, came the Arts & Crafts Era with a simplified and handmade jewelry trend that was against the styles developed by machines because of the Industrial Revolution. 

Conclusion

In either way, the vintage sterling silver jewelry collection is unique and versatile in its existence. While you pick vintage or antique pieces of jewelry, you tend to get the pieces of jewelry accessories that are quite old, around 50 - 100 years old. We hope this read helps you to understand the difference between antique and vintage jewelry pieces.