About That Antique Bracelet...

When my friend's grandmother died, she left behind her antique amethyst bracelet. This antique bracelet, it turned out, had about as many stories as she had. Her amethyst bracelet had been in the family for generations, as many antique bracelets are, an heirloom viewed as beyond all value, and saved for posterity.

This antique bracelet went back to the “old world,” to her mother's upbringing in the area now known as the Czech republic. Back then, the bracelet was the only thing of value her family had. My friend's grandmother's earliest memory is of watching the sun flash off the antique bracelet, as her mother rocked her in the old creaking rocking chair, in that small village 3 days walk from Prague.

Of course, that amethyst bracelet went back even farther then that. The antique bracelet went back all the way to the marriage of her great great great grandmother. It seems that the antique bracelet was then lost for a while. Family records speak of a fight with a neighboring noble family...

Valuing an antique bracelet can be difficult. One part of evaluating an antique bracelet is the age. Not all things “antique” are valuable. With antique bracelets, value is sometimes added if it is from a later decade as long as it is by a certain maker. 

Many current fashions use antique-looking jewelry, but this jewelry is 100% modern. For an antique bracelet to be valuable it needs to have been manufactured decades ago and it also has to meet a few other standards, such as quality of deisgn and the types of gems and metals used. There's also current fashion to consider and if collectors are interested in that piece enough to actually buy it.

The company or individual that made the antique bracelet is also important in assigning a value to it. An antique bracelet from the original line of a company like this can be highly valuable to collectors.

One way to figure out the maker is to look for a maker’s mark somewhere on the antique bracelet, once the age of the bracelet has been determined. Individual jewelry designers are also highly sought after. Sometimes a bracelet that is not valuable for these reasons can be valuable for another reason. Of course, an antique bracelet made out of precious metals is somewhat valuable, even if it has few other special characteristics. 

Gold and silver are not the only materials that can make an antique bracelet valuable, though. Some things that help determine the value of a Lucite bracelet are the age, color, and size.  Another thing that highly improves the value of a Lucite antique bracelet is whether or not there are any carvings on the bracelet. If the Lucite bracelet is somehow very intricate, it is worth even more than other bracelets.
 
One more thing that plays a major part in valuing an antique bracelet is the reason the bracelet was originally made.  Basically, if there is some sort of documentation that the bracelet was originally made for someone of great importance the bracelet is even more valuable. 

Nothing says style and sophistication like an antique bracelet. There is no occasion, no matter how modern or hip, that an antique bracelet would not compliment the wrist that it adorns. You do not want to run out and buy an antique bracelet that you wear only with a particular outfit, do you?

What style of antique bracelet most represents your character and personality? Those red rubies in the antique bracelet might just not be you. Perhaps emeralds would be a better match.

Even though you can pick up an antique bracelet for well under one hundred dollars, you may not want to buy that yellow beaded bracelet from the 1960’s just for that yellow sundress. When shopping for the perfect antique bracelet you should consider your personality. The antique bracelet should compliment your style instead of creating it for you.

A friends found her ideal antique bracelet years ago. The bracelet consists of a series of cameos attached with gold links. This piece of jewelry represents her overall personality and she wears it frequently. The antique bracelet embraces that understated style and it suits her as well as her outfits.