During periods of economic stress, when the price of nearly everything required for survival is rising steadily, wise consumers are interested in investments that will increase in value faster than inflation or that will hold their value despite inflation. Among the most attractive investment commodities are platinum, gold, and silver, those scarce and rare metals that have long been favored by jewelry makers for their beauty and endurance. Antique jewelry also may offer the enhancement of value because of fine gems, also scarce, rare and beautiful.
Since the beginning of the history of jewelry, people have been buying, selling, and keeping jewelry as an investment. One of its main advantages is portability according to Antique and Vintage Jewelry. A collector/investor can carry a small fortune in jewelry in a pocket or pouch, and no one can forget the stories of those who escaped from threats in their homelands with the family jewels sewn into the hems of their coats and trousers. The security afforded by a handful of fine antique rings cannot be replicated in stock certificates or mutual funds.
One of the most advantageous qualities of antique jewelry is that it is not linked to any stock market; it has all the best qualities of commodity investment because it is linked to a natural resource with a finite supply. Fine gold, silver, and platinum as well as fine gems will always remain a concentrated store of value that is both tangible and liquid. It can be held in one’s possession and can be used to negotiate both buying and selling of other goods, truly a survival necessity in times of great distress.
Investment in antique jewelry also offers esthetic satisfaction. Antique jewelry very often demonstrates the very best of design periods making each piece, whether necklace, bracelet, ring or earrings, a work of art to be valued for itself as well as for the precious metals and jewels it contains. Collectors of antique jewelry do not limit themselves to value a piece of jewelry just because they expect to use the ring or bracelet as a hedge against inflation. A gift of fine antique jewelry will hold its appeal for generations, whether or not it ever needs to be used to negotiate for freedom or food.
Before embarking on investing in antique jewelry, the new collector or investor must be equipped with information about what is and is not likely to appreciate in value. Learning to identify genuine gold, silver, and platinum is relatively straightforward, and a degree of expertise can be acquired with simple testing methods and reading from library and internet sources. Unfortunately identification of genuine gems can require years of training and practice, but because antique jewelry is also valued because of its design, it is possible to learn to identify good investment pieces without spending years in study.