Why should we buy antique jewellery?
Antique jewellery specialist and owner of Heirlooms, Amy Brenan, believes antique, vintage and second-hand jewellery is imbued with a magic that many modern pieces simply cannot conjure.
Here she gives her opinions on why antique is a winner for everyone:
She said: “Jewellery is incredibly personal and there will always be an intriguing story behind each antique, vintage or second-hand piece – who wore it, on what occasion was it given, how long has it been in the family?
“The appeal of owning and wearing something from history will never disappear.
“Antique jewellery can also represent fantastic value for money. Just like a new car, a modern piece of jewellery will depreciate in value before it turns into an investment. When buying an antique piece, someone else has already ‘paid’ for the depreciation.
“Antique jewellery is exempt from VAT so you are automatically paying 20 per cent less than a modern alternative, making it a much more affordable and wise long-term investment?
“If being eco-friendly and ethical is important to you, most antique jewellery on offer pre-dates the use of heavy machinery to design, cast and set mounts and stones. It was all down to the individual manual skills of the maker. And when you buy antique, you are also actively recycling and not contributing to the over-mining of land to harvest precious metals and gemstones.
“If you’re looking for jewellery that’s really different and not run of the mill, choose antique.”
Heirlooms of Wareham is at 21 South Street, Wareham, heirloomsofwareham.co.uk.