Platinum Jewelry - Antique Vintage & Estate
From the new collector to the long-time jewelry aficionado, everyone agrees that platinum is a worldly treasure, a precious metal that is five times rarer than gold and considered to be the purest of all precious metals.
At Dover Jewelry & Antiques we understand and appreciate the intrinsic value of platinum. We travel the world to buy vintage, estate and Antique Platinum Jewelry; rare platinum jewelry pieces that captivate and inspire and fuel the imagination.
Platinum Jewelry History
The word "platinum" is actually Spanish in origin, even though the Spanish Conquistadores were not very impressed with this precious metal. They considered it inferior to gold and called it 'platina' which means ‘little silver’.
Platinum ceremonial pieces from Ancient South American civilizations date back to 100 BC however the earliest known antique platinum jewelry dates back to the pre-Colombian period. It wasn’t until the 18th century that jewelry makers figured out a way to make platinum more malleable for use in antique platinum jewelry.
Before long, these unique platinum jewelry pieces became a symbol of prestige with kings, queens and other nobility. The association of platinum as a symbol of wealth and exclusiveness has survived into our modern day society. For instance, in "Awards" ceremonies platinum outranks gold, silver and bronze and in the credit card business, a “platinum” status affords the platinum card holder with more privileges than gold card holders.
Antique Platinum Jewelry Periods
Like other old jewelry pieces, antique platinum jewelry has to be over 100 years old to be considered antique according to Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
In the antique jewelry industry however, fine jewelry pieces crafted before or during the Art Deco period are generally considered antique or period pieces. Our wholesale jewelry collection offers stunning antique platinum jewelry items including;
- Victorian Platinum Jewelry (1837-1901)
- Art Nouveau Platinum Jewelry (1890-1905)
- Edwardian Platinum Jewelry (1901-1910)
- Art Deco Platinum Jewelry (1910-1935)
Vintage Platinum Jewelry
The term “vintage jewelry” is an all-encompassing term used to describe period jewelry pieces from virtually all eras ranging from the Georgian era of 1714 – 1837 up to the Retro era of the 1960’s. Vintage platinum jewelry prior to the Victorian period is quite rare.
During WWII, the use of platinum for jewelry making was banned because platinum was so rare and became an essential metal used for the war effort. Following WWII however, jewellers once again returned to making fine platinum jewelry pieces.
Dover Jewelry’s collection of vintage platinum jewelry includes exquisite items like vintage platinum bracelets and vintage platinum cufflinks plus platinum necklaces, watches, bands and more.
Platinum Estate Jewelry
Estate platinum jewelry is not necessarily platinum jewelry that comes from an estate. The term “estate jewelry” actually refers to any jewelry item that was previously owned and can encompass both antique and vintage jewelry pieces.
Buy Authentic Antique Platinum Jewelry Online
Today about 5% of all mined platinum is used for making fine platinum jewelry pieces. The modern platinum jewelry industry continues to grow and the increased consumer awareness and fondness for this most precious of precious metals has continued to fuel the appreciation and desire for antique platinum jewelry for men and women.
Dover Jewelry buys and sells heirloom quality estate, vintage and antique platinum jewelry. Buy antique platinum jewelry online at wholesale prices.
For more information about our antique platinum jewelry collection or other Wholesale Antique Jewelry items, please call us toll free at 877-777-6111 or fill out our online form Antique & Estate Jewelry Information with your questions or comments. We’d love to hear from you.
We also buy unwanted antique, vintage and estate jewelry and fine watches!
