Know for sure. With a little practice, a few supplies and some tools that you already have, you can learn to correctly identify the materials from which antique and vintage jewelry is made. Some Basic Principles 1. Often the material identification of a piece becomes obvious when you compare it to a known item. Even well intentioned friends and family members can be mistaken.
Myths are alive and well when it comes to antique and vintage jewelry.
Knowing when materials and techniques were first used helps to identify materials. Usually similarly valued materials are found within the same piece - but not always. What You Need. You already have the most important tools needed to identify antique and vintage jewelry materials. The best way to learn how to identify antique and vintage jewelry materials is to handle a lot of it.