Many times, people inherit jewelry, and they don’t have a clue what its history is. Learning about the histories of family jewelry pieces can be a great way to spend an afternoon and learn more about your elder relatives and ancestors.

                The stories that come with family heirlooms are many times more interesting than the heirloom themselves. For instance, there are many stories of people sneaking family jewelry out of Nazi occupied Europe during World War Two by sewing the pieces into secret pockets in their clothing. These stories can paint a vivid image in your mind of the strength and determination of your parents, grandparents, relatives, or ancestors.

                If you do want to sell a family heirloom, most of the time the jeweler is going to want to know about the piece of jewelry’s history, either just to get some background information, or to figure out if the jewelry is completely original. Many times, the value of an antique piece of jewelry drops precipitously when the jeweler who is appraising it finds out that even though the stone in the ring is from 1890, it was reset in a new band and setting in 1988. On the flip side, finding out that a piece of jewelry that you thought was new, or at least not that old, is in fact a century old can increase the value and appeal to a potential buyer.

                Antique pieces of jewelry have their own histories, as do many other family heirlooms like flatware and hollowware sets. Many families pass down china and crystal from generation to generation, which means that many people unknowingly own crystal glasses that are over 100 years old and in pristine condition, and it can be quite a pleasant surprise for them when they find out.

                So, anyways, try to learn all about the history of your jewelry and your family’s jewelry. Chances are, there are some great stories that you didn’t know about.