There's nothing as beautiful or as treasured as antique wedding sets when it comes to bridal jewelry, but what should you know before you decide on a purchase? 

Setting Your Budget

 Before you even start looking at antique wedding sets make a budget and stick to it as much as possible.  Setting a budget for your set will give you a better idea as to not only what you can personally afford, but what types of materials and stones fall within your budget.

Get All The Details You Can

While looking at antique wedding sets to purchase make sure you find out the details of the rings and stones.  This may mean hiring an appraiser to look at the piece.  An appraiser will be able to tell you what stone the ring has if the materials used are quality materials, the size, the carats of the ring and more.  If you don't have a trained eye or you aren't familiar with the value of jewelry, taking the step to hiring an appraiser is going to be in your best interest.  It will allow you to make a more informed decision.

Know What Is Considered "Antique"

In order to be considered an antique and not vintage, an item must be over 100 years old.  Make sure you get exact dates on when the piece was produced.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

100+ years ago people were smaller in stature, therefore the rings are considerably smaller than they are today.   That being said, if you find antique wedding sets that you like and they are too small, you will want to find out if they can be resized before buying the set only to find out it cannot be resized.

Pushing the material of an older ring past a certain point can cause the ring to break or cause loss of or  loosening its stones, etc.

Take Your Time!

Buying antique wedding sets is an important purchase.  Not only is it important that you consider the steps above, but its also critical that you shop around and find the best antique wedding sets for your specific situation.  Choosing from different materials, choosing the right appraiser to appraise the rings, finding out more about the rings from the era you want, etc can all take time to do.  So don't just jump into something without being ready!

Buy From A Reputable Dealer or Jeweler

When buying antique wedding sets it's also important to make sure the person or store you are buying from has a good reputation.  Make sure that they are members of a recognized trade, association or organization where quality and reputation matter.  This includes business organizations like the BBB, as well as the GIA, Polygon network and The Jewelers Board of Trade.  Its also important to see if the dealer or jeweler offers a warranty on the sets or if they offer any kind of a guarantee on things like defects, loosening of stones, etc.  If you have any worries about their reputation simply ask around in your area and see if anyone you know has experience with that jeweler or store.

If you are interested in purchasing antique wedding sets or have questions, visit Ralph Mueller & Associates or call 480.949.9229