Vintage is In

Discover the allure of vintage jewellery and its growing popularity among collectors, auction houses and enthusiasts

- Amrita Katara

Trends may come and go, but style is forever, if the frenzy around vintage jewellery is anything to go by. From antique pieces dating back centuries to more recent creations from the 1990s, these jewellery treasures capture the hearts of collectors and fashion enthusiasts alike and stand as testament to the elegance and craftsmanship of eras past.

There is some debate over what the term “vintage” refers to, with experts having varying opinions on how old a piece needs to be. While there is a general consensus that jewels from the 1920s until anything aged about 50 years old fall into the vintage category, definitions can vary among different houses.

For instance, Van Cleef & Arpels considers pieces created up until the 1980s as vintage, but nothing later.

Ida Faerber of the Faerber Collection looks at it differently. “[Vintage] would qualify [as being] from the Forties up to the year 2000,” she says. Established in Zurich by her father Thomas Faerber in 1968, Faerber Collection has earned a reputation for its expertise in acquiring and trading rare gemstones, natural pearls and exquisite antique and historic jewellery, spanning from ancient times to the contemporary era. Meanwhile, Regine Ngan, head of jewellery, Asia at Sotheby’s, believes that “the general guideline for antiques is usually about 100 years old; for vintage, it’s 50 years or so. However, it could be [comparatively] more recent: the Seventies or Eighties.”

This variation in definitions is due to the timelines of different jewellery houses and the eras during which they were established. For instance, a house established in the 1800s might consider pieces from the early 1900s vintage, while a more recent house might extend the vintage era to the late 20th century.