FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - Some are straight forward. While some of these I hope will read almost like an educational blog post.
These are some of the most common questions I have frequently received over the years from customers looking to learn more about antique jewelry.
Haven't I seen you before?
Yes! I've been selling antiques online for many many years, selling on Etsy since 2019 and I am active on Instagram as well. Feel free to browse my Etsy site:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MousesHouseAntiques
You will find many additional items! Should you decide to purchase anything not yet listed on this website, please feel free to contact me and I can transfer the item over from Etsy and sell it to you here at a lower price!
https://www.instagram.com/mouseshouseantiques/
Do you offer sizing?
I apologize that I don't offer sizing. Opinions vary when it comes to modern jewelers working on antique pieces so it is best to check with your local jeweler for feedback prior to purchasing. Many of my customers email or show their jewelers a photo for feedback on if and how much it is sizable. Typically altering a ring within two sizes is a good guideline, but it can vary piece to piece depending on the patina of the gold and how the stones are set, so it is best to ask the person doing the work to determine their comfort level. Just let me know if you need me to send a pic of anything specific.
Do you offer Layaway?
Yes! We can discuss layaway on many of my items, depending on price and how long it has been listed. This is for serious buyers only (I am a one woman show managing all aspects of the business and have had trouble getting people to make their payments in the past). So I do need to stick to the policies when it comes to length of the term agreed upon & payments as committed to by the buyer - with minimal follow up please.
I will of course send a reminder for payment but it is the customer's responsibility to keep their commitment : ).
Any missed or late payments will result in cancellation of the layaway and loss of a 25% deposit. Thanks for understanding!
Where do you ship?
Unfortunately I am selling to U.S. buyers only at this time. I also do not ship to USA based freight forwarding companies that send items overseas, due to the high levels of fraud targeting small businesses. These orders are marked by Shopify as high risk of fraud and offers no seller protection. I do apologize for this but the last time I made an exception and the buyer told me "not to worry," I received a chargeback and lost several thousand dollars along with the item that had already arrived overseas and will never come back.
Any orders marked as high fraud risk, or being sent to freight forwarding companies will be cancelled and the lost payment fees will be at the buyer's expense since they cannot be recouped (Shopify does not refund them unfortunately).
You can explore the option to purchase on my Etsy shop as they are a larger marketplace and have legal teams to dispute fraudulent chargeback orders to protect both the buyer and the seller.
Is this rose gold or yellow gold?
Many times the answer is "It's yellow gold, but..." Especially with many of my French (and other) antique 100-200 year old pieces - they have the most beautiful warm, buttery glow, sometimes with rosy highlights if that makes sense. These pieces do not appear bright, vibrant to almost brassy yellow like some new, highly polished yellow gold can appear. This is because the alloys used over 100 years ago richen with time and age. 18k gold is 75% gold and 25% other metals like nickel, silver and copper (the alloys). Back then there was no set formula, no specific rules for the other 25%, so goldsmiths expressed a certain amount of liberty with their alloys which gives us wonderful variations in hues to antique gold.
These pieces are also definitely not the vibrant pink rose gold that you see today which is a more specific and standardized formula now. My pieces are often antique gold with some rosy and buttery highlights if that makes sense. It can be kind of hard to describe the antique patina. Whatever it is, I love it! : ) To some extent, the gold could be polished to bring it back to a hue with lesser warmth, but most of my buyers prefer original antique condition so I always sell them as I receive them, with the patina intact. This "warmth" and patina is sought after by collectors because it can not be found in modern pieces. Just another example of what makes antique jewelry special.
Some of my pieces are antique rose gold as well. Where they are not yellow gold with patina, but are actual antique rose gold (with more copper mixed in with the alloys when they were originally made). Again they are not the vibrant pink rose gold of today, but they definitely read as rose gold while wearing so in these cases I list the piece as "rose gold" specifically in the title.
What is this Hallmark?
Hallmarks to antique gold vary from country to country. We of course are familiar with the American stamping of 10k, 14k, 18k, etc. In France they do not use numbers but rather pictorial symbols. In the UK they use a combination of stamps to inform us about the gold, location of the assay and date. They may also stamp pieces 18CT, etc. Many countries in Europe use numerical hallmarks instead: 585 for 14k, 750 for 18k, and so on. Since I buy my pieces all over the world, I always mention in my listings what the hallmarks are when present and any clues they can reveal to us.
Why is antique jewelry special?
Antique jewelry is scarce and sought after for a few reasons - primarily because they are one of a kind. The goldsmiths of the time were true artists and many of the pieces I offer were hand made using methods no longer known or practiced today.
See also my note above about the special patina to the gold that many antique gold items display. This beautiful warmth is not found in modern jewelry.
Likewise when a piece has antique diamonds - all antique hand cut diamonds of course have a more limited supply since they are no longer made in this way. No two are ever alike. There are only so many in existence compared to the millions of carats of modern machine cut diamonds made every year. Adding in characteristics like exceptional gold work, or diamonds with hues or unique cuts make pieces like these even more rare and valuable.
These pieces have withstood the test of time. All of my pieces are at least vintage and the majority are antique / over 100 years old. I do not sell any new or reproduction pieces.
Can I wear this piece every day?
I try to mention in the listing if I feel a piece is especially sturdy for regular wear or especially worn and needs very gentle special occasion wear. I also mention any loose stones or areas of concern. Some pieces I sell "as is" for special occasion wear, but if more regular wear is a desired, the buyer can always take the piece in to their local jeweler to have the prongs "re-tipped" where needed (you'd want to find someone with a laser welder.) I sell them this way because many collectors prefer original antique condition and opt for special occasion wear.
If not specifically referenced, the piece is in expected antique condition - wearable but with age related rubbing to the soft gold, therefore a general need to keep an eye out (especially on the prongs) for future wear over time.
I think most antiques dealers will say all day every day wear can always been done, but would eventually result in that additional wear and possibly, a reinforcement needed to prevent a lost stone at some point. Everyone wears their jewelry differently, some wear more gently and others are rougher on their hands. The nature of antique jewelry is that it is 100+ years old so one can't expect it to be the same as a brand new piece (although to be fair, many brand new pieces also have stones fall out all the time, depending again on how they are worn.)
I buy my antique rings as is and I wear them. All the time, Every day. : ) I have yet to look down at my hand and see a stone missing (and many of my pieces are quite delicate). But I realize that it may happen at some point. If something unexpectedly happens that a piece needs to be fortified, I take it in. Yes modern jewelry stores may offer you a "better" warranty than this on their jewelry, but with the caveat/requirement that you take them in to be physically checked every 6 months - and this is for a piece that is 100 years newer. I would also say that many antique pieces are made with a higher quality than some of the mass produced jewelry of today (which is what makes them these wonderful collectible little works of art! : )
For antique pieces that are advertised for all day every day wear, there is a good possibility that their prongs have already been fortified in their long lifetime. These are just perspectives to consider as part of collecting antique jewelry compared to buying new.
And one last head's up - sometimes when people take their jewelry in to their local modern day jewelers just to be sized for example, often times jewelers who don't deal in antiques are inclined to say the prongs need reinforcing because many like to advise you to make things "like new." However, unnecessarily fortifying a wearable piece can risk damage to the piece, muddying to the ring face or details, etc. So most of us old jewelry addicts will often wear them as is and keep an eye on them, reinforcing only when it becomes really necessary.
My Two Cents about Missing Hallmarks & Sizing:
There are some varying, all fair opinions out there, but as an avid collector, adorer & wearer of antique jewelry, : ) here are my 2 cents:
1. To rule out an antique piece because it does not have a hallmark could mean missing out on some exceptional pieces. Hallmarks when present are excellent, especially regional / date specific marks that give us provenance. Having said that, these are often lost over 100+ years (or were never stamped at all) & there are some amazing non-hallmarked treasures to be found & enjoyed, when purchased from reputable & trustworthy sources. We find this often on French antique pieces for example, as they were marked on the back outside of the shank and can often be lost during a sizing or from wear.
2. I too shy away from altering antiques if avoidable but I do see sizing as okay - chances are a 100+ year old piece has probably already been sized at least once in its lifetime. If well done, you may not even notice.
My Two Cents about Antique Diamonds : )
Antique diamonds were hand cut by experts to highlight their best qualities. Warm hues were often chosen intentionally & can be sought after. Antique diamonds often have inclusions so as a perspective, some of these aforementioned stones were among the best available on the market during that time period and are rare in that they are no longer made.
I don't personally assign the "Four C's" scale, which was created much later for modern, machine cut diamonds, to antique pieces in my own collection. Antique diamonds when viewed through the modern lens that have comparatively "poor" cutting grades, hues & inclusions can actually be immensely beautiful, one of a kind, wonderful, chunky cut, amazing antique stones highlighting special, high quality and well made gold settings. While we can all certainly appreciate how an exceptional diamond can appear to the eye, its brilliance and fire, etc., I typically expect to see certain eccentricities with antique stones.
To me it is less about the modern grade & more about the unique character, play of light, sometimes even moody sparkle & color that each one can individually offer. However I always study each piece and I will mention everything I see under strong magnification in the listing, especially when it comes to hues, nicks, visible and invisible to the eye inclusions.
Where do you find your pieces?
My pieces have come from all over the world. Many times I will offer things collected for my own personal enjoyment that I decide to release over time, (as that is of course how it all started with me selling online, by wanting to be a collector first). I also enjoy traveling when I can - for seeking inventory specifically, for pleasure, or even when visiting family and finding treasures along the way. Pretty much every time I go anywhere I am checking maps for any shops in the area. I am always hunting.
I love the antique jewelry of Europe so I try to take inventory trips there each year and bring back enough pieces (If I can find them! : ) to release over time. You can check my instagram for some posts and photos of my travels. I am continuing to make relationships with other dealers, or collectors who sell only to dealers, both near and far. I have partners and friends all over the world that I work with directly throughout the year.
Does this piece come with any paperwork?
I can always provide a detailed invoice but as far as an appraisal or a certificate - I don't provide it unless it is specifically mentioned in the listing that I have one. My sales have done well without this paperwork due to the detailed photos, lengthy descriptions, positive feedback, and looking at all my other items (being original antique, no reproductions, etc. which all serve as a representation of my experience in selling antique jewelry ). So my customers find my items as described and shown in detail.
Yes, someone can always take their piece in to an appraiser but I've even had different appraisers give me contrasting opinions when it comes to these one of a kind items, as it is difficult to know the exact history of any antique piece unless it has original documentation (which sadly, most pieces do not). Dates and hallmarks are always certainly helpful but if the piece is taken to a local jeweler or an appraiser who does not specialize in antique jewelry, the marks are often unfamiliar to them. At least around my area, very few jewelers could identify a French pictorial hallmark. : )
Often times antique jewelry collectors are more familiar with the value of one of a kind antique pieces, the trends and their rarity or how sought after they are. This is compared to some jewelers who deal in only modern pieces and thereby value pieces most heavily on weight, gold and quality of stones comparing the antiques to modern, machine made pieces. Having said that, I have had many many buyers report back that their pieces appraised significantly higher than I sold them which is always great to hear.
Are your items real gold / diamonds / gemstones?
Yes! All my items are solid gold (not plated or gold filled) in the carat content listed unless stated clearly as gold filled (I occasionally carry a few antique gold filled pieces). All diamonds are always natural. All gemstones test as gemstones and are not glass unless stated clearly in the listing that they are glass or paste.
Is your small business "green" / eco-friendly?
YES! Antique pieces are by nature more sustainable than new, mass-produced items - Antiques reduce the carbon footprint by being pre-owned and loved and transferring to a new home, thereby avoiding new fabrication.
For packaging, I recycle / re-use most any packaging materials I receive - tissue paper, bubble envelopes, boxes, amazon filler papers or packing peanuts, etc. in order to keep them out of the landfill. Apologies if the packaging doesn't always look shiny and new!
Extras
Antique boxes, props, mice, dishes, stairways, bannisters, pianos (teehee) etc. Are not included in the sale. Most of my pieces will come to you in a new box or pouch. My followers are familiar with the cups and plates I use in the background. These are not for sale as they are my day to day dishes, they are made by a British company called Portmeirion. I find the white in the dishes helps draw in light and adjust the color levels on my camera to capture the gold hues more true to the eye.