Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry by C. Jeanenne Bell, Jeanenne Bell (2003, Paperback, Revised)

An ebayer recently asked me to recommend a book for vintage jewelry collecting. While I've accumulated a large amount of books, the only one I go back to repeatedly is this book by Bell. It's wonderful for MANY reasons, and I was captivated by this book from the first second that I opened it! It not only identifies the jewelry in each historical period, but it describes momentous events and lives of royalty, etc... You'll understand the reason behind jewelry trends. It's truly fascinating.

It's especially useful for Victorian era jewelry, and there are a huge number of pictures. While most are in black and white, I didn't find this to be a hindrance at all. I knew nothing about this era when I purchased the book, and it's been the most incredible resource.

There were many pieces that I sold, and unfortunately had no idea what they were. I later learned all about them from this book. The price guides are extremely helpful. There are also vanity type pieces that are pictured and priced.

There's a section on jewelry hallmarks that's been invaluable, and there's an entire section dedicated to metals. And of course to Bakelite... You'll also find info on costume jewelry, and a section on Mexican jewelry.

One of the most helpful areas of the book for me has been on circa dating clues, and this covers catches, materials, and motifs.

This book is definitely the most comprehensive jewelry book I've ever found! One of the things I really love is that I keep learning every time I open this book. It's massive. In the past I always had a pile of books near me. Now this is normally the only resource I need. Maybe I can save someone a little money, because I don't even want to think of how much I spent on all these jewelry books!