If you aren’t already aware, it is currently #secondhandseptember, a challenge designed to help you fall in love with the beauty of vintage, thrifted and pre-loved goodies.
It's almost too easy to buy new these days, but don't despair! You can also find high-quality and luxury second-hand items at just the click of a button, especially with second hand jewellery. Just because a pendant or chain is pre-loved, doesn’t mean that it's not ready to wear. In fact, you will often find that much of what you can find second hand is of a higher quality new pieces, especially if they're from a well-known brand or crafted from precious materials.
We always get asked “Should I buy jewellery second hand” or “is second hand jewellery better value?” well, we can answer to both of these questions, with our luxurious antique and vintage jewellery collection.
So, to give you some inspiration and to see if we can fully convert you to the second hand jewellery life, or perhaps even the antique jewellery life, read on to see five types of pre-owned jewellery that we think you'll love.
If you are an antique or second hand jewellery beginner, you can’t go wrong with investing in a solid Gold second hand or antique chain. From chunky Gold chains to skinny pendant chains, we have an array of fabulous antique and vintage Gold chains on our website. The reason as to why we think they are so good is because they are timeless, wearable and a must-have for any jewellery collection. You can never go wrong with investing in the basics, and building a capsule jewellery wardrobe you can rely on time and time again is worth the extra pennies.
The most wonderful thing about solid Gold chains is that they are built to last, tarnish-resistant and they won’t deplete in value. You will also be surprised at how wearable they are and how contemporary they look. From chunky clasps to T-bar details, a Victorian Albert Chain or antique paperclip chain can seamlessly fit with your modern clothing.
Diamond’s may be a girl's best friend, but mining brand new Diamonds isn't always friendly to mother nature. It is no secret that the Diamond industry has raised some ethical concerns over the years. Whilst lab-grown Diamonds have had a little marketing re-vamp recently, if you want to truly shop for a sustainable Diamond ring you should certainly consider purchasing an antique, vintage or second hand Diamond ring.
From the scintillating old cuts to the unique natural features, vintage and antique Diamonds have all the majesty of earth-mined Diamonds, but without the added environmental cost. Diamond mines can emit over 100,000 of C02 emissions, displace over 20 million tonnes of soil and use over 50,000 tonnes of water, so just imagine how much environmental damage you can save by shopping for an antique Diamond ring instead!
Pre-owned Diamond rings are a great choice if you want an unusual dress ring or a eco-friendly engagement ring. Not to mention, with vintage and antique Diamonds, you can easily find some charming one-of-a-kind styles that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. As the saying goes in our office, once you fall in love with an old cut Diamond - you cannot go back!
For those who want to know more about the complex history of Diamonds, our Lillicoco University Diamond gemstone guide, illustrates more. We can all get easily blindsided by the brilliance of this beautiful and highly-coveted gem, however, we need to know the facts over the current ethical and environmental impact the Diamond mining industry is having on the planet.
If you really want to find a piece that is completely unique then why not treat yourself to an antique, vintage or second hand pendant? These are a great choice for second hand September because they truly show just how amazing pre-loved jewellery can be. From adorable 9ct Gold padlocks to glowy moonstone charms, there is always something special and entirely unique about antique and vintage jewels.
Each of our antique pendants are one-of-a-kind and rich in their own character. We handpick every single one of them, curated for their cuteness, metal purity and gemstones.
One of our favourite things to do in our treasure-hunting travels is find worse-for-wear brooches, stick pins, cufflinks and rings. We love to craft second hand pendants and charms from these old jewels, breathing new life into them. We adore upcycled jewellery!
Today, there are some materials like Coral, that have been used in jewellery for centuries but are currently illegal to farm due to new protection laws. However, it is still completely fine to buy antique, vintage or second-hand coral jewellery, allowing you to enjoy the majesty of this vivid gem but without the environmental or ethical impact.
In relation to antique jewellery, Coral was a very popular gem in the Georgian and Victorian era, as well as being fashionable in the Art Deco period too. One of our favourite antique and vintage Coral finds are southern Italian coral charms or meticulously carved coral pendants from the 18th and 19th century.
This is why shopping second hand, vintage and antique is so amazing. Not only does it build up your sustainable jewellery collection, but you can have access to another realm of fine and rare jewellery.
Alongside antique Gold chains, vintage gold hoop earrings are one of our most requested finds. You really cannot go wrong with a classic Gold hoop. Not only are they a favourite of young and old alike, Gold hoops are pieces you can wear time and time again. Whether its a boardroom or a ballroom (or even just general weekend slouching!), a solid Gold hoop earring will always complete an outfit.
As Gold hoops are so popular and timeless, we really recommend investing in the good stuff. And by the good stuff, we mean solid Gold pieces.
If you are looking for solid Gold hoops, 9ct Gold hoops are your best bet. Solid 9ct Gold is a tougher Gold alloy, suitable for sensitive skin and won’t easily tarnish with age. We can only imagine how much energy is used to create every single new Gold hoop, which is why getting vintage and retro Gold hoops are the eco friendly jewellery purchase you should be looking for.
An unexpected addition to our second hand jewellery guide, antique split rings are the secret dark horses of the jewellery world. Only those really in the know with antique and vintage jewellery will understand why a split ring is must-have investment.
An antique split ring is an item which your jewellery box doesn’t even know that it needs. Perfect for adding either a subtle or dramatic element to a pendant, stacking your favourite charms or for adding length to a chain, antique findings like this elevate your necklace stack to new heights.
Whether little or large, an antique split ring will soon become THE jewellery staple you gravitate towards everyday. With our collection, you can discover a variety of split rings, including Georgian Gold cased split rings and beautiful faceted Victorian split rings.
Hi,
So, second hand September, that’s my birthday month and I love second hand, preferably antique jewellery especially wedding rings. I’d love to find one dated 1876 but I must admit I like the look of split rings!