Collection: Modern Estate Jewelry

Estate jewelry is pre-owned fine jewelry that has been previously purchased and worn. It includes pieces from any era, though this particular collection focuses on pieces from the 1970s to the present. The term "estate" refers to how the jewelry was acquired, not its age or style. A diamond necklace made in 2010 and sold by its original owner is estate jewelry, the same way a cocktail ring from 1975 is.

The terms describe different things. "Estate" refers to ownership history: the piece has had at least one previous owner. "Vintage" refers to age, generally meaning 20 to 50 or more years old. A piece can be both estate and vintage, but not all estate jewelry is old enough to qualify as vintage. The pieces in this collection are estate (pre-owned) but date from the 1970s forward, so some fall into the vintage range and some are more recent.

Every piece is evaluated before it enters the collection. Metals are inspected for structural integrity, clasps and findings are tested, prong settings are checked under magnification, and stones are verified. Where needed, pieces are cleaned, polished, or repaired before listing. The product description for each item notes any relevant condition details, and our team can answer specific questions about any piece.

Rings can typically be resized within one to two sizes in either direction. Bracelets can sometimes have links added or removed to adjust length. Necklace chains can be shortened. More structural alterations depend on the specific piece and its construction. Some designs allow modification easily, while others would be compromised by changes. A jeweler can assess what's realistic for any particular item before you commit.