10 seconds into watching this, i thought there is no way I would watch this to the end. I WAS WRONG, there a first time for everything! Very well made video, very good teaching.
These are really good tips for modern jewelry. There are some differences though for antique jewelry. In the victorian era there usually weren't any markings for metals. It was common for jewelry to have closed backs even behind prong set stones. One weird quirk is foil backed gemstones. Even genuine stones were often foiled on the back to make them appear brighter. On modern jewelry that's usually found only on imitation stones. One popular metal back then that is often confused with base metal now is pewter. You can even find diamonds set in pewter so don't ignore jewelry made of less flashy metals. Cameos are interesting. Most now are made of plastic that's made to mimic stone. Antique cameos were carved from stone or shell. If a cameo is heavy, you might be on to something. Shell cameos are curved because sea shells are curved. Generally stone cameos are a little see through, so can usually see flaws in the stone from the backside. On the back of a stone cameo there is often scratches that look like parallel straight lines. Those are marks left by the saw blade that cut the stone out before it was carved. A well made cameo is made in one piece. There should not be a seam between the figure on the front and the stone on the back. Some modern cameos from China and India have a stone figure glued to a stone back. Those pop off eventually. If you see a seam don't trust the cameo to be a genuine antique. There are even molded glass cameos. They can worth several dollars. They were a low cost alternative back in the day. Now cheap cameos are usually molded from resin. If a cameo looks molded but is fairly heavy it might be antique glass. If you're afraid you're missing out on antique jewelry at thrift stores, do some research into antique jewelry collecting and buy some metal test kits. There is a market for antique jewelry.
I've also been taught that green on jewelry is perfume or hairspray that's aged and needs to be soaked in a dish soap/hot water mix overnight (only if it's NOT plated and does NOT have foil backed stones), then scrub with a super soft toothbrush.
I concentrate on finding real jewelry instead of costume but these are really good tips. My biggest pet peeve is a Thrift Store that keeps all the jewelry in a glass counter, that doubles as the check out stand, and there is only one employee checking out a long line of shoppers. It is nearly impossible to really look at the contents.
TIP: If you hear something like “supervisor/manager to register X for jewelry” head over to the glass case and start browsing jewelry, if the other person finishes up in the next few minutes then everything is already unlocked for you. No waiting for a manager/supervisor required! Kind of doesn’t work if you only went for jewelry but as a semi casual thrifter it’s saved me a few minutes of awkward waiting with an employee and squinting through the case
Thank-you for taking the time to show us what to be looking for. You’ve made this concept so much easier to understand. Much appreciated. Looking forward to the next one.
Hey brother, I just wanted tonrake a moment to say I watched this in full because of your kinda attitude. Good content and lesson for beginners, it wasn't what I was looking for qnd I normally don't waste my time but you seem like a cool guy and wanted to thank you for the positive content. Be safe my friend
These are all good tips but it's worth it to learn about some of the most collectible makers if you're going to buy costume jewelry, too. I just watched a brooch with no fine metals, no precious or even semi-precious stone, no brand signature, no openings in the back of the faux gems, and with a slight textured back sell for $3400 on goodwill. The lister didn't know what it was and it still bid up that high. It was a Schreiner unsigned brooch.
I used to occasionally have luck at estate/moving sales where they had entire jewelry boxes/contents sitting out on the table without having the items sorted or individually priced. At such times I would make an offer for the entire collection. Afterwards, I would usually find enough pieces in the collection to recoup my initial investment. But I've never had any luck with jewelry jars at the thrift stores.
Thanks for your info. You explain what you are looking for as if I was sitting right next to you to learn about sorting through jewelry. The little pin saying "MK" with the pink car dangling is for Mary Kay Cosmetics. It used to be sold similar to Avon.
New subscriber here! This was really helpful! I just received a bunch of jewelry from my aunt that passed away, and it's hard trying to identify all of these pieces! She had a 60 CTW Ruby necklace and matching bracelet, lots of good finds! ❤
MK is Mary Kay cosmetics, the pink caddy is a typical win for high sellers with various forms of jewelry given to reps for reaching seller benchmarks. My Aunt sold so much crap she got the caddy and also sported a diamond cluster ring that Mary Kay kept adding diamonds to as she surpassed her benchmarks.
This was very helpful in identifying the cheaper costume jewelery. I especially appreciate the tip about finding ones with the backs with ridges... I've found a lot of them and couldn't tell if they were worth anything. Now I know! Thank you for all the information!!
Rusty !! I’m so glad I found your Channel!!!! You are a nut (in a fun way!) & VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE!!! Thanks for all the info !! I watch you on the home tv so I’ll try to send my thumbs up via my phone :)
I’m new in the costume jewelry world and recently got several lots. This video has been so helpful and easy to follow! Thank you for sharing your tips.
Some metal has miprepresentstion of their metal cont . Testing with a magnet and actual metal Testing with a scratch acid test is best. There are Gemology courses for determining gems etc
That last one was definitely a Mary Kay pen. In fact, I won one similar to that when you earn the use of the career car in the company which by the way, Mary Kay is a good company and they gave amazing gifts. I still have some of my pins and rings, that were real and I earned them while I was in the company for eight years❤
Hi Rusty. I recently started going through some jewelry jars from my local Goodwill. I've watched a few other channels where the person goes thru the jewelry jar and comments on the various pieces, but never really tell you what they're looking for or why or how much they might value the piece to sell on ebay or another platform. I appreciate the way you went through the jewelry lot and specified why you kept one piece but not the others. Also, thanks for the tip on how to fix a glued in rhinestone. I'm finding lots of pieces that have missing stones and was wondering how to go about repairing them. I suspected I would need to buy/use superglue or some other 'special' jewelry making glue. I just subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to checking out some of your other videos. 🙂 Have a great day!
Mk is Mary Kay cosmetics. They give cheap jewelry to the sales people who have reached quotas. The car is the pink Cadillac you get if you achieve director status. That was a bummer of a jewelry haul for $25. Thanks for taking us through it though.
Where do you find the higher dollar jewelry bags so I can look for them at my area Goodwill? It reminds me of when they used to fill glass vases with all kinds of jewelry and related items, tape it up and put it in the case for sale. This is Indiana I'm speaking of. One time I found some neat old badges and sold them to a collector for much more money. Found some vintage marbles that I'm kinda excited about in a grab bag from a Goodwill in Indianapolis last Friday. Never used to look at the grab bags (usually $3 to $5) until I watched a video of yours where you got one with toys and told us not to forget to check the bags. I really appreciate you sharing that knowledge! I know quite a bit about jewelry already but think you did a great job helping others learn! You taught me a good bit about postcards which was an area I had not learned about yet. Thanks for doing what you do!!!
At 44:34 The MK is a Mary Kay pin. If you are a top seller of mary kay make up and face care you can drive a pink Cadillac until you aren't making to sales. Then they take it away from you. Pyramid market b.s.
Hi Rusty I enjoy and have learned a lot from your videos. Thank you. I have a question about post cards. I have a Montreal panaramic guide with a tour map from 1947 with 10 photos. I have no idea how to price that , any suggestions. Thank you Gigi D
If you look closely at whether the little rhinestones are glued or set into the metal with tiny little divots that act as prongs, that might impact the value. That brooch with the pave rhinestones and dangling pearl looked like the stones are set with those divots.
I just started watching your content and I really like you. You are down-to-earth and really informative. I’ll be watching all your stuff from now on. 😊
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I really enjoy the way you present your videos with lots of examples, this really helps as I am learning the ins and outs of this market...cheers!
Great tips! I have often wondered what to look for when checking out jewelry at Goodwill etc., where do you sell your jewelry once you find the good ones?
during hurricane sandy a lot of homes were flooded hundreds if not thousands. People metal detected the stuff, cleaned it up, coated it with paint etc. The brand stamp still on it. much of thatis rusty under the quick fix. It is still out there and notas good as original.
I’m new to your channel and I sell alot of different things but I want to get into jewelry. I love looking at it and photo graphing it. One of the main things I don’t understand is it the necklace doesn’t have marking on it. How do I know what metal it is?
I have been trying to find your QRAK (sp.?) video, but have had no luck. I thought it was this one, but I don’t think so. I wish I had written down the meaning of each letter, because it was a good training tool, but I didn’t have paper at the time…please help! 😢
Awesome video very enjoyable. I have a ton of jewelry coming in and wanted a refresher and here I got more. MK is Michael Khors I believe the purse store
Also, the one piece where you said it looked like the stones were glued on that if it’s a prong setting, it’s more than likely real gemstones. There is a technique of setting stones in metal, not glued but precious stones, including diamonds it’s called gypsy setting or flush setting..
Almost a year later. Thank you for the video. I wonder if you ever found the MJ mark on the Tucans. You probably missed it since the clip was up. At the 45:35 mark at the bottom of the tucan below the raised clip. Now I need to find a video on how to tell if a stone is real, and what type of stone it is. Hopefully you made your money back.
I have a piece of jewelry which has Monet stamped on the back. It looks like a brooch from the front, But the back has no where for a pin, Nor where a pin has broken off of. I have tried to find this piece on line, and cant find it lol. I really enjoyed this video
I see all these videos of jewelry jars from Goodwill where they get all this gold and silver and name jewelry. I bought some jewelry jars. finally I see a video of someone who got worse luck than me.
So I have a Maltese cross that I am almost positive is a Weiss but it is not signed. It is a beautiful piece. Do the manufacturers ever miss signing pieces.
10 seconds into watching this, i thought there is no way I would watch this to the end. I WAS WRONG, there a first time for everything!
Very well made video, very good teaching.
MK could be for Mary Kay since the car is pink.
Is mk jewelry worth anything at all besides sentimental
Exactly where it's from
These are really good tips for modern jewelry. There are some differences though for antique jewelry. In the victorian era there usually weren't any markings for metals. It was common for jewelry to have closed backs even behind prong set stones. One weird quirk is foil backed gemstones. Even genuine stones were often foiled on the back to make them appear brighter. On modern jewelry that's usually found only on imitation stones. One popular metal back then that is often confused with base metal now is pewter. You can even find diamonds set in pewter so don't ignore jewelry made of less flashy metals.
Cameos are interesting. Most now are made of plastic that's made to mimic stone. Antique cameos were carved from stone or shell. If a cameo is heavy, you might be on to something. Shell cameos are curved because sea shells are curved. Generally stone cameos are a little see through, so can usually see flaws in the stone from the backside. On the back of a stone cameo there is often scratches that look like parallel straight lines. Those are marks left by the saw blade that cut the stone out before it was carved. A well made cameo is made in one piece. There should not be a seam between the figure on the front and the stone on the back. Some modern cameos from China and India have a stone figure glued to a stone back. Those pop off eventually. If you see a seam don't trust the cameo to be a genuine antique. There are even molded glass cameos. They can worth several dollars. They were a low cost alternative back in the day. Now cheap cameos are usually molded from resin. If a cameo looks molded but is fairly heavy it might be antique glass.
If you're afraid you're missing out on antique jewelry at thrift stores, do some research into antique jewelry collecting and buy some metal test kits. There is a market for antique jewelry.
Thank you so much for the great info.😊
I've also been taught that green on jewelry is perfume or hairspray that's aged and needs to be soaked in a dish soap/hot water mix overnight (only if it's NOT plated and does NOT have foil backed stones), then scrub with a super soft toothbrush.
I concentrate on finding real jewelry instead of costume but these are really good tips. My biggest pet peeve is a Thrift Store that keeps all the jewelry in a glass counter, that doubles as the check out stand, and there is only one employee checking out a long line of shoppers. It is nearly impossible to really look at the contents.
bummer. And yes, I know what you mean about the check out line and the case issue..
that is the idea
That said, Jewelry theft is high in Thirft shops.
Yes,yes when in tarnishes do the thrift stores do that crap,🤔 I can't look T it with patients👁️👁️ what
TIP: If you hear something like “supervisor/manager to register X for jewelry” head over to the glass case and start browsing jewelry, if the other person finishes up in the next few minutes then everything is already unlocked for you. No waiting for a manager/supervisor required!
Kind of doesn’t work if you only went for jewelry but as a semi casual thrifter it’s saved me a few minutes of awkward waiting with an employee and squinting through the case
Thank-you for taking the time to show us what to be looking for. You’ve made this concept so much easier to understand. Much appreciated. Looking forward to the next one.
You're very welcome! Check back this week for another one on jewelry!
Hey brother, I just wanted tonrake a moment to say I watched this in full because of your kinda attitude. Good content and lesson for beginners, it wasn't what I was looking for qnd I normally don't waste my time but you seem like a cool guy and wanted to thank you for the positive content. Be safe my friend
Awesome, thank you!
The little basket is made to look like the old ones. The company is called 1928. They always have that swirly pattern on the back.
These are all good tips but it's worth it to learn about some of the most collectible makers if you're going to buy costume jewelry, too. I just watched a brooch with no fine metals, no precious or even semi-precious stone, no brand signature, no openings in the back of the faux gems, and with a slight textured back sell for $3400 on goodwill. The lister didn't know what it was and it still bid up that high. It was a Schreiner unsigned brooch.
I used to occasionally have luck at estate/moving sales where they had entire jewelry boxes/contents sitting out on the table without having the items sorted or individually priced. At such times I would make an offer for the entire collection. Afterwards, I would usually find enough pieces in the collection to recoup my initial investment. But I've never had any luck with jewelry jars at the thrift stores.
I learned a TON!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!!
Thanks for your info. You explain what you are looking for as if I was sitting right next to you to learn about sorting through jewelry. The little pin saying "MK" with the pink car dangling is for Mary Kay Cosmetics. It used to be sold similar to Avon.
3:43 Peaches processing the info - hilarious!
In all seriousness, this video is super helpful. Can’t wait to get out there and apply the information.
New subscriber here! This was really helpful! I just received a bunch of jewelry from my aunt that passed away, and it's hard trying to identify all of these pieces! She had a 60 CTW Ruby necklace and matching bracelet, lots of good finds! ❤
Your program has been extremely helpful, thank you for educating us!
The dahlia Brooch central stone does have an opening on back of stone mounting. It, like other stone, prob needs cleaning, as well. Very pretty piece.
Cool, thanks
thanks for the close up pics. They are helpful. I also subscribed to your channel.
I love the show and tell. A lot more better to understand. Thank you so much.
Our pleasure!
MK is Mary Kay cosmetics, the pink caddy is a typical win for high sellers with various forms of jewelry given to reps for reaching seller benchmarks. My Aunt sold so much crap she got the caddy and also sported a diamond cluster ring that Mary Kay kept adding diamonds to as she surpassed her benchmarks.
Have you ever done the magnet test? I usually have a magnet with me to do a quick check for any precious metals.
Yes, I always keep a magnet in my vehicles for when I go sourcing..
Thank you so much for this video. Super helpful and well-presented. Your time and effort is most appreciated!
This was very helpful and practical! Thank you for taking the time to make it
Glad it was helpful!
This was very helpful in identifying the cheaper costume jewelery. I especially appreciate the tip about finding ones with the backs with ridges... I've found a lot of them and couldn't tell if they were worth anything. Now I know! Thank you for all the information!!
You are so welcome!
Excellent video. I am a little over a month into selling jewelry and this taught me some much. Thanks.
Welcome Cousin!
Thank you very much for this informative video! I am new at reselling, and i decided to take a dive into jewelry!
Rusty !! I’m so glad I found your Channel!!!! You are a nut (in a fun way!) & VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE!!! Thanks for all the info !! I watch you on the home tv so I’ll try to send my thumbs up via my phone :)
Thanks so much! Glad you found us!!
I’m new in the costume jewelry world and recently got several lots. This video has been so helpful and easy to follow! Thank you for sharing your tips.
You are so welcome! Glad it was helpful!
Some metal has miprepresentstion of their metal cont . Testing with a magnet and actual metal Testing with a scratch acid test is best. There are Gemology courses for determining gems etc
That last one was definitely a Mary Kay pen. In fact, I won one similar to that when you earn the use of the career car in the company which by the way, Mary Kay is a good company and they gave amazing gifts. I still have some of my pins and rings, that were real and I earned them while I was in the company for eight years❤
Rhinestones can be of rock crystal or acrylic. Don't be fooled rhinestone jewelry can be pretty significant and can fetch some big bucks.
Many rhinestones are glass or lead crystal. Acrylic is also common. Rock crystal is not very common.
Hi Rusty. I recently started going through some jewelry jars from my local Goodwill. I've watched a few other channels where the person goes thru the jewelry jar and comments on the various pieces, but never really tell you what they're looking for or why or how much they might value the piece to sell on ebay or another platform. I appreciate the way you went through the jewelry lot and specified why you kept one piece but not the others.
Also, thanks for the tip on how to fix a glued in rhinestone. I'm finding lots of pieces that have missing stones and was wondering how to go about repairing them. I suspected I would need to buy/use superglue or some other 'special' jewelry making glue.
I just subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to checking out some of your other videos. 🙂 Have a great day!
What kind words! Thanks so much for the cheerful message! Hope you enjoy more videos. There will be more jewelry vids coming soon…
Thank you Rusty you help me a lot.
Mk is Mary Kay cosmetics. They give cheap jewelry to the sales people who have reached quotas. The car is the pink Cadillac you get if you achieve director status.
That was a bummer of a jewelry haul for $25. Thanks for taking us through it though.
Bag up the junk for a lot of art & craft jewelry for crafter people. Great video Rusty 🙂
Great idea
This is SO helpful!
Where do you find the higher dollar jewelry bags so I can look for them at my area Goodwill? It reminds me of when they used to fill glass vases with all kinds of jewelry and related items, tape it up and put it in the case for sale. This is Indiana I'm speaking of.
One time I found some neat old badges and sold them to a collector for much more money. Found some vintage marbles that I'm kinda excited about in a grab bag from a Goodwill in Indianapolis last Friday. Never used to look at the grab bags (usually $3 to $5) until I watched a video of yours where you got one with toys and told us not to forget to check the bags. I really appreciate you sharing that knowledge!
I know quite a bit about jewelry already but think you did a great job helping others learn!
You taught me a good bit about postcards which was an area I had not learned about yet. Thanks for doing what you do!!!
Great video a lot of beginner tips, thanks
At 44:34 The MK is a Mary Kay pin. If you are a top seller of mary kay make up and face care you can drive a pink Cadillac until you aren't making to sales. Then they take it away from you. Pyramid market b.s.
Great video! Thank u! 👏👏👏
Glad you liked it!
👍I have learned A LOT watching just a few of your videos today. Great Information! Thanx!
Thank You Rusty Your Awesome
That brooch around 17:30 is fantastic. so pretty 😍
Awesomeness. You are a great tutor. Also, the lack of background music is very much appreciated 😊
Thanks Cousin! This video was awesome! ❤
Glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoy your channel and learn how to identify cheap and better quality jewelry thank you so much for your lesson 😊
Hi Rusty I enjoy and have learned a lot from your videos. Thank you. I have a question about post cards. I have a Montreal panaramic guide with a tour map from 1947 with 10 photos. I have no idea how to price that , any suggestions. Thank you Gigi D
Informational and entertaining! Thank you.
Learned alot of new info! New subscriber! Thank you!
Awesome! Thank you!
Great info, Rusty! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to go to a flea market and try to find a treasure.
Thanks for the information.
How do you know the stones in the 925 brooch are semi precious. Many jewelry designers used unfoiled glass stones.
Great video! You gave me some good tips to take notes on! Thank you!
No problem!
If you look closely at whether the little rhinestones are glued or set into the metal with tiny little divots that act as prongs, that might impact the value. That brooch with the pave rhinestones and dangling pearl looked like the stones are set with those divots.
So much good information. Thank you kind sir.
Glad it was helpful!
Hey Homie, I'm in Columbia - Your channel is cool; thanks for all the information!!
So good. Thank you!
Definitely helps! Thank you!
Very helpful, Thank you.
Excellent work cousins, lovin the long-tail content
More to come soon Cousin!
my favorite designer is Miriam Haskell
I just started watching your content and I really like you. You are down-to-earth and really informative. I’ll be watching all your stuff from now on. 😊
Thanks Cousin!
Absolutely loved your video, very informative…
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I really enjoy the way you present your videos with lots of examples, this really helps as I am learning the ins and outs of this market...cheers!
Rusty you are such a great teacher! I will be watching your videos from now on! Thank you so much! 🤗
You are so welcome Cousin!
Awesome tips. Now I’m going to sort through my old jewelry box. Thanks.
I subscribed.
Thanks! Hope you find a treasure!!
Fabulous and helpful content. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
You are very informative, thank you!
You are so welcome!
Great video. Thank you
Oh so exciting ✌
This video is ahhhmazing! Thank you!
Thanks!
This video is full of great tips, so helpful…
I'm so glad I found your channel
Do u recommend cleaning the backs of the open custom jewelry?If so how? New to ur channel.iam hooked
I am learning alot. Thank you
Great tips! I have often wondered what to look for when checking out jewelry at Goodwill etc., where do you sell your jewelry once you find the good ones?
I did pick up some good information. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
during hurricane sandy a lot of homes were flooded hundreds if not thousands. People metal detected the stuff, cleaned it up, coated it with paint etc. The brand stamp still on it. much of thatis rusty under the quick fix. It is still out there and notas good as original.
MK Mary Kay cosmetics. Pink Cadilac is synonymous with Mary Kay reps.
I’m new to your channel and I sell alot of different things but I want to get into jewelry. I love looking at it and photo graphing it. One of the main things I don’t understand is it the necklace doesn’t have marking on it. How do I know what metal it is?
I have been trying to find your QRAK (sp.?) video, but have had no luck. I thought it was this one, but I don’t think so. I wish I had written down the meaning of each letter, because it was a good training tool, but I didn’t have paper at the time…please help! 😢
Very helpful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
You've inspired me to look at my tiny pocket knife I got in a lot I named lil macky
MK with a pink car would be Mary Kay make-up brand and the sales ladies drove pink Cadillac
Awesome video very enjoyable. I have a ton of jewelry coming in and wanted a refresher and here I got more. MK is Michael Khors I believe the purse store
Thank you for the good information
Thank you it was very helpful
Also, the one piece where you said it looked like the stones were glued on that if it’s a prong setting, it’s more than likely real gemstones. There is a technique of setting stones in metal, not glued but precious stones, including diamonds it’s called gypsy setting or flush setting..
Almost a year later. Thank you for the video. I wonder if you ever found the MJ mark on the Tucans. You probably missed it since the clip was up. At the 45:35 mark at the bottom of the tucan below the raised clip. Now I need to find a video on how to tell if a stone is real, and what type of stone it is. Hopefully you made your money back.
I did just fine on it, thanks!
Thanks for the informative video! I'm trying to learn about brands and a lot of what you covered.
Thanks Cousin!
I have a piece of jewelry which has Monet stamped on the back. It looks like a brooch from the front, But the back has no where for a pin, Nor where a pin has broken off of. I have tried to find this piece on line, and cant find it lol. I really enjoyed this video
Hmm. Not sure on your piece. Sounds interesting.
Great video, thanks!
Glad you liked it!
I see all these videos of jewelry jars from Goodwill where they get all this gold and silver and name jewelry. I bought some jewelry jars. finally I see a video of someone who got worse luck than me.
With the metal how do you know which one will fade or not?
Thanks, very helpful info.👍
Thank you for some great insight.
Where do you get most of your jewelry from? Ebay?
During Victorian era it doesn't have Hallmark and uses foil to reflect light back
Also real pearls are cold. They feel like you just took them out of a refrigerator. Put them up to your cheek is the easiest way to tell.
So I have a Maltese cross that I am almost positive is a Weiss but it is not signed. It is a beautiful piece. Do the manufacturers ever miss signing pieces.
Thank you for all the information, most helpful.
You are so welcome!