Vintage Jewelry: Behind the Scenes at Ross-Simons

1. Uniqueness: We try to find pieces that really are one-of-a-kind. Out of production pieces, such as a pair of 1940 cuff links from Tiffany's, are especially desirable because of their rarity. We feel very lucky when we come across items like that which have managed to make it through the years without getting lost, broken, or melted down for scrap metal. When we say "unique," we mean it's something that you wouldn't come across every day, but that's still in good condition, which brings us to our next criteria…
2. Quality: We sometimes find beautiful Estate pieces, but don't feel right about buying them. Why? Because if a piece is not in good condition, and if we don't think it has enough wear left in it, then it's not good enough for our customers. Even if a piece is missing just one small diamond, for example, it can still be a deal-breaker, because we need to match it with a diamond that fits with that particular piece. We refuse to detract from the overall look of a piece by, for example, replacing an old rose-cut diamond with a modern round-cut. So if we don't have the proper resources to restore the piece without changing the true essence of it, then it does not go into our inventory.
3. Value: One advantage of Estate jewelry is the great value that it offers. Over the years, manufacturing and material costs have increased in the jewelry industry (as is true in many other industries as well), so prices have naturally gone up. However, those costs don't affect Estate jewelry, so we're able to offer high-quality, beautiful, one-of-a-kind jewelry for an amazing price. For example, a gold bracelet in perfect condition from 1975 would likely cost much less than the exact same bracelet from 2011. And it has the added special touch of being vintage!

Now that you know all of the thought that goes into our Estate Collection, take a look and see what you think!