What Does Vintage Mean?

The word "vintage" gets used constantly, and often incorrectly. Scroll through most resale platforms and you'll find ten-year-old high street pieces labelled vintage, which doesn't help anyone trying to work out what they're actually buying.

If you're buying vintage jewellery — particularly designer pieces — the terminology isn't pedantry. It's how you avoid overpaying, spot gaps in a seller's knowledge, and understand what you're actually looking at.

Here's what those terms mean in practice.

Vintage: The 20-Year Rule

In the jewellery trade, vintage usually means at least 20 years old, but less than 100. That's the most widely used working definition, particularly for costume and designer jewellery, though not everyone agrees on the exact threshold.

As of 2026, that puts anything made before 2006 into the category. A pair of Givenchy clip-ons from the 1980s. A Chanel brooch from 1995. A Dior choker from 2001. All vintage, though not all equally interesting.

Age alone doesn't make something worth buying. A mass-produced high street piece from 1998 is technically vintage. What gives vintage jewellery its appeal is the combination of age, design, construction, and the cultural moment it reflects.

Antique: 100 Years and Older

Antique is more consistent: a piece must be at least 100 years old. That's the standard used internationally, including by customs authorities.

In 2026, anything made before 1926 is antique — Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, early Art Deco. Art Deco sits slightly across the boundary: the earliest pieces now qualify as antique, while later ones remain vintage.

Most antique jewellery is fine jewellery — precious metals and gemstones — because costume jewellery as a category emerged in the 1920s and 1930s.

Retro: A Style, Not an Age

Retro is where the language becomes less precise.

In trade terms, Retro refers to a specific period — roughly 1935 to 1950 — characterised by bold, oversized designs, often in rose or yellow gold, shaped by wartime material constraints.

In everyday use, retro tends to mean anything referencing an earlier aesthetic.

The distinction matters. Retro describes a look. Vintage describes an age. A newly made piece designed to resemble the 1970s is retro. An actual piece from the 1970s is vintage. They are not the same thing, and shouldn't be priced as if they are.

Estate: Previously Owned, Any Age

Estate simply means a piece has had a previous owner. Nothing more.

A ring resold six months after purchase is estate jewellery. So is a Victorian brooch that's passed through multiple generations. The term says nothing about age or quality.

Estate, vintage and antique often overlap. A 1960s Dior necklace in the resale market is estate, vintage and designer at the same time.

The term tends to be used more in auction contexts, where it functions as a more neutral way of saying pre-owned.

Deadstock: Unworn and Unissued

Deadstock — sometimes called New Old Stock — refers to pieces that were manufactured decades ago but never sold or worn. Old shop inventory, warehouse stock, unsold production.

A deadstock piece is effectively a time capsule. No wear, no plating loss, no replaced stones.

Condition plays a significant role in value, so this matters. That said, long-term storage can still leave minor marks or tarnishing. Deadstock isn't always perfect, just unworn.

Costume vs. Fine Jewellery

The vintage market works differently depending on the category.

Fine jewellery uses precious metals and gemstones, with value tied to materials as well as design. Costume jewellery — also called fashion jewellery — uses base metals, glass, resin and crystal. Its value is almost entirely about design, brand, era and condition. Materials are largely beside the point.

When we talk about vintage Chanel, Dior, Givenchy or Céline, we're talking about costume jewellery — gold-plated metals, glass pearls, rhinestones, enamel. These weren't cheap when new. The best examples are collectible now because of design and brand, not intrinsic material value.

Authentication reflects that difference. Fine jewellery can be tested. Costume jewellery relies on knowledge — hallmarks, construction, materials and design details. There isn't a single shortcut.

Jagged Metal specialises in authenticated vintage designer and costume jewellery from the 1960s through to Y2K. Browse the collection at jaggedmetal.com.