Sell Art Deco gold jewellery by post — 1920s and 30s

Art Deco is a stylistic period rather than a strict hallmarked era, running roughly from the 1920 to the late 1930s with the British style sitting between the French peak (mid-1920s) and the gradual transition to mid-century modernism in the late 1930s. Style cues: geometric forms, bold colour combinations (often blue, green and white via sapphire, emerald and diamond), step-cut stones, milgrain and channel settings, platinum-and-diamond as the headline combination.

The hallmark date letter (where present) identifies the year definitively. Pieces dated 1920-1935 with the characteristic style cues are Art Deco. Style without the date is suggestive but not definitive.

The most valuable Art Deco pieces are predominantly platinum, often with gold backing or gold reinforcement. The headline piece is the platinum-set diamond bracelet or geometric pendant; the gold content on those pieces may be limited to a small backing plate or hinge components.

The XRF reading distinguishes the platinum from the gold and from any white-gold or silver-alloy elements. Each metal is valued at its own measured rate. For Art Deco pieces, the platinum content is often the dominant metal weight and the diamonds are often the dominant overall value.

Art Deco diamond cutting introduced the calibrated step cut (baguette, emerald cut) as a frequent diamond style alongside the older Old European brilliant. Step-cut diamonds are flat-faced rectangles or trapezoids, with parallel facets cut in stair-step pattern. They are valued differently from round brilliants and the per-carat rate is typically lower for the same colour and clarity.

Where an Art Deco piece carries calibrated step-cut diamonds in a clean platinum setting, the designed-piece value can substantially exceed scrap. We flag such pieces on the written offer and explain how to sell the stones or the whole piece through a specialist route if you prefer.

The Art Deco market is well-documented and antique dealers can date and authenticate pieces with high confidence. A piece styled to look Art Deco but produced in the 1950s or later is worth materially less to the specialist market than a genuine 1920s or 1930s piece. We are honest about the date assessment on every Art Deco piece that arrives; the hallmark date letter is the deciding factor where it exists.

Mid-twentieth-century revival pieces (1950s-70s reproductions of Art Deco style) are valued at metal scrap on the written offer. We say so explicitly rather than treating them as period pieces.