It's time to take grandma's jewelry out of the vault.
That's because the popularity of estate and vintage pieces is growing, even as the overall jewelry market falters. Since inventory is fixed and often in short supply, antique jewelry is sought after by consumers looking for one-of-a-kind pieces.
While the jewelry market is expected to experience several years of stagnant sales, "other" jewelry, which includes estate jewelry, has achieved at least modest gains, according to a May survey conducted by Mintel, a market research firm with offices worldwide. "Other" jewelry and accessories make up 15.1% of the market, up from 14.1% in 2005.
