The best way to tell is your antique engagement ring or any antique jewelry has any value is by its condition, when it comes to determining its price value condition really is everything.

Sometimes it is very difficult to tell is an item of antique jewelry is an original or remade, if the piece of jewelry has different color gold's this could indicate that there has been some form of alteration. If there are stones in the item of jewelry check to see if there is a seam that is visible, if so this could mean that this piece of jewelry has had a previous life.

If you do find a seam on your antique engagement ring or any piece of antique jewelry then it does not necessarily mean bad news, because antique jewelry has been around for many years and was probably thrown into a jewelry box time and time again this would have resulted in slight damage where repairs have needed to be carried out. The most important thing to determine is if the repair was done correctly, if the repair was done correctly you should hardly be able to notice it.

Do not be afraid to ask questions when purchasing antique engagement rings or jewelry, you have every right to ask you dealer if the item you are interested in has had any repairs or alterations or are the stones original. You can also request that the antique dealer puts the answers in writing. If they are not willing to do this then my advice to you is not to buy the item of jewelry in question.

I would always suggest that you only purchase antique jewelry from somewhere that you can physically view it, buying over the internet means you will be unable to see the jewelry before you part with the cash.

If there is no other way than to purchase online then never buy from a seller who displays the jewelry with a fuzzy photograph, a reportable seller will provide you with more than one photograph usually from different views and also provide you with detailed information about the item in question.

If there is a no returns policy I would assume that this is because they expect returns therefore I would always avoid a seller unless they have a proper returns policy.

Buying antique jewelry from a traditional antique dealer may be slightly more expensive but this way you will be able to see the item and asses its value yourself making sure you choose the right piece and avoid being ripped off