At Alex Ruby, jewellery education is an important part of what we do.
Jewellery is at the heart of our business. However, we have never wanted to limit ourselves to jewellery alone. From time to time, we find objects that are simply too interesting, unusual or beautiful to leave behind.
That might be a vintage trinket, an antique cigarette case or an unusual piece of ephemera. It could also be silverware, a decorative object, a beautiful vase or even an interesting piece of furniture.
If we think something deserves to be brought to the table, we may well bring it.
Our Education section reflects that wider curiosity. We believe understanding what you are buying is just as important as finding something you love.
The world of jewellery, antiques and collectables can be confusing. For example, sterling silver is not the only genuine grade of silver. Hallmarks vary between countries and periods. Gemstones may be natural, treated or laboratory-created. Antique and vintage objects can also have unfamiliar materials, markings and manufacturing methods.
Our aim is to make these subjects easier to understand.
Whether you are a collector, reseller, jewellery lover or experienced professional, there is always something new to discover. The same applies to enthusiastic amateurs, hobbyists and anyone who simply enjoys beautiful and unusual things. We want our jewellery education for collectors to be useful, practical and welcoming.
What You Can Learn at Alex Ruby
Our jewellery education and collecting guides may explore:
- Silver fineness and different grades of silver
- Sterling silver and 925 marks
- British hallmarks and assay marks
- International silver marks
- Antique and vintage silver
- Gold and precious-metal markings
- Plated, filled and bonded jewellery
- Jewellery testing methods
- Acid testing and XRF testing
- Magnet and electronic testing
- Gemstones and gemstone identification
- Natural, laboratory-created and simulated stones
- Jewellery history
- Antique and vintage jewellery
- Ephemera and paper collectables
- Vintage advertising and printed material
- Trinkets and decorative collectables
- Silverware and small objets d’art
- Antique and vintage accessories
- Interesting makers, manufacturers and brands
- Dating and identifying vintage and antique objects
- Materials and manufacturing techniques
- Buying and selling precious metals responsibly
- Practical tips for collectors, resellers and enthusiasts
We also want to be honest about the limits of different testing and identification methods.
Jewellery and antique objects do not always fit neatly into a modern checklist. Their age, origin, construction and materials can all affect how they look and test. Plating, repairs and later alterations can make identification more complicated too.
Education helps us understand those differences and ask better questions.
Primarily Jewellery — But Always Curious
Jewellery will remain our main focus. However, Alex Ruby is also about discovery.
We might find an exceptional vase, an unusual antique or a beautiful cigarette case. Equally, we might discover a fascinating piece of ephemera or another collectable that we think our customers will appreciate.
We do not want an arbitrary category to stop us from offering something special.
After all, sometimes the best finds are the things you were not looking for.
We take the same approach to our educational content. Jewellery and precious metals will remain central. However, we may also explore antiques, ephemera, collectables and decorative objects when we find something worth learning about.
Jewellery Education Through Blogs, Social Media and Video
For now, much of our educational content will appear on the Alex Ruby website, our blog and our social media channels.
As Alex Ruby grows, we hope to expand this considerably.
In the future, we would love to produce practical educational videos. These could cover jewellery testing, hallmarks, precious metals, gemstones, antiques and collectables.
There is already a huge amount of excellent information online. Yet sometimes you can watch ten videos and still have one very specific question that nobody seems to answer.
We know that feeling.
That is why we would also like to develop Q&A content and, potentially, an Ask the Professionals feature. Appropriately qualified or experienced people could help answer some of those more specialised questions.
The aim is not to pretend that one person knows everything. Instead, we want to bring together different areas of knowledge and experience. In doing so, we hope to make useful information easier to find and understand.
