More and more collectors in Korea are buying antique and vintage jewellery from Britain and Europe, yet much of it still reaches them through a middleman. This guide, written by a London dealer, explains how to buy directly from England: where to go if you can travel, how to buy online safely, what to expect from Korean customs, and the English dealer vocabulary that will help you find exactly what you are looking for.
Antique or vintage: what is the difference?
Buyers use the two words interchangeably, and so do many sellers, but in the trade they mean different things. Antique jewellery is at least 100 years old, so today anything made before about 1926. Vintage usually means roughly 20 to 100 years old, from the 1930s to around the 2000s. Neither word is a mark of quality on its own. What matters is that the age is described honestly, and that the piece is what the seller says it is.
Buying in person: the best way, if you can travel
If you are visiting London, nothing beats holding a piece in your hand, turning it over and talking to the dealer who found it. These are the places we would send a friend.
Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton Park
Our favourite. Held at Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury-on-Thames (TW16), it is known in the trade simply as "Kempton". It runs on the second and last Tuesday of every month, with over 700 indoor and outdoor stalls. Early entry starts at 6:30am for £5 (cash or contactless), and entry is free from 8am to 2pm. Dealers arrive in the dark with torches, because the best pieces go early.
Portobello Road, Notting Hill
Saturday is the antiques day on Portobello Road. Our tip: walk past the street stalls and go deep inside the indoor arcades. The arcade dealers are the specialists, and that is where the serious antique jewellery is.
Grays Antiques, Mayfair
At 58 Davies Street, opposite Bond Street station, Grays brings many jewellery dealers together under one roof. It is open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00, and closed at weekends, so plan it for a weekday.
Fairs and markets across the country
Beyond London there are antiques fairs and markets all over Britain, including several very large regional fairs held through the year. Check the organisers' own websites for current dates before you travel.
Buying online: why the dealer matters
Most people cannot fly to London every month, and that is where buying online comes in. The important thing is to buy from a dealer who knows how to ship to Korea and clear Korean customs properly. Most European dealers do not, and that gap is why buying agents, personal shoppers and live-stream hosts travel to England to source pieces and resell them in Asia. They do useful work, but the buyer pays their margin on top of the dealer's price.
Buying directly from a specialist dealer cuts out that layer: a better price, properly insured shipping, and customs paperwork done correctly from the start. Few dealers do all of this well, which is why we have set out exactly what we do below.
What Ravensbury does for buyers in Korea
- Free insured delivery from London. DHL Express for orders over £400, and Royal Mail International Tracked below that.
- Correct customs paperwork. An accurate description and HS classification for every piece, with pieces over 100 years old declared as antiques; a UK origin statement under the UK–Korea free trade agreement where the piece qualifies; and a full, honest declared value. We never under-declare.
- Help with duties and taxes. We offer discounts to help cover import duty and VAT, especially on higher-value pieces and on multi-piece or trade orders. Just email us.
- Paperwork with every piece. A certificate of authenticity and an information sheet.
- Complimentary ring resizing where feasible, and 30-day returns (resized rings are final sale).
- Prices in Korean won on the site, and payment by card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay or UnionPay.
Korean customs: what to expect
- Personal imports from the UK are duty-free up to US$150.
- Above that, jewellery normally attracts 8% duty plus 10% VAT. For pieces that qualify as UK origin, the duty can be 0% under the UK–Korea FTA with an origin declaration, leaving VAT.
- Very high-value jewellery may also attract individual consumption tax. We will advise you piece by piece.
- At checkout you will be asked for your Personal Customs Clearance Code (개인통관고유부호). This is the number Korean customs uses instead of your resident registration number for personal imports. The name on the order must match the name registered to the code, or the parcel can be held.
What to search for: the English dealer vocabulary
English dealers describe jewellery by period. Knowing these words, and their dates, makes searching far easier.
| Period | Dates | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Georgian | 1714–1837 | Handmade; foiled, closed-back settings; rose and old mine cut diamonds; high-carat gold; often unmarked |
| Early Victorian (Romantic) | c.1837–1860 | Sentimental motifs, snakes, hearts, chased gold |
| Mid Victorian (Grand) | c.1860–1885 | Mourning jewellery, archaeological revival |
| Late Victorian | c.1885–1901 | Gypsy settings, stars and crescents |
| Edwardian | 1901–1910 (often used loosely to c.1915) | Platinum, garland style, millegrain, Belle Époque |
| Art Nouveau | c.1890–1910 | Flowing natural forms, enamel |
| Art Deco | c.1920–1935 | Geometry, calibré-cut stones, platinum |
| Retro | c.1935–1950 | Bold rose and yellow gold |
| Vintage | c.1950–2000 | Later 20th-century pieces |
| Ancient Roman, Medieval and Renaissance | Before c.1700 | Rare, specialist pieces |
Useful terms: hallmark; 9ct, 15ct, 18ct, 22ct (gold purity); old mine cut, old European cut and rose cut (antique diamond cuts); foiled back; gypsy setting; signet; intaglio; cameo; posy ring; mourning ring; and estate jewellery, the American term for second-hand fine jewellery.
Where to start
- Latest finds
- Georgian jewellery and Victorian jewellery
- Edwardian jewellery and Art Deco jewellery
- Antique and vintage engagement rings
- Signet rings and intaglio rings
- Antique chains and necklaces
- Ancient rings and medieval rings
For rings specifically, see our guides to antique engagement rings and antique signet rings.
Get in touch
Write to us at info@ravensburyantiques.com; we are more than happy to help. Ask us for a video of any piece in natural light, for more photographs of the hallmarks, or tell us what you are hunting for and we will look out for it on our buying trips. A KakaoTalk channel is coming soon; for now, email is the quickest way to reach us.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to buy antique jewellery from England online?
Yes, if you buy from a specialist dealer who describes pieces accurately, insures the shipment and provides a certificate of authenticity and a returns policy. Every Ravensbury piece is shipped fully insured with a certificate and an information sheet, and you have 30 days to return it.
Will I pay customs duty in Korea?
Personal imports from the UK are duty-free up to US$150. Above that, expect 8% duty (0% for qualifying UK-origin pieces under the FTA) plus 10% VAT. We offer discounts to help cover these costs.
What is the Personal Customs Clearance Code?
It is the personal number Korean customs uses to clear parcels you import for yourself. You enter it at checkout, and your name must match the name registered to it.
When is Portobello Market open for antiques?
Saturday is the antiques day. Head for the indoor arcades rather than the street stalls.
Can I ask for videos before I buy?
Of course. Email us and we will film the piece in natural light.