Collectors in Japan have a long-standing eye for English antique jewellery. British fairs at department stores draw crowds, and dealers fly to London on buying trips and come home with Victorian rings and Georgian lockets to resell. Yet very few buyers in Japan purchase directly from England, usually because buying from abroad feels complicated. It need not be. This guide, written by a London dealer, explains where to buy antique and vintage jewellery in England in person, how to buy online directly and safely, what to expect from Japanese import tax, and the English words to search with.
Antique or vintage?
Buyers, and many sellers, use the two words interchangeably, but in the trade they mean different things. Antique jewellery is at least 100 years old, so today anything made before the mid-1920s. Vintage usually means roughly 20 to 100 years old, from the Art Deco and Retro years to the late 20th century. Neither is automatically better: a fine 1950s ring can outshine a tired Victorian one. What matters is that the age is described honestly. The distinction also matters at customs, because a piece over 100 years old can be declared as an antique.
Buying in person: the best way, if you can travel
Nothing beats holding a ring in your hand, looking at the back of the setting with a loupe and talking to the dealer who found it. If you are visiting England, these are the places we would send a friend.
Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton Park
Our favourite. It is held at Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury-on-Thames (TW16), just south-west of London, and dealers simply call it "Kempton". It runs on the second and last Tuesday of every month, with over 700 indoor and outdoor stalls. Early entry from 6:30am costs £5 (cash or contactless); from 8am to 2pm entry is free. Arrive early if you can: the trade does much of its buying in the first hours.
Portobello Road, Notting Hill
Saturday is the antiques day on Portobello Road. Our tip: skip the street stalls and go deep inside the arcades. The indoor arcade dealers are the specialists, and they are the ones to go for if you are serious about jewellery.
Grays Antiques, Mayfair
At 58 Davies Street, opposite Bond Street station, Grays houses many jewellery dealers under one roof. It is open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00, and closed at weekends, which makes it a good weekday plan between markets.
Fairs and markets across the country
England has antiques fairs and markets all year round, from small town markets to large regional fairs held at showgrounds. Check the organisers' websites for dates before you travel. Our own showroom in Shoreditch, east London, is open by appointment; email us and we will gladly arrange a time.
Buying online: why the dealer matters
Few of us can fly to London every month, so most antique jewellery is now bought online. The key question is not only whether a piece is genuine, but whether the dealer knows how to ship it to Japan and clear Japanese customs properly. Most European dealers rarely ship outside Europe, and many will not ship at all.
That gap is why buying agents, resellers and live-stream sellers travel to England to source pieces and resell them in Japan. They provide a real service, but the buyer pays their margin, their travel costs and often a second round of shipping on top of the original price. Buying directly from a specialist dealer who ships to Japan removes that layer: a better price, insured delivery straight to your door and correct customs paperwork. Few dealers do this properly, and it is the part of our work we take most seriously. In short, we are the London source.
What Ravensbury does for buyers in Japan
- Prices in yen. Our website shows prices in Japanese yen. You can pay by card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay or UnionPay.
- Free insured delivery from London. Orders over £400 travel by DHL Express; smaller orders by Royal Mail International Tracked.
- Correct customs paperwork. Every parcel carries an accurate description and HS classification and a full, honest declared value (never under-declared). Where a piece qualifies, we include a UK origin statement under the UK–Japan EPA, and pieces over 100 years old can be declared as antiques.
- Help with duties and taxes. We offer discounts to help cover import costs, especially on higher-value pieces and on multi-piece or trade orders. Just email us.
- Certificate and information sheet. Every piece comes with a certificate of authenticity and an information sheet describing its date, materials and history.
- Japanese ring sizes. Every ring listing shows the Japanese size (gō). Complimentary resizing is available where feasible.
- 30-day returns. Resized rings are final sale.
- Seller details in Japanese. Our legal notice for Japan is available on the site.
Import tax in Japan, simply explained
For personal imports, Japanese consumption tax of 10% is charged on 60% of the price, so roughly 6% of what you paid, plus a handling fee from the carrier, payable on delivery. Parcels with a taxable value of ¥10,000 or less (a retail price of up to about ¥16,600) are exempt. Gold jewellery of UK origin is duty-free under the UK–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement with an origin statement, and pieces over 100 years old can be classed as antiques, which are duty-free.
What to search for: the English dealer's vocabulary
English and European dealers describe jewellery by period. Knowing the names and dates helps you search, and helps you judge whether a description is right.
| 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 (Romantic) Victorian | c.1837–1860 | Sentimental jewels, snakes, hearts, chased gold |
| Mid (Grand) Victorian | 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 | Antiquity to c.1600 | Rare and specialist |
Useful English terms
- Hallmark: the official marks for metal standard, assay office and often the year.
- 9ct, 15ct, 18ct, 22ct: gold purity (British 15ct dates from 1854 to 1932).
- Old mine cut, old European cut, rose cut: hand-cut antique diamond shapes.
- Foiled back: a closed setting lined with foil to brighten the stone, typical of Georgian work.
- Gypsy setting: stones set flush into the gold, typical of late Victorian rings.
- Signet, intaglio, cameo: seal rings, stones carved in reverse, and stones carved in relief.
- Posy ring, mourning ring: rings inscribed with a short verse, and rings made in memory of the dead.
- Estate jewellery: the American term for previously owned jewellery.
Where to start
Our latest finds are the freshest pieces from the markets. Or browse by period: Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco; or by type: signet rings, intaglio rings, antique and vintage engagement rings, antique men's rings, ancient rings, medieval rings and chains and necklaces.
A few pieces in stock now: a Georgian rose cut diamond floral cluster ring of about 1780, a Victorian 18ct gold banded agate signet, a Edwardian platinum sapphire and diamond ring and a French Art Deco ruby, diamond and pearl ring.
For rings in particular, see our guides to buying an antique engagement ring from England and buying an antique signet ring from England.
Get in touch
If you have a question about any piece, or about shipping to Japan, email us at info@ravensburyantiques.com. We are more than happy to help. Ask us for videos of a piece in natural light, for close-ups of hallmarks, or tell us what you are hunting for: we are at the markets every week, and we will keep an eye out for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy antique jewellery from London and have it shipped to Japan?
Yes. We ship to Japan with free insured delivery, by DHL Express on orders over £400 and Royal Mail International Tracked below that, with full customs paperwork.
Will I pay tax when my parcel arrives in Japan?
For most personal imports, consumption tax of about 6% of the price plus the carrier's handling fee, paid on delivery. Parcels with a taxable value of ¥10,000 or less are exempt. UK-origin gold jewellery and antiques over 100 years old are duty-free.
What is the best antique market in London for jewellery?
For dealers, Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton Park on the second and last Tuesday of the month. For a Saturday, the indoor arcades of Portobello Road; on weekdays, Grays Antiques in Mayfair.
How do I know my ring size?
Every ring on our site shows its Japanese size (gō), and we offer complimentary resizing where feasible. Resized rings are final sale.