Its not always easy to find the vintage jewellery you are looking for, even on sites like mine where items are organised into categories such as cameos, vintage brooches or stick pins.  The search box provides a useful tool when you are looking arround and with almost 2000 items there is a lot to choose from. Here are the top 30  searches where I dont have a category for the items this year on www.antiquesavenue.co.uk - I have the statistics from Google in case you wondered how I know . Its been fun putting  together this top 30 searches so at the end of the year I will compile a top 50 Jewelelry items actually purchased during 2010

1. Vintage Jewellery

No Surprise here

2. Opal Ring

Now it was a surprise to find opal ring at no 2. Opals are beautiful and one of my favourite gemstones but they are quite soft and not the most suitable stone for a ring as the surface wears easily. I personally would prefer and opal bracelet – you can still see the opals whilst you wear the jewellery but they will not get damaged so easily.

3. Antique Charm Bracelet

Now this is interesting, antique to me means pre 1920s but charm bracelts in the form we know them today were not really common until after this time. Charms were of course made in large quantities but they were not often seen hung in quantity from a silver bracelet.

4. Costume Jewellery

An all time favourite

5. Victorian Silver Bracelet

The Victorians often worn a matching pair of bracelets, one on each wrist. I think this would look great today too.

6. Pearl Necklace

A favourite gift. Most of the pearls you see today are either costume jewellery or cultured pearls. A good cultured pearl necklace is probably the best option as a lasting gift or glass costume jewellery pearls to wear occasionally.

7. Mizpah Brooch

The gift of parted lovers – Mizpah : may the Lord watch between me and thee when we are parted one from another.

8.  Gold Charm Bracelet

Popular in the 1960s and 1970s and back in fashion now. Gold charm bracelets can be a great way to build a large piece of gold jewellery over time.

9. Antique Locket

These are often purchased as gifts. I find men buying them for their wives on the birth of their first child .

10. Monet Jewellery

A surprise to me , I didnt know Monet Jewellery was that popular. I must look out for more.

11. Antique Rose Gold Bracelet

Rose gold has a lovely warm pinky/ red colour created by the addition of copper into the gold . Normally nine carat gold. This type of gold jewellery is often from the early 1900s.

12 Vintage Jewellery Sale

Everyone loves a bargain.  AntiquesAvenue has a sale section, not much in it at the moment but watch out in January I have something special planned

13 Vintage Wedding Jewellery

For the “old” part of “old, new borrowed and blue”. How about an old and blue piece of jewellery to fill two of these at the same time?

14 Antique tie Pins

A favourite gift from wives to husbands and also bought by work colleagues for men. I know because my customers tell me so.

15 Fob Spinner

Fashionable this year following vintage Theme films such as Alice and Sherlock Holmes where gents wore waistcoats and pocket watches

16 Antique Wedding Ring

Are these sought after because they are cheaper or due to the romance of vintage I wonder?

17 Vintage Engagement Ring

The popularity of vintage engagement rings has rise in the last few months, since about June this year. Now that Price William has given his bride to be a vintage engagement ring I expect that these will be in greater demand than ever.

18 Antique Silver Brooch

A perennial favourite. These are quite collectable, especially antique sentimental brooches such as Name brooches and floral brooches or even silver brooches with locket backs

19 Articulated Charm

Now I think this search comes from our friends in the USA. In the UK I see these charms referred to as moving charms rather than articulated. These charms are ones where they are hinged or linked together so that the parts move whilst you are wearing the bracelet.

20 Silver Ingot

The 1970s jewellery icon . A silver ingot with large hallmarks. I remember them from when I was a teenager, wanted one at the time but couldn’t afford it. Now I can afford one I wouldn’t want to wear it – typical.

21 Antique Cuff links

A smart choice for gentleman to go with a smart suit on a posh evening out.

22 Enamel Brooch

I am surprised that this search was not much higher as enamel jewellery always seems to sell well. One of my personal favourites.

23 Vintage dress clip

These are getting harder to find as they should be in pairs and the two have often become separated. Dress clips  are meant to be worn on a neckline one on each side .

24 Vintage Butterfly wing

Now I have written about butterfly wing jewellery before. It ahas a lovely blue iridescent colour. I worry about where the butterflies came from although I am told they live a natural life and are collected after they die. This sort of jewllery is quite fragile and is ruined by a drip of moisture.

25 Vintage silver Jewellery

Another surprise – why is this not higher? Nearly 50% of the jewellery I sell is vintage silver.

26 Costume Jewellery necklace

Great fun for a party night or wearing to the office.

27  Vintage Gold Jewellery

Lots to choose from but getting a bit expensive as the price of gold goes up.

28 Mens antique signet ring

Note to self – buy more of these , not something I often have in stock

29 Large  brooch

Oh yes, a statement piece of jewellery. Something to provide a talking point or to liven up a  dull out fit.

30 Victorian Jewellery

Dating from the 1830s to 1901. There is such a huge range of Victorian Jewellery available at reasonable prices. Antique jewellery from the Victorian era can be found from about £30 to many thousands of pounds. AntiquesAvenue has an antique jewellery section with lots of Victorian Jewellery.