What it is, why we do it
The Record of Provenance.
Every piece we sell at The Raven's Nest comes with a Record of Provenance — a public web page and a printed document that stays with the jewelry for as long as we're around to keep it online.
It's the answer to a question we heard for years in the shop: what do we actually know about this ring?
What's in one.
A Record of Provenance is a page at ravensnestseattle.com/provenance/[item number] that pulls together everything we've researched about a piece:
- When and where it was made, if we can tell
- Hallmarks and what they mean
- Stone identification and any notable characteristics
- Prior ownership if it's known
- Repairs, resettings, or modifications that happened before it reached us
- Photos of the piece as it came in
The physical document is a printed version of the same page. It comes with the piece when you take it home.
Why we do it.
Two reasons.
The first is that we hate the word "antique" being used loosely. In our shop, if we tell you a ring is antique, we can show you the year and the reasoning behind that claim. If we don't know something, the Record says so — we don't invent history.
The second is that pieces outlast their owners. A ring bought as an engagement ring today may pass through three generations. The story of the piece — where the stones came from, who made the setting, what it was before it was this — matters more the further from us it goes. A URL that keeps working is a way to keep that story attached, even after the paper copy is lost.
See one.
Here's the Record of Provenance for a piece in the cases right now — Designer Sapphire & Diamond Baguette Ring:
Read a real Record →Or browse the full lookup at /provenance — every piece we've documented, indexed by item number.
What it isn't.
A Record of Provenance is not a formal appraisal. That's a separate document produced by a licensed appraiser, and we're glad to point you to one when you'd like one — typically for insurance.
It's not a guarantee of monetary value. Values change with markets and time; the Record captures what we know about the piece itself, not what it might sell for later.
It's our best research at the time of sale, honest about what we know and what we don't. That's the whole point.
Every piece
Comes with one.
Browse the shop and click through any piece to see its Record — it's linked from every product page. Or come by the shop in Pike Place Market and we'll walk you through one in person.