Art Deco Jewelry, ca. 1920
GUEST:
They actually originally belonged to my great-aunt Indiola on my mother's side. Aunt Indiola was married to a gentleman by the name of Clem Keys, who was a very important airline promoter and financier back in the early part of the century. They lived in high-society circles in New York, and I believe that's where my aunt acquired them. Later passed them on to my mother and eventually to me.
APPRAISER:
What we have here are a number of very interesting examples of what we consider Art Deco jewelry. This is an engraved rock crystal and seed pearl and diamond necklace. It's engraved in a neoclassical scene. This here is an Art Deco bracelet encrusted with diamonds; a brooch with a Ceylon sapphire and a diamond openwork design. The pearls here are natural pearls, which are very sought-after in the 1920s, with a diamond clasp. And last, in front here, we have a diamond ring. Now, your diamond ring is unique. It's a large stone. It's an elongated rectangle with cut corners. This stone fits under the category of diamonds that we refer to as Golconda, from India. And with Golconda stones, they have a particular phenomenon that occurs to them-- when they are exposed to light, when they're in daylight, they get super-white. Most diamonds are graded on a scale of D through Z, but even a Golconda would be a D-plus in terms of color-- it would be high, high up there. These stones are white, the light dances in them. They're very, very sought-after stones. When you talk to a connoisseur of diamonds, and if you say you have a Golconda stone, this is the type of thing that makes them weak in the knees, basically.
GUEST:
Ah, great.
APPRAISER:
So, all these pieces date from the 1920s. The bracelet itself would be mid-1920s to the late 1920s. Now, there are no hallmarks on the item, but based on the craftsmanship, the type of workmanship, I would tend to think that this piece was American. The brooch, also-- no hallmarks, but appears to be American, as well. The pearls, these could be retailed by anybody during this period, and there's nothing indicative that says they're European or American, but more likely than not, since they were in New York, it was manufactured probably in the United States. The diamond pendant necklace may be European. This is much more in the European taste. And in terms of the diamond ring-- there are no hallmarks on that, either-- it was manufactured in the United States, as well. The first item here, the fair-market value on this would be between $5,000 and $7,000 on the necklace.
GUEST:
Great.
APPRAISER:
The sapphire and diamond brooch, value on this would be between $10,000 and $15,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
The pearl necklace would be between $20,000 and $25,000.
GUEST:
Whew!
APPRAISER:
And the bracelet would be between $40,000 and $60,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my.
APPRAISER:
Now, for the diamond, our valuation for that at auction would be between $70,000 and $90,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
I really appreciate your bringing them in today.
GUEST:
Well, thank you very much. It's great to hear these kinds of values.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.