Moonstone Jewelry Collection
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GUEST:
I got this about four years ago here in Cincinnati, we have an organization which is a consignment shop. And then what the 50% that they keep goes to the cancer wellness community.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
So I purchased this through them for $300 or $350. And this piece we have a home on Lake Erie, and there's a little community called Lakeside that has a little flea market every year. And I picked this up a couple summers ago. And this piece I bought online earlier this year for $400 or $450.
APPRAISER:
Okay. Is there one in particular that has been a favorite or that you wear often?
GUEST:
I wear this every day.
APPRAISER:
You can tell it's a little worn. You have two period pieces, and then one not. The bracelet is a much more contemporary piece. And it's kind of what we would refer to as the lower end of the moonstone market. There are inclusions that you kind of pointed out. There is wear because you enjoy it, and you wear it, and that's what you should be doing with your jewelry. What you do have is a really nice example of a cabochon moonstone that's really clean and really clear. And if you move it, you can actually see the light go through it. And it's a really beautiful effect. This one's in a period setting. It is period Art Deco. Onyx and diamond shoulders, which is really, really nice. And then with the pendant, that's an Edwardian piece circa 1905. What did you have done to the pendant? Because it looks like you do have some pieces here that are new.
GUEST:
I... it had... it came out here and had a very short chain on it.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
It didn't fit me, and my jeweler just put the bale on it. And then the chain.
APPRAISER:
Well, it was actually the pendant that when you brought it out first was really kind of a moment as a jewelry person. The moonstone in it is beautiful, and the setting is beautiful. But what's more important is that it's so pretty, you don't even realize what she is. It's actually Medusa's face, and her hair, and the snakes. But she's so beautifully carved, you wouldn't necessarily pick up on the fact that it was just this hideous, mythological creature. In terms of what these would be worth today at auction. The ring would come in at about $3,000 to $5,000.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
So you did very well on that. The pendant would be coming in just a little bit above that because there were a couple modifications made. About $4,000 to $6,000 at auction. So it's a nice piece, again. And then the bracelet would probably be about $100 to $300 at auction.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Just because of the inclusions. So just three very different pieces. Thank you for bringing them in. They're very pretty.
GUEST:
I love them, they're not going to be sold.
APPRAISER:
That's fabulous.
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."
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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.
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