Platinum & Diamond Ring, ca. 1950
Watch
GUEST:
This was my grandmother's, and my parents gave it to me probably ten or 15 years ago.
APPRAISER:
Do you ever wear it?
GUEST:
Well, my family always asks me, "Where's the ring? Mom, wear the ring." And I'll pull it out.
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
I don't wear it a whole lot. It intimidates me.
APPRAISER:
It is a large stone. It's not a teeny, tiny thing. Have you had it appraised before?
GUEST:
It was appraised at one time, and they gave us a number of about $20,000.
APPRAISER:
Do you know much about the diamond or the setting?
GUEST:
Not really.
APPRAISER:
Well, I liked it when it first came to the table. I actually was concerned it was multiple diamonds making all of that shine. And it's not, it's gorgeous, it's one solid stone. And I was getting about five carats. It's a little what we would refer to as "spready." What I mean is, is that it's a little flat. So, face up, it actually looks larger than it is because there isn't as much volume at the bottom of the diamond. You have this great cut with beautiful facets. And it reflects light very differently than a round brilliant would. The stone is probably circa 1920, 1930.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And the setting to me is a little bit later than that. To me, the setting is a little bit more 1940s, 1950s, in my opinion.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Do you know if it was ever reset in its existence?
GUEST:
Not to my knowledge. The only difference is when I got it, I took it to the jeweler, and 18-karat gold was painted over platinum. And we had the 18 karat taken off.
APPRAISER:
I'm glad you did. And you found platinum underneath. And platinum was...
GUEST:
That's why I did it. Because they said, "It's platinum," and I said, "Oh, my gosh."
APPRAISER:
So they gilded it. It's much more attractive as white on white.
GUEST:
It is.
APPRAISER:
Well, there is a little bit of color in the stone, and we would probably refer to it as like an "M" color stone, if you're familiar with the diamond grading on the GIA scale. It's probably about an M color, and it's very clean. It's like a VVS2, actually. Which is really at the higher end of the grading, and that's really important right now. Today, I would say that an insurance value that would be more appropriate would probably be about $65,000.
GUEST:
No way.
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
$65,000?
APPRAISER:
Yeah. It's a very, very...
GUEST:
No wonder I've been nervous wearing it. I should be nervous.
APPRAISER:
But at the same time, jewelry is meant to be worn and enjoyed.
GUEST:
It is. It is. So it's just a matter of getting an insurance appraisal done. Thank you.
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.
