Har Genie Bracelet & Brooch, ca. 1959
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GUEST:
When I was a little girl, my aunt gave that to me as a gift. And I've cherished it. I've never worn it, because it was so large and ornate. And it’s been tucked away in a jewelry box ever since.
APPRAISER:
When did you receive it?
GUEST:
Oh, gosh. In the '50s.
APPRAISER:
Okay, all right. So since you got it in the '50s, it was probably new in the '50s.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Because it was made by a company called Har, H-A-R. It was actually Hargo Creations of New York, and they were in business for a very short time. They started in the 1950s, and they went out of business in the 1960s. But they were known for exotic jewelry pieces that people really want to collect today because they had limited production.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
So what you brought me, it's from the Fantasy series. And this is called the Genie bracelet. And it's also got a Genie brooch. Now, we can call it a Genie because right here is a genie. And he's got a crystal ball, but it's not crystal. It's actually Lucite.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
We also have an image of the Taj Mahal, and we have Aladdin's lamp. And in the front position, we have a piece of glass. It's called Dragon's Breath. It has kind a red blue-green flash color. It's all costume jewelry. But the secret to the unusual quality of the Har pieces is they were multilayered. We've got red aurora borealis rhinestones. We've got crystal rhinestones. We've got another piece of Dragon's Breath glass in his turban. We've got some blue rhinestones. And it's a 3-D composition. Very hard to produce. So when a piece like this comes on the market a lot of people would like it. Do you wear it?
GUEST:
Actually, it was so large, and I was afraid to hurt – to do anything to it. You know, I didn't want it to break or anything. I'm a keeper, and I like to keep things nice, and so it's been in my jewelry box. I've taken it out many times and looked at it, but I've never worn it.
APPRAISER:
Have you ever wondered what it might be worth?
GUEST:
Oh, yes, oh, yes.
APPRAISER:
Oh, yes.
GUEST:
Now I really wonder!
APPRAISER:
Well, due to the popularity of it, the fact that collectors really want this genie bracelet, a good retail location, this bracelet would sell for $1,200.
GUEST:
My word. That blows me away.
APPRAISER:
And the brooch would be in about the $100 range.
GUEST:
Oh, my. That's amazing. I had no idea. I just kept it because I thought it was so unique.
Appraisal Details
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