Charles Loloma Collection, ca. 1975
Watch
GUEST:
A very dear friend of mine, she and her husband were close friends of Charles Loloma. And I remember Charles driving up in his Rolls Royce and parking it in their driveway. He spent a lot of time with this family. They became very, very close. And he decided to make pieces of jewelry for my dear friend-- a lot of pieces of jewelry. And actually made the pieces at her house, some of them.
APPRAISER:
And you got these pieces from your friend?
GUEST:
I bought them from my friend. She had a lot, and she, I think, gave me first opportunity. And I knew that he was an important artist at the time. I'm sure that she gave a dear friend a deal.
APPRAISER:
What did she charge you for them? I'm curious.
GUEST:
For both of them it was $3,500, no tax, because it was just between the two of us.
APPRAISER:
How long ago was this?
GUEST:
30 years ago-- well before his passing. And she actually gave this piece to me.
APPRAISER:
The print-- it's a very nice print.
GUEST:
Thanks.
APPRAISER:
Well, I'm sure you're aware that Charles Loloma's pretty big news these days. He's really... he's been selling at really good prices. Now, your examples, the bracelet, it's not a classic Charles Loloma piece. He was a Hopi artist, and he was known for his cluster work with precious and semiprecious stones. So this is kind of unusual, this bracelet. It's got two really beautiful turquoise settings in gold on kind of a mottled silver background. The bracelet has the inscription "Loloma" on the inside, which is how he signed his bracelets. The ring is a beautiful gold ring, once again with a really nice stone. I'm not 100% sure which mine this stone would have come, but knowing...
GUEST:
I think they were from different mines.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, and knowing Charles Loloma, they were the best available at the time. He used a lot of precious stones in his jewelry. He'd even use diamonds occasionally.
GUEST:
She kept those pieces.
APPRAISER:
Ah, she kept those pieces.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
So you bought these about 30 years ago. I think they look like the type of work he was doing in the '60s and '70s. I think in today's auction world, the ring would probably bring about $4,000 to $6,000. I think the print would probably bring about $1,200 to $1,600 at auction. But I think the bracelet would probably bring $20,000 to $25,000 in today's market.
GUEST (laughing): Wow. Oh, gee.
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.
