Diamond Watch & Art Deco Star Sapphire Ring
Watch
GUEST:
These were my grandmother's. My grandfather was a jeweler in Chicago, and these are a couple of pieces that she had. And when she passed away, they went to my mom. About ten or 12 years ago, my sister and I went and went through some of the things that were my grandmother's, and I ended up with the watch, and my sister and I sort of share the ring.
APPRAISER:
Do you wear either one of them?
GUEST:
I actually do wear the watch quite a bit. When it first came to me, I took it to get the watch fixed, because it wasn't working, but the ring is too big for me.
APPRAISER:
Okay, well, the ring is a lot of ring.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
But the watch is wearable, and I see why you like to wear it. It's streamlined and lovely and feminine. It dates to around 1950, although I can see why they might have been worn together-- they kind of speak to that same Art Deco aesthetic.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
With the strong geometry and these baguette-cut diamonds. There's actually about six carats of diamonds in the watch.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And it's set in platinum. The ring, by comparison, is actually a 50-carat star sapphire. This is a cabochon star sapphire, and it's set in this really lovely platinum and diamond setting, which is typical of late Deco style. It's sort of getting into the '40s, and that sort of retro look, but not quite there yet. So this is a six-pointed star sapphire, and you can really see the strong star when I shine a flashlight directly over the stone.
GUEST:
How does the stone reflect these points?
APPRAISER:
They're actually needle-like inclusions in the sapphire that reflect the light in a way that creates that star. Neither piece is signed, although I'm fairly certain that both are American make. And I know you mentioned that your grandfather was a jeweler in Chicago.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Chicago was a manufacturing hub for jewelry at this time, and it's possible that they could have been made in Chicago or New York City. If either one of these things were to come to auction, in the case of the watch, I would give it an estimate in the neighborhood of $5,000 to $7,000.
GUEST:
Wow!
APPRAISER:
And in the case of the ring, I'd give it an estimate in the neighborhood of $8,000 to $10,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my God, wow-- that's incredible.
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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