Erté Topaz, Diamond & Gold Earrings, ca. 1945
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GUEST:
I brought a pair of earrings that I found at an estate sale. It was the second day and they were marking everything down, and I saw them and I said, "Well, I really like them," and I got them for my daughter. I don't think they knew that much about them, except they said they were gold.
APPRAISER:
When I looked at them, what I found was, is that they're, they're 14-karat gold with white gold around the centerpiece there.
APPRAISER:
There's, there's a topaz in the middle, and in the white gold, we have round, brilliant-cut diamonds.
GUEST:
Oh, they are diamonds.
APPRAISER:
They are, indeed, so, and they're a beautiful pair. They're from around the 1940s. Very retro in style. But I found something more important on there. Did you see that they were signed on the back?
GUEST:
I didn't pay much attention.
APPRAISER:
Yeah? Okay.
GUEST:
No, I just liked them and I didn't pay that much for them, and I thought, "Well, whatever."
APPRAISER:
They were just beautiful and you liked them.
GUEST:
They're beautiful, and I thought they'd look gorgeous on my daughter.
APPRAISER:
They're by a designer named Romain Tirtoff. His initials are R.T., which in French is Erté.
GUEST:
Oh, Erté.
APPRAISER:
And what I noticed is that they're signed on the back. He was a well-known designer. He designed a variety of different subjects like decor, he did bottles for Courvoisier, he designed sets for Louis B. Mayer, designed clothing. So he was a very talented artist. He's a Russian-born designer who moved to France, and they still produce his materials up until the late '70s, '80s, and, because he passed away in 1990. So he had a long, prolific life.
GUEST:
He did.
APPRAISER:
He was more well-known for his Art Deco designs that he did. But this was right after his Art Deco era. Beautiful pair of earrings, and I'm sure they'll make a great gift for your daughter. Do you remember what you paid for them at the estate sale?
GUEST:
Yeah, they were asking $300, and I offered $150 and they took it.
APPRAISER:
Oh, wow, that's a great deal.
GUEST:
Is that a good deal?
APPRAISER:
That's an excellent deal. I believe that if we were to see these in a retail environment, they would probably sell them for around $3,000.
GUEST:
Seriously?!
APPRAISER:
Seriously.
GUEST:
Oh, wow, maybe she won't get them. (laughter)
Appraisal Details
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