Lacloche Frères Tennis Racket Pendant, ca. 1901
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GUEST:
I bought it at an antique show in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, probably about 15 years ago.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
When my husband and I go out antiquing, which he can't do anymore, he would go one way, and I would go the other way. And we usually would meet at a certain time. But I get called on the loudspeaker... "Maggie... report to, report to, report to..." And I'm thinking, "Oh, my gosh, did he fall into a case and break something or what?"
APPRAISER:
Oh, oh.
GUEST:
And then I see him down the aisle, and he's, "Come on, come on, come on, come on!" I knew, I knew he found something really precious.
APPRAISER:
Oh, how fabulous.
GUEST:
But unfortunately, when he does that, I don't get the bargain anymore.
APPRAISER:
Oh, do you-- he's in love with it, then.
GUEST:
Well, and they know that they have an, an honest sale. I wear it closed. And then I say, "Well, just a minute." I flip the little notch on it, and it flies open.
APPRAISER:
Can you show me how to do it?
GUEST:
Yes, yes. And then we hear a big, "Wow!" (both laughing) I'll just put my hand down here and go like this... whoop!
APPRAISER:
That really flips open. This is interesting, not just because it's such a charming locket, when there's actually one, two, three, four, five, six places for photographs.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
It's by a company called Lacloche Frères. They were Spanish brothers that moved to Paris at the beginning part of the 20th century and became purveyors and makers of very fine jewelry. It's made of 18-karat gold.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
Rose-cut diamonds. There's a small ruby here.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
At the hinge. And then a tiny seed-pearl tennis ball. The piece is marked on the reverse there by the maker, "Lacloche." And then there's also a patent number for the mechanism of the locket itself. It's in its original box, which is fabulous. Do you have a memory of what you paid for the piece?
GUEST:
Yes. (chuckles) A lot.
APPRAISER:
Okay. And what was that number?
GUEST:
$4,000.
APPRAISER:
Okay, in a retail market today, this would likely retail somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
If not more.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
So you did very well.
GUEST (laughs): Thank you very much, that's wonderful.
APPRAISER:
They say to buy what you love, yes.
GUEST:
And I love wearing it.
Appraisal Details
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