Cartier Diamond Ring, ca. 1940
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GUEST:
In the mid '40s, the actress Constance Bennett came to Montgomery, Alabama. She was visiting, actually, Tallulah Bankhead in Montgomery.
APPRAISER:
Okay, famous people.
GUEST:
And she went into one of the jewelry stores in Montgomery, and she saw an emerald ring that she wanted, and she asked the jeweler if he would trade this ring for the emerald, and he did.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
And after she left, he called-- the jeweler called my grandmother and said, "I have a ring here I think you would be interested in." So she went and looked at it and was interested. She went home and told granddaddy that there was a ring at the jeweler that she would like to have. Granddaddy looked at her and said, "It's not your birthday, it's not our anniversary, "and it's not Christmas-- I am not buying you a diamond cocktail ring."
APPRAISER:
Oh, but what did he do next?
GUEST:
Well, the next morning, at the breakfast table, Granddaddy asked her if she was going to the club for lunch. And she said yes, she was, and he tossed this across the table to her and said, "Well, here's something for you to wear."
APPRAISER:
That's a good man.
GUEST:
I think so.
APPRAISER:
The story is perfect, and it could be Constance Bennett's, and this is the clipping on that you brought in saying that it might be Constance Bennett, because she was in town at that time. I have sold many pieces of Constance Bennett jewelry over the years, and they've all been authenticated.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
This particular diamond ring is what we call a bullet shape. The ring is platinum. It's Deco, and the ring was made by Cartier's Paris. She bought a lot of jewelry there.
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
And it's hallmarked inside, Cartier Paris, with their number.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It's a very, very white diamond. You've heard me talk about diamonds before.
GUEST:
Sure.
APPRAISER:
The whiter they are, the more money they are. So, now, what you have here is a unique, famous ring, so I hope you wear it in good health.
GUEST:
I wear it every day.
APPRAISER:
But after I tell you what the value is, you might put it away again, I don't know. But, a ring like this today, in this market, could easily sell for somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000.
GUEST:
Oh, how wonderful! That's great.
APPRAISER:
I don't know what your grandfather paid for it, but whatever it was, it's more money than he did.
GUEST:
Well, I think so.
APPRAISER:
And we don't know what the emerald was worth when it was traded.
GUEST:
Well, this is worth a lot to me. I really appreciate it.
APPRAISER:
Wear it in good health.
GUEST:
Thank you, I will.
Appraisal Details
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