Scottish Agate Bracelet, ca. 1860

Appraised on: June 13, 1998

Appraised in: Houston, Texas

Appraised by: Barry Weber

Category: Jewelry

Episode Info: Houston (#1624)

Originally Aired: July 2, 2012

IMAGE: 1 of 1  

Appraisal Video: (1:22)

APPRAISER: Now, this was handed down through your husband's family as you explained it to me. And this is an antique Scottish bracelet, and quite a wonderful example. Scottish jewelry reached its height of popularity in the middle of the 19th century because of Queen Victoria. She had a castle she loved to visit in Scotland called Balmoral, and Scottish jewelry became all the rage in England because of Victoria's love for Scotland. This traditional Scottish jewelry as we see in this bracelet is inlaid with colored natural agates that come from Scotland. It is the natural stone of that country and the people affectionately call it "pebble jewelry." Bracelets of this quality we don't often see, and with the wonderful work and the pearls and the fact that it's gold when most Scottish jewelry is silver. It's a gold Scottish bracelet from about 1860 in its original case. Do you have any idea, with everything I've just told you, about what it would be worth?

GUEST: I have no idea at all.

APPRAISER: A bracelet like this in today's market would fetch about $2,500, and that's more on the top end of what Scottish jewelry is worth today.

GUEST: That's wonderful.