• Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Our Sponsors

Discovering America’s Hidden Treasures ™
On Tour
Watch
Special Features
Appraisals Archive 
Appraisers 
 Shop
    Quick links
  • Complete Ticket Rules
  • How the Event Works
  • 2020 Tour FAQ
  • Williamsburg, VA — Canceled
  • Nashville, TN — Canceled
  • Boston, MA — Canceled
  • Estes Park, CO — Canceled
  • Santa Fe, NM — Canceled
Latest: 2020 Tour Update

Latest: 2020 Tour Update

Tour FAQs

Tour FAQs

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

    Quick links
  • Watch Episodes Online
  • TV Schedule
  • Best Moments of Season 24
  • Best Moments of Season 23
  • Best Moments of Season 22
  • Cities from Past Seasons
  • About Executive Producer Marsha Bemko
  • Roadshow's Editorial Policy
Watch | Vintage Las Vegas 2021, Hour 1

Watch | Vintage Las Vegas 2021, Hour 1

Watch | Meadow Brook Hall, Hour 3

Watch | Meadow Brook Hall, Hour 3

Watch | Vintage Louisville 2021, Hour 2

Watch | Vintage Louisville 2021, Hour 2

    Quick links
  • Find Features by City
  • Video "RoadShorts"
  • Roadshow Topics — Endangered Species
  • Roadshow Topics — Sports Appraisals
  • Roadshow Topics — Best Moments
  • Roadshow Topics — Staff Picks
  • For Teachers
  • Vintage Minute
  • AR "Extras" Newsletter Sign-up
Article | "Only Angels Have Wings": A Model Performance

Article | "Only Angels Have Wings": A Model Performance

Appraisal Update | Cut Glass Centerpiece Base, ca. 1885

Appraisal Update | Cut Glass Centerpiece Base, ca. 1885

Extraordinary Finds | Hear More from Lowry About the Auction!

Extraordinary Finds | Hear More from Lowry About the Auction!

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Emerald & Diamond Necklace, ca. 1900

Value (2020) | $18,000 Auction – $50,000 Insurance
Watch  

GUEST:
Well, as far as I know, it was given to my great-grandmother by my great-grandfather in Washington, DC. Subsequently, when she died in 1968, it passed to my grandfather, and he obviously gave it to my grandmother, and when she died in 2001, it was given to me.

APPRAISER:
Well, it's a lovely gift to have received.

GUEST:
Yes, it is.

APPRAISER:
The necklace itself dates from about 1900 to about 1910. So it's the era we call the Edwardian era. And what the jeweler has very beautifully done here is that, from a distance, these look like they're marquise-shaped stones. But when one looks very close at the way the settings are created, they're actually round stones set into these individually hand-built marquise mountings, so as to give this beautiful streamlining effect to the collar, to the neckline of the necklace. The other part of the necklace that I find very interesting is the fact that, with this beautiful emerald here at the base, the jeweler very consciously made it so that the pendant is detachable, so that other items could have been used, as well. And if we take a close look, the pendant will detach, and you could then fold up the little clasp. And just wear that as a chevron-shaped necklace, as well. And so in inspecting the item, I was very much taken by not only the level of craftsmanship, but the degree of craftsmanship. And oddly enough, there's no signature on the piece. Typically, with an item of this quality, one would expect that there would be a signature on the item, but in this case, there is no signature. The necklace has about six-and-a-half carats worth of diamonds. The emerald at the base here, the pear-shaped emerald, weighs just a little over two carats. The stone itself is a very fine-quality stone. It's very green, it's very clear, which is ideal in an emerald.

GUEST:
I noticed these gold prongs-- were these replaced?

APPRAISER:
No. There is an age-old tradition where diamonds are set in platinum or white metal, and colored stones are set in yellow. So you typically will always see this, where an emerald, a ruby, or a sapphire from this period, the mounting may be in platinum, but the surrounding mounting to hold the stones will be in yellow metal. Platinum's a very hard metal to use. And because emeralds are sort of soft, you want to make sure that you weren't putting too much pressure on the stone while it was in the setting process.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
In terms of what we would call fair-market value or auction value, one could expect to get anywhere between $15,000 and $20,000 for the piece at auction. In terms of insurance, the item should probably have an insurance value of somewhere around $35,000 to $45,000.

GUEST:
Okay. Wow.

APPRAISER:
So it makes a nice gift.

GUEST:
Yes, it does.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Peter J. Shemonsky
Jewelry
Heritage Auctions
San Francisco
Update (2020)
$18,000 Auction – $50,000 Insurance
Appraised value (2007)
$15,000 Auction – $45,000 Insurance
Featured In
Orlando, Hour 1 (#1204)
Vintage Orlando, Hour 2 (#2507)
Event
Orlando, FL (June 30, 2007)
Category
Jewelry
Period
20th Century , Edwardian
Form
Necklace
Material
Diamonds , Emerald , Gold

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."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

More from PBS

The Black Church

Trace the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America.

9to5: The Story of a Movement

Go inside the movement for women's workplace equality in the 1970's.

Finding Your Roots

Discover the surprising ancestral stories of a variety of public figures.

"I know there's a lot of envious people hearing that story..." Antiques Roadshow on Facebook

What’s inside the case?

@RoadshowPBS on Instagram

William Austin Burt patented the U.S.'s first "typographer” on July 23 in 1829. 110 year later came this "The Gold Royal" typewriter… @RoadshowPBS

We're soaking up the story behind this @LeslieKeno appraisal! #antiquesroadshow @RoadshowPBS

  • Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • ABOUT ROADSHOW
  • Schedule
  • Contact Us
  • Credits
  • Press
  • For Teachers
  • Telephone Scam Warning
  • Roadshow Imitators Warning
  • Doing Business with Appraisers
  • Our Sponsors
  • Our Funders
  • Corporate Sponsorship

Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry and Consumer Cellular. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.

Produced By

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is a trademark of the BBC and is produced for PBS by GBH under license from BBC, Worldwide. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. ©1997 – 2021 WGBH Educational Foundation.

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Copyright
Subscribe Hide  ×

A weekly collection of previews, videos, articles, interviews, and more!