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Louis Comfort Tiffany Opal Necklace, ca. 1915

Value (2022) | $70,000 Retail – $90,000 Retail
Watch  

GUEST:
I got that in about... I would say in the late '70s or early '80s. And I got it at Robinson's department store in their estate sale department. Actually, my husband brought it home and surprised me.

APPRAISER:
It was a gift from your husband.

GUEST:
It was a gift.

APPRAISER:
How much did he pay for it?

GUEST:
It was, uh, a little over $3,000 with tax.

APPRAISER:
Uh-huh.

GUEST:
And that was a lot of money to us.

APPRAISER:
Tell me what you've learned about the piece since then.

GUEST:
Well, I know it's a signed Tiffany piece. I know it's, uh, handmade. At the store, they told him it was about the 1920s.

APPRAISER:
These are beautiful black opals. The larger opal is slightly crazed. The smaller opal is in perfect condition. Both opals are what are known as patchwork opals with lots of play of color, with lots of red, which is a very desirable color. But not only is it signed Tiffany and Company on the bottom, looking at the workmanship here tells me that the work is by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

GUEST:
Really?

APPRAISER:
And his work was signed Tiffany and Company after 1907. I believe it dates to the teens. It is beautifully handmade and a very desirable piece of jewelry. The value today is somewhere, average retail, between $70,000 and $90,000.

GUEST:
Oh, my God.

APPRAISER:
It's a treasure.

GUEST:
You're kidding me.

APPRAISER:
No, I'm not kidding you.

GUEST:
Say that again.

APPRAISER:
Between $70,000 and $90,000, average retail. It's a spectacular piece of jewelry by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Thank you so much for making my day.

GUEST:
(laughing): Well, thank you for making my day. (both laugh)

GUEST:
That's wonderful. Thank you.

APPRAISER:
You're quite welcome.

GUEST:
Oh. Is that a big surprise? (laughing)

GUEST:
(gasps)

APPRAISER:
(laughing):

GUEST:
Oh, my God.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Christie Romero
Jewelry
Center For Jewelry Studies
Anaheim, CA
Update (2022)
$70,000 Retail – $90,000 Retail
Update (2016)
$70,000 Retail – $90,000 Retail
Update (2012)
$70,000 Retail – $90,000 Retail
Appraised value (2008)
$70,000 Retail – $90,000 Retail
Featured In
Palm Springs, Hour 2 (#1302)
Best of 20 (#2029)
Greatest Gifts (#1620)
Vintage Palm Springs, Hour 2 (#2617)
Event
Palm Springs, CA (June 07, 2008)
Category
Jewelry
Period
20th Century
Form
Necklace
Material
Opal
December 17, 2012: We contacted appraiser Gloria Lieberman for an updated appraisal in today's market. The original appraiser, Christie Romero, died in 2009.

Current Appraised Value: $70,000 - $90,000 (Unchanged)

Update 5.18.2009: In this segment, appraiser Christie Romero discusses the retail value of this ca. 1915 necklace, noting that, "... not only is it signed 'Tiffany & Co.' ... looking at the workmanship here tells me that the work is by Louis Comfort Tiffany." What Romero meant by this was not that Tiffany had personally crafted the necklace — a jeweler would have made the piece — but rather that Tiffany had designed and supervised its creation, a fact that enhances the value of the necklace considerably.

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.

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