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Related | 1919 Howard Chandler Christy "The Spirit of America"

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Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

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French Filigree Earrings, ca. 1775

Value (2014) | $3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I went to my favorite jeweler, and they were in their estate case, and of course I like shiny objects, so I asked, "Do you have any history about where they come from?" And he said, "Well, we think they belonged to a Playboy bunny "that she decided to just get rid of some of her jewelry because she was getting older, and we have them." And I bought them for about $200, and I have no clue... I wear them for everyday.

APPRAISER:
And how long ago did you purchase these?

GUEST:
Oh, about... I would say about four... three or four years ago.

APPRAISER:
Okay, and did they give you any idea how old these were?

GUEST:
No. I don't know anything about the jewelry.

APPRAISER:
Okay, well, I saw them earlier and I fell in love with them. They're so beautiful. So you've got the top of the earring with the bottom pendant, and all this wire work, we refer to this as filigree.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
A couple of countries are very well known for filigree work-- Italy, France, Spain. The other thing that's quite unique about these is that the bottom portion, the pendants, have these raised areas that look like cameos. They're sort of emulating a cameo, but it's done in gold.

GUEST:
Okay. Is this a female and is that a male?

APPRAISER:
Yes, it's a male and a female portraiture. So these earrings are really quite unusual because they're quite old. These earrings were made somewhere between 1760 and 1790.

GUEST:
Oh! (gasps)

APPRAISER:
And they're what we call French provincial. They were made somewhere between southern France and Spain based on the stylization of the motifs. You look like you're awfully excited.

GUEST:
I just... (chuckles) (voice breaking): I wear them as... like junk jewelry.

APPRAISER:
No, they're real. They're really nice, too, they're beautiful. So with these type of earrings, these are called a European back, so you thread them through your ear backwards, basically.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
And so the hallmarks are right along the edge of the wire here. They're going to just look like little tick marks on the metal, but both of the earrings have that.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
And it's really very rare to find these types of earrings in the marketplace because after the Revolution, people were melting down their gold just to survive. So finding a pair of earrings that are intact and that haven't been altered is really quite unusual.

GUEST:
Wow.

APPRAISER:
They're really wonderful.

GUEST:
Wow.

APPRAISER:
I was just so excited when I saw them because...

GUEST:
And I love them. They're my... I love these earrings.

APPRAISER:
They're great. Now, you said you paid $200 for them, okay? Well, I think you got probably the best deal anybody ever got on a pair of earrings because today's market, if these were in auction, these would sell for somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000.

GUEST:
Oh, wow. Okay.

APPRAISER:
Because collectors who want these items, they just never come up.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
Because they're so rare.

GUEST:
Wow. Well, I'll... can I clean them with any...? Because I've never cleaned them.

APPRAISER:
I would leave them as is. They don't need any cleaning. They're actually in extremely good condition.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
I would just leave them as is and wear them and enjoy them.

GUEST:
Wow, I will, I'll treasure them.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Peter J. Shemonsky
Jewelry
Heritage Auctions
San Francisco
Appraised value (2014)
$3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Featured In
Albuquerque, Hour 3 (#1921)
Event
Albuquerque, NM (July 19, 2014)
Category
Jewelry
Period
18th Century
Form
Earrings
Material
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.

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