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    Carved Emerald Ring, ca. 1925

    Appraised Value:

    $8,000 - $10,000

    Appraised on: July 28, 2007

    Appraised in: Louisville, Kentucky

    Appraised by: Gloria Lieberman

    Category: Jewelry

    Episode Info: Louisville, Hour 1 (#1213)

    Originally Aired: April 21, 2008

    slideshow IMAGE: 1 of 1  

    More Like This:

    Form: Ring
    Material: Emerald, Platinum, Gold, Ruby
    Period / Style: 20th Century, Art Deco
    Value Range: $8,000 - $10,000

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    Appraisal Video: (3:18)


    Appraised By:

    Gloria Lieberman

    Skinner, Inc.

    Appraisal Transcript:
    GUEST: It was a ring given to me by my late husband, and he inherited it from his mother in 1975, and I believe that she bought it when she lived in New York City. I've been told it's a carved emerald with rubies and diamonds on it. I don't know if the setting is white gold or platinum. I'm guessing the year was in the 1920s. I really don't know.

    APPRAISER: Well, let's start with the size of the stone. Very difficult, of course, to measure it in the mounting, but I would say it's at least 20 to 25 carats.

    GUEST: Wow.

    APPRAISER: So it's big size.

    GUEST: Yeah.

    APPRAISER: It's an emerald. And a lot of people that look at these stones say, "But it's not such a great color," or "It's not so clear." Well, that makes sense for a carved stone, because you wouldn't really carve a great stone.

    GUEST: Right.

    APPRAISER: So most of these carved emeralds are not the best examples of the stone.

    GUEST: I wondered, because it has a lot of occlusion to it, yeah.

    APPRAISER: But that also makes it very difficult to carve, because if you have a lot of inclusions, it's pretty tricky.

    GUEST: Okay.

    APPRAISER: But the history of carvings-- that's what's interesting to me.

    GUEST: Oh.

    APPRAISER: This really dates back to the Mughal Empire when they carved stones. The Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal...

    GUEST: Really!

    APPRAISER:...he would have sacred text inscriptions put in, and carry them as talismans, so it has a long history. And when we look at the carving, it's floral. Little flowers.

    GUEST: Mm-hmm.

    APPRAISER: So I would say this carving was probably done in the '20s. Now, what happened in the '20s is, Cartier would remount a lot of these emeralds from the maharajahs into Art Deco jewelry.

    GUEST: Okay.

    APPRAISER: And so it became a fashion. So, many of these we always hope are Cartier. Now, I looked carefully.

    GUEST: Mm-hmm.

    APPRAISER: It's platinum.

    GUEST: Okay.

    APPRAISER: White gold. I could not find a signature.

    GUEST: Yeah.

    APPRAISER: So that's disappointing, but the ring looks like it's been sized down, so perhaps it was signed at some point. Oh. I think it might be Cartier.

    GUEST: Really?

    APPRAISER: That would be my guess. Wouldn't that be something. It has two rubies, as you know.

    GUEST: Mm-hmm.

    APPRAISER: But on one of them, if you can turn it, has a pretty large chip out of it.

    GUEST: Right.

    APPRAISER: So this ring was worn a lot. The stone-- the emerald itself-- actually has some chips, but it's such a fascinating combination, and it is Art Deco. You're absolutely right.

    GUEST: Okay.

    APPRAISER: But it doesn't have the signature.

    GUEST: Right.

    APPRAISER: So, what happens when it doesn't have a signature? The value is not going to be up there.

    GUEST: Mm-hmm.

    APPRAISER: But I would say, because of the style, because of the size, because of the carving, and because it's so pretty and so interesting, that it is worth between $8,000 and $10,000.

    GUEST: Oh.

    APPRAISER: Even in this condition. If it were signed Cartier or Tiffany...

    GUEST: Yeah.

    APPRAISER: ...the price would be $30,000 to $50,000.

    GUEST: Wow.

    APPRAISER: Right. So, I'm going to give you a task. You think that it might have been purchased at Tiffany.

    GUEST: Mm-hmm.

    APPRAISER: Try to find the original bill...

    GUEST: Right.

    APPRAISER:...because then, you would have something really, really valuable.

    GUEST: Right, if I could find that receipt.

    APPRAISER: That's it-- get that receipt.

    GUEST: Okay.

    APPRAISER: Thanks for coming today.

    GUEST: Well, thank you so much.

    APPRAISER: You're welcome.


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