Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

It's a crystal chandelier that I inherited from my mother, who inherited it from my aunt, who was married to a congressman. And it was reported to me by my mother that this was installed in the first Russian embassy in Washington, D.C., that was converted into a residence. They took a bunch of the stuff out and they took and auctioned it.

APPRAISER

Well, your mother and your aunt had really good taste. It's made in France, probably in the 1800s, I would say the latter part of the 1800s. And it was made by one of the major manufacturers in France, like Baccarat. It's not signed, so I can't say for sure who made it, but the style and quality of this example is typically French. What I like about this chandelier is the exquisite prisms and how wonderful it reflects the light. Chandeliers at this point, with 18 lights, was made for a salon, a dining room or something very special, so an embassy would fit. It is electrified. That's actually going to make it a little bit easier to sell in today's market.

GUEST

Yay, yay.

APPRAISER

Yay! So your aunt purchased this at auction.

GUEST

Yes.

APPRAISER

Do you have any idea how much she paid for it?

GUEST

No. After she passed away, they said it was worth about $5,000.

APPRAISER

At auction, similar chandeliers have sold for $8,000 to $12,000.

GUEST

Nice.