Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

It was a ring given to me by my late husband, and he inherited it from his mother in 1975. 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 (laughing)

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 occlusions.

APPRAISER

Lot of inclusions.

GUEST

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

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

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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

Oh, 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

Not 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.

GUEST

Oh.

APPRAISER

I think it might be Cartier.

GUEST

Really?

APPRAISER

That would be my guess.

GUEST

Wouldn't that be something?

APPRAISER

It has two rubies, as you know. But on one of them, 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

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. (laughs)

APPRAISER

That's it-- get that receipt.

GUEST

Okay.