Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

My husband and I went to a church sale and I kind of saw it across the room and I got excited because I just thought the colors were so pretty. And I walked over and I asked the lady and she told me I could get it for two dollars.

Appraiser

That's great. That's great. Do you know anything about it?

GUEST

No, she said it belonged to her mother and it was always in the china cabinet.

Appraiser

That's great. When did you buy this?

GUEST

About two and a half, three months ago.

Appraiser

Okay, all right, well, this is a piece of English cameo glass. And it was made probably in the 1880s. There are a number of companies that were working at the time. There's Stevens and Williams and Webb, and it's probably one of those companies that made it. What's great is this is produced in layers. You have the bottom layer,

GUEST

Right.

Appraiser

then you have this beautiful color over it and then there's a top layer of white that's carved away. And this is how the design is created on the surface. That makes the cameo design and these are wonderful apple blossoms. What's great is that the decoration goes all the way around. A lot of times you see these pieces and you only see the decoration on one side. Now, I have to tell you that you're doing a lot better than the stock market...

GUEST

Really?

Appraiser

Yes. Yes, because in today's market this piece would sell in my store for between $1,500 and $2,000.

GUEST

Really?

Appraiser

Yeah, really.

GUEST

Wow, I guess I got to take my mom to lunch.

Appraiser

Yes, take your mom to lunch.