QuestionGreetings Mr. Foard! I just discovered this site, but have been wondering about my set for a while. Please bare with me for a moment as I hope you find it a wonderful story! I attended an estate auction about 15 years ago, and it was getting to the end when they get rid of the lesser desireables. The auctioneer said that the item was "costume" jewelry. My mother and I were so far back that I could not even see the box he was holding let alone its contents. The starting bid was $2 and no one was bidding so my mother nudged me and said "I see green so whatever it is would look nice with your red hair for 2 bucks!" Young and impressionable, I raised my number and bought it. When I got home, I looked at my mystery purchase to discover that a pair of earrings and a ring set in rich 14k (stamped) yellow gold and amazing green jade lay in my box! The 3 stones are identical, measuring about an inch long with a dark emerald green color - not the light, hazy, waxy green jade that some sell today. The stones are in wonderful condition with no chips, cracks, scuffs, etc. When my husband told my tale to a jeweler friend right after my discovery, he offered $200 for it. I am not ready to part with it, but I am wondering does older fine jewelry appraise higher than today's makes or is it normally based on commodity values, market, etc. to estimate its worth? Thank you much for your time and assistance, and I will be happy to leave a rating for you!
AnswerG'day Lynn and many thanks for your query.
Please don't call me Mr Foard or 'Sir' as they both refer to my Father. My name is David ;-)
Firstly I would have to suggest you take it to your local FRIENDLY jeweler/ appraiser and have them take a look at it. You need to know if it is - what you hope it is - otherwise you are simply guessing.
I have often seen items stamped with what looks like a true hallmark - only to find by testing - that the item was Plated. You need to know for sure.
Secondly - An appraisal is based on the price of gold (if it's gold) together with the Manufacturers charge, the setters charge, the gemstone costs and the about twenty other fees and charges which go into an appraisal.
Once that is done - if the item is Vintage or Antique - a premium is added to the bottom line before rounding out the taxes and charges that each country or State adds.
Phew!
Make it your priority today to get ALL your jewelry done. Too late won't bring them back...
You can find a good article about this here:
http://www.online-jewelry-appraisals.com/advice/jewelry-disasters/
You might also like to add this query to my blog at http://how2valuejewelry.com/ as other may have had a similar problem. Can't hurt anyway and who knows what answers you may get.
Hope this helps...
