Restoring Vintage Marcel Boucher Jewelry: A Value Assessment

Question
Hi -- I have a vintage Marcel Boucher enamel and rhinestone pineapple pin
that I know is a valuable piece of costume jewelry, but unfortunately my pin
has some wear on the yellow-gold enamel of the pineapple. It appears as if
the piece was scraped against something at one time in its long life and it
took off the enamel on the high points of the pineapple body (right in the
middle, where it is quite visible).  The enamel on the leaf portion of the piece
is great, with no problems.  Should I try to get this pin repaired?  Is it even
possible to repair or touch-up enamel?  I found one master enameler in
Australia, but it appears that he completely strips a piece before re-applying
new enamel, so I have not contacted him for a quote.  I'm not sure if this
would be a good idea or not, plus it would probably cost hundreds for the
repair.  And, has this damage completely ruined the value of this pin?  I have
seen a pin like mine in excellent vintage condition sell for $1,000 -- but mine
is obviously NOT in excellent condition.  I am not sure what makes the most
sense in this circumstance.  Thank you for any advice/restoration
recommendations that you can make.

Answer
Thank you for your inquiry. My advice would be if you intend to keep the piece and the missing enamel prohibits you from wearing and enjoying it, by all means have it repaired. There are enamels on the market and some jewelers that do this type of repair. I'm sure the costs vary depending on what method they use to repair. To strip the entire piece would be the most costly. I would think it could be patch repaired. There is no doubt that the damage does reduce the value of the pin. How much would depend on the buyer and desirability of the piece. Boucher items are very collectible and some collectors want mint condition while others will accept minor damage. If this were my piece and I did not foresee selling it, I would check out some jewelry supply houses for a matching enamel and try to patch it myself. Of course, I can't see the piece so I don't know if this would be possible, but it is a piece to be worn and enjoyed. Good luck with whatever you decide.