GUEST: I got it at an auction several years ago. It was pretty and different, so I got it. The only thing I really knew about it and still know about it is that because the pin is out past the end of it, it's usually pretty old.

APPRAISER: Well, it is an old piece, and the date of it is about 1840, and it is paste. So it's an old costume piece. But it's set in silver-topped gold, which is the way that they would have set diamond pieces at the time. So this is a very nice piece of costume jewelry, because it's made so much like the old diamond jewelry.

GUEST: Really?

APPRAISER: Yes. And it's a beautiful foliate design, and, as you can see, the flower in the center is mounted on a spring.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: To make it tremble, and that's called en tremblant. So if the lady would have worn this in her hair or on the front of her dress as a brooch, it's meant to capture the light. Everything then was all about capturing the light and the sparkle and the candlelight.

GUEST: That's cool.

APPRAISER: I think it's wonderful that you have the original box with it. It's beautiful. What did you pay for it when you bought it?

GUEST: Probably around $50. That's what I normally would pay, but it's been so long ago, I honestly don't remember.

APPRAISER: Well, these days, I think, for a beautiful piece of costume jewelry like this, something like this would sell at auction for about $1,500.

GUEST: You're kidding.

APPRAISER: Not bad.

GUEST: Not bad at all!