Gianmaria Buccellati Diamond & Gold Necklace, ca. 1972
GUEST: I have my grandmother's Buccellati necklace that she left to me 20 years ago. She had told me about it for years. It was her favorite possession that she owned. And she was a very stylish lady, and she was very proud of this necklace. And I have the original box here, which, I love that I have the original box.
APPRAISER: I love that, too.
GUEST: And it's got the little original pin to attach it to clothing.
APPRAISER: Yep. Buccellati is really known for gold workmanship, first and foremost, and textural design.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: They don't use a lot of diamonds.
GUEST: My great-grandmother had a watch that, my grandmother used the diamonds from that watch, she wanted, I guess, incorporated into this piece.
APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.
GUEST: I have some paperwork, and it, it talks about this in the paperwork.
APPRAISER: So these diamonds came from her watch, you think.
GUEST: Some of them.
APPRAISER: Okay.
GUEST: They had to add diamonds, I think, too.
APPRAISER: But we only have about four carats total of diamonds.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: So it's not that much in carat weight. It was made in Italy. And you have some documentation, um, talking about that?
GUEST: I do-- they sent her a design and she approved it.
APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.
GUEST: And it was, this was all written correspondence. This was the design they sent her, and she was very happy with it. I think in the letter it shows that she paid approximately $2,100 for it...
APPRAISER: Okay.
GUEST: ...in 1972. It said that it took two months to make.
APPRAISER: It is made out of 18-karat gold.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: It's white gold and yellow gold.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And Buccellati is still well known for using white and yellow together.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: The firm was begun by Mario Buccellati in 1919. This one is signed Gianmaria Buccellati, who was his son, and he took the firm over in 1966. Gianmaria was really in charge of design more so than anything else.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: And he really wanted to focus on sort of a prettier look with the textured jewelry, textured gold, and this is sort of like a Venetian lace design. It also turns into a brooch.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: Right?
GUEST: And it can also be a solitaire necklace...
APPRAISER: Ah.
GUEST: ...if you unhook the pin from it.
APPRAISER: Right. And the clasp matches the necklace piece, as well.
GUEST: Yeah. I love that about it.
APPRAISER: So, yeah, it's, it's a really kind of cool convertible.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: And it is signed "Gianmaria Buccellati" on the clasp.
GUEST: Oh, it is?
APPRAISER: Buccellati right now is known throughout the world, and they are just hugely popular.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: As an insurance value, I would say you're looking at $30,000.
GUEST: No!
APPRAISER: Yes.
GUEST: I just got the chills.
APPRAISER: Yeah, I would say so.
GUEST: That much?
APPRAISER: Yes.
GUEST: Wow! Thank you so much.
APPRAISER: My pleasure.
GUEST: I think this is the best day of Stella's dead life.
APPRAISER: Aww.
(both laugh)
GUEST: I think she, this is her...
APPRAISER: May she rest in peace.
GUEST: This is her favorite show.
APPRAISER: Oh!
GUEST: And I think she's just... Oh, if she could only be here and see this. I think somewhere she's watching.
APPRAISER: She's watching. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure she is.
GUEST: Yeah.
$30,000 - $30,000 Insurance
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Understanding Our Appraisals
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
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