Life
Woman finds out her ring from an estate sale is actually worth a small fortune
The woman had been shopping at an estate sale when she spotted the ring. She thought it was "cool looking," but later learned it was an actual treasure.
Mary Rose Garra
11.09.21

America’s favorite treasure hunt, Antiques Roadshow on PBS has the newest special episode.

The show “puts the reality in reality television!”

PBS claims that Antiques Roadshow is the most-watched ongoing series. Antiques Roadshow, which offers itself as “part adventure, part history lesson, part treasure hunt,” marks its 25th season in 2021.

If you want to celebrate some of the show’s most colorful finds, this one is for you.

You can feast your eyes on a rainbow of treasures in “True Colors.”

Unsplash - Todd Cravens
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Unsplash - Todd Cravens

One lady gets her ring appraised, which she purchased at an estate sale.

She shared that it was probably a few years ago when her parents lived in the country, about two hours from St. Louis, Missouri.

“Just, I thought it was really cool-looking, the colors. It was about $200,” the woman said.

Pexels - Paula
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Pexels - Paula

The appraiser then described and provided information on what the ring is.

“What you have here is an 18-karat yellow gold enamel diamond and ruby ring. It’s from the Art Nouveau period.”

She went on to say that it was most likely made in 1905.

The ring itself is lovely for what it is. And the woman agreed.

YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS

The vintage ring has a very attractive appearance, but that’s not all… As the woman finds out at the end of the appraisal – it’s worth big bucks too!

The appraiser continued to reveal the most intimate details about the ring.

“But inside is a very clear signature, “Marcus & Co., 18 karat.” And you can see it right here. Marcus and Company was a very prominent New York maker. They were founded in 1892 and were around until about 1960.”

YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS

She added that,

“Herman Marcus immigrated to the United States from Germany in the middle of the 19th century and worked for Tiffany and Company. He then went off on his own and formed Marcus and Company. This is very characteristically Marcus.”

It was cool that the ring had history details designed into it.

YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS

The appraiser, Lucy Grogan Edwards, believes it is Mughal-designed that’s sort of Indian-inspired.

“The shape looks like a sultan’s turban, and the colors and the material, also very Mughal-inspired.”

Lucy then mentioned that the Art Nouveau period was inspired by nature. And there was a lot of Orientalist interest at the time.

YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS
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YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS

The center stone is a ruby, as shown by all the ring’s features.

“It’s a cabochon ruby… which means that it’s smooth over the top, so not faceted. And it has a very rich pink hue. So rubies come in a range of colors from red to pink,” the appraiser explained.

YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS

Lucy characterized the ring as a Burmese ruby.

“The pinker saturated rubies, like this, are most often from Burma.”

She further said,

“Because it was made by Marcus and Co., that makes me that much more certain that it is indeed a Burmese ruby.”

Burmese rubies were not permitted to be exported. As a result, there was a hold on them.

“Therefore, there aren’t very many of them on the marketplace today,” the appraiser told the woman.

YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS

The ring was stunning, with a brilliant diamond! So, what was its value?

According to the appraiser, the estate sale ring was worth about $7,000-$10,000 at auction. Not too shabby for a piece of jewelry that cost her only $200!

As one would expect, the lady is absolutely thrilled to find out its high value. She exclaims:

“Whoa, no way! … I got chills!”

YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - Antiques Roadshow PBS

Watch the video below to see this unforgettable appraisal, and to find out how much the ring is worth in 2021!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

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