GUEST: It's a crystal chandelier that I inherited from my mother, who inherited it from my aunt, who was married to a congressman. And it was reported to me by my mother that this was installed in the first Russian embassy in Washington, D.C., that was converted into a residence. They took a bunch of the stuff out and they took and auctioned it.
APPRAISER: Well, your mother and your aunt had really good taste. It's made in France, probably in the 1800s, I would say the latter part of the 1800s. And it was made by one of the major manufacturers in France, like Baccarat. It's not signed, so I can't say for sure who made it, but the style and quality of this example is typically French. What I like about this chandelier is the exquisite prisms and how wonderful it reflects the light. Chandeliers at this point, with 18 lights, was made for a salon, a dining room or something very special, so an embassy would fit. It is electrified. That's actually going to make it a little bit easier to sell in today's market.
GUEST: Yay, yay.
APPRAISER: Yay! So your aunt purchased this at auction.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: Do you have any idea how much she paid for it?
GUEST: No. After she passed away, they said it was worth about $5,000.
APPRAISER: At auction, similar chandeliers have sold for $8,000 to $12,000.
GUEST: Nice.
