GUEST: I found this at a country auction. My husband and I were shopping for furniture for our home that we had just built, and I spied this beautiful brooch, and I told my husband that I would like to have it. He said, "No, we're here for furniture. I don't believe we're going to buy jewelry today." But I prevailed, and he decided yes, we would stay and see what it would go for. And I got it.
APPRAISER: So why did you want to buy it?
GUEST: I could see that it was a nice piece. And then when I turned it over, I saw the stamp of Van Cleef & Arpels.
APPRAISER: This is indeed by Van Cleef & Arpels. But it's from France, not New York, which makes it more desirable. This is the kind of jewelry that costume jewelry copied. It is a double-prong fur clip, in 18-karat yellow gold. It has cushion-cut cornflower blue Ceylon sapphires.
GUEST: Oh, really-- oh.
APPRAISER: 15 carats of those.
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: It has Burmese rubies, about 3.6 carats of those, and it's just gorgeous.
GUEST: It is.
APPRAISER: It's from the 1940s, when women were wearing the fur clips, or the double-prong clips, on their heavier fabrics. So what did you end up paying for the pin?
GUEST: It was about $1,200.
APPRAISER: And when was this?
GUEST: This was 1971 or '72.
APPRAISER: The retail value of this piece in today's market is $35,000.
GUEST: Oh, Rosie! (laughs) That's great. I'm so, I'm delighted. Thank you!
APPRAISER: Thank you.
