'Antiques Roadshow' seller gets chills after expert reveals the value of her 120-year-old ring
Artifacts on "Antiques Roadshow" could be captivating for fans and fascinating for experts, but despite that, most guests who have been in possession of these items have no clue about their true worth. This is clear from their reaction after being told about the true worth of these heirlooms and collectibles, which also makes the show entertaining. One guest brought a Marcus & Co. ring to the show but had no idea about the maker of the item and was left in shock after the expert enlightened her.
After bringing the item to the show, the guest shared that she got the ring in an estate sale for quite a bargain. "I thought it was cool-looking, the colors. It was about $200," she shared. Taking over from the owner, expert Lucy Grogan Edwards explained that it was indeed a wonderful piece of jewelry. "What you have here is an 18-karat yellow gold enamel diamond and ruby ring. It's from the Art Nouveau period," the expert explained. She added that the item dates all the way back to 1905.
Looking at the ring, the expert noted that on the face of it, it seemed to be worth $2,000 to $3,000, but there is more to it than what meets the eye. "On the inside is a very clear signature, 'Marcus & Co., 18 karat.' Marcus and Company was a very prominent New York maker," the expert noted. She went on to explain that the company was founded in 1892 by Herman Marcus, who migrated to the United States from Germany in the middle of the 19th century. The creator initially worked at the famed Tiffany and Company and then went off on his own to form Marcus and Company, Edwards added.
"This is very characteristically Marcus. It's Mughal-designed, sort of Indian-inspired, which you can see," she said. She pointed out that the shape of the ring resembled a sultan's turban and the colors and the material was also very Mughal-inspired.
She explained that the Art Nouveau period was inspired by nature with a lot of Orientalist interest. She added that the center stone of the ring was a cabochon ruby, which is smooth over the top, with a rich pink hue. "The pinker saturated rubies, like this, are most often from Burma," she explained. She added that historically, Burmese rubies weren't much exported, so there aren't many in the marketplace today. Furthermore, the green enamel work is also very characteristic of Marcus and Company, she noted.
Thus, coming to the numbers, the expert shared a fresh estimation of the ring's value in the context of its maker and the materials used. "I would say, at auction today, it would be worth between $7,000 and $10,000," Edwards noted.
The appraisal left the guest shocked as she wasn't expecting her $200 ring to be worth that much. "Whoa! No way! Oh, my gosh. Wow. Whoa, I got chills," the guest exclaimed.
The expert added that despite a chip on the ruby, the ring's value was unaffected, and for safety, the ring should be insured for around $20,000, which was double the estimation that she previously shared.
