Intaglio jewelry can be traced as far back as 5000 BC and comes in many materials, from inexpensive synthetic stones to amethyst and carnelian.
What it's Worth
Pearls are one of the oldest gemstones known to man and were highly praised in ancient cultures. The value of pearls is complicated. There are simulated, cultured and natural pearls and valuation is affected by size, nacre and luster as well as color variation. While most common
smaller pearl strands are valued at $50-$200, a natural pearl strand can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Akoya pearls over 8 mm are the most difficult to nucleate because these small oysters often reject the large bead. Akoya pearls in the 9-10 mm range are extremely rare
Colored diamonds, especially pink and blue, as well as yellow (sometimes called canary), are some of the most sought-after diamonds. Natural color diamonds are often quite rare — a very small percent of all diamonds mined are natural, fancy color diamonds. We recently purchased from a St. Pete retiree a tiny 1/3-carat blue diamond for $8,000 and a fancy brownish pink diamond for $10,000 which only weighed 1.25 carats. Old Northeast Jewelers pay a premium for branded diamonds such as Tiffany, Cartier, Graff, and others.
The 1652 Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling is one of the earliest known American coins – a colonial coin, technically. Likely to have been minted around 1670, the 1652 date may signify the founding of the Massachusetts mint. Some believe it to be a reflection of larger political events – a symbol of rebellion against English rule. A local jeweler suggested to our client that the coin was fake. We thought it was genuine, so our client entrusted us to send it to an important coin lab where it was verified.
What's It Worth? What's It Worth? The Lure Of Old Money
Collecting currency is a lot of fun, but fraught with valuation confusion that involves grading difficulties, whims of collectors, geographical concerns and plain old counterfeiting.
Most bills we get in are common “red seal” 1928 to 1963 $5 and $2 notes as in Illus. A. These typically bring half to double their face value, and top out at around $200 to $300 for rarely seen crisp, never folded, never circulated 1928 versions.
What's It Worth? St. Petersburg Through A Lens Of The Past
Sometimes, value isn’t measured in dollars. We are buyers and sellers, yes — but we are also historians. We investigate everything that we buy — especially those things that are valuable historically as well as monetarily.
Oscars, Emmys, and Sylvania Awards. Over the years we’ve owned thousands of awards — including military medals, baseball rings, silver platters, etc. — but we’ve only owned fewer than a dozen Oscars, Emmys, and Sylvania Awards. Valuation is extremely varied and nuanced because of the many factors involved.
What's It Worth? Strange But Incredibly Valuable Bedfellows
While we consider ourselves experts, sometimes we just guess. Sometimes we just gamble. Sometimes the result is extraordinary.
Sometimes I have egg on my face and an angry wife.
A few weeks back we were contacted by heirs of a Los Angeles socialite who was ahead of her time and bought many art objects in the ’70s and ’80s. This bronze Picasso sculpture (pictured) was so eclectic and unusual that there are no comparators.
What's It Worth? Selling Lifelong Collections
As most of our followers know, we have a weekly auction but also a bi-monthly international auction out of our 4th Street location in St Petersburg. We typically assign a theme to them.
Currently we are taking a consignment of antiquities combined with vintage militaria for the next auction, in addition to our normal fine and decorative arts. This auction will feature two collections, both with terrific provenance.
What's It Worth? Innovation, Miniaturization and Collectibility
We find it interesting in our business that certain random collectibles often have a mystifying desirability for collectors. So, for fun, we are going to talk about unusual items on both sides of the spectrum.
Calculators are a way of life for most of us. The ones that sit on our desk were probably bought at an office supply store for $3 to $25. Recently, we purchased two unusual calculators.
