Category: Treasure Hunt

Dear Donna,

I have this necklace that is marked 925. I am wondering if it is real silver or not and what the value might be.
Meg

Dear Meg,

Your necklace is real sterling silver; that is what the 925 stands for. The piece is 92.5 percent real silver and then other metals. The tough part here is to figure out the age of your necklace and a maker without any other markings to help us. So to give it a value it could be done by the weight of it (for silver value), or judging it by size and the quality of it.

Sterling silver jewelry is common to find, old or new, and some being very unique and signed can bring really high value in today’s market. Whether it’s from long ago or today, it’s all about the craftsmanship.

Your necklace looks to be in great condition so I would think it should be in the $60 to $100 range in today’s retail market.

Dear Donna,
I found this small horse charm and it says “Black Horse Ale NY.” It’s only 1 1/2” x 1” and is made of plastic. Can you give me any information and a possible value?

Lynne

Dear Lynne,
I did some research on your horse charm and found out it was an advertising charm for Black Horse Ale. The story is a very interesting one but a long one as well; if you’ve got the time I would encourage you to do some research online to read the story of Black Horse Ale and see how one tiny plastic charm has such a history.

The interesting thing to me about this charm, and other small collectibles, is how did such a tiny piece even survive to today?

The value on it is in the $25 range but the history is priceless. I know that collecting charms from gum machines, cereals, Cracker Jack and premiums is still happening today. What’s amazing is how many old ones are still out there and the stories that go behind them.

Dear Donna,
Enclosed is a necklace belonging to my great-grandma that I believe is of the Victorian era and made of brass. I have tried to research it but came up with nothing. There is also a cup and saucer, also belonging to my grandma, that says “J.P.L.France” and then “Limoges.” I believe it could be of some value, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jackie from Pelham

Dear Jackie,
Let’s start with your tea cup and saucer. The mark “J.P.L.” stands for Jean Pouyat Limoges. This was done during the middle to late 1800s. Definitely part of a much larger set for dining.

You are right about Limoges china having value, but in today’s market even value can sometimes be a tough market. The value on china is in the makers and mostly in the larger more uncommon pieces that are in excellent condition (which is hard to find). Then it would be in the hand painting designs (patterns). There is quite a history behind Limoges, and it’s interesting to read about in books or online to find out more about yours.

The value would be in the $25 range for the tea cup and saucer. Finding a buyer might be tough. though. in today’s market.

As far as your sweet necklace, unless pieces like it are marked it’s tough to find a value. So some things can give us a clue: material (gold or silver would have a higher value than brass); age (tough to tell in this case) and maker (if not signed then go by the design and condition).

It looks to be an earlier style, maybe from the same estate and period of time as your tea cup and saucer or a bit later. I think we’re safe to say it is in the $40 range but I would have it checked by a professional to confirm my view from here.

Dear Donna,

I have a set of clear Pyrex bowls that I got at a yard sale. I’m wondering if they have value to them, being a set of three. All are in really great unused condition. I have seen pattern Pyrex pieces for much more than I paid for these, so I am curious.
Linda

Dear Linda,
I think the set of bowls is sweet, and being Pyrex is a plus. But keep in mind Pyrex is still produced today. Many patterns have changed and there have been some different styles as well over time. The company started in Corning, N.Y., but now is in Pennsylvania. Can’t think of any home that doesn’t have a piece or several in it. The stuff was made to last, and that it did.

I would say that values are in the patterns, age, condition and rarity of production of pieces. So clear and common form at any age would be in the lower end of values. Not knowing what you paid I still think in today’s secondary market the set of three would be in the range of $25. You can’t buy a good set of bowls cheaper these days.

Dear Donna,

Are you familiar with the maker on this pendant? It says 14kt and Jabel, not Jared. I inherited this from my family and was wondering if you could share any information with me on a value.
Mindy

Dear Mindy,
I have to say I had never seen the mark before, but then again there are so many jewelers out there.

What I did find out was that Jabel started off as a ring maker and later created pendants and other pieces as well. I feel safe in saying your pendant is from the mid-century era to the 1960s. I found a set of earrings that are almost a match to your design, but they were 18kt gold, so the price would be significantly higher.

I think we would be safe in thinking the value of yours would be in the $350 range in the market. It all depends on the maker, amount of weight in gold and the size and quality of the diamond.

So your family passed you down a treasure.

Dear Donna,

We recently purchased a Victorian home in Hampton. We have three doors that are missing the match for knobs. Wondering if you might be able to help locate matches. Are they worth trying to find?
Rob and Shea

Dear Rob and Shea,
The value on antique doorknobs can run usually in the range of $10 to $50 depending on material and design. Now the tough part will be to find matches — like needles in a haystack, as they say.

I would try online first to see if a match is on any selling sites. Try Googling antique brass doorknobs (you might have to replace them both if you find what you are looking for in a complete set). Or maybe you’ll find similar knobs with the same aged patina (coloring of the aged brass). Next I might try flea markets and salvage shops as well.

All of these suggestions could take time, so it depends on the amount of effort you want to put into replacing them with original ones, or finding similar ones from the same time period that will fit into the rest of the doors.