What's It Worth by Jeff Hess

Similar in design to the “lover’s eye” pendants that were popular in Victorian times, this unusual and historical pendant was sent to us by a Kansas City jeweler last month. He was selling it for a woman in her 50s who had inherited it from her maternal grandmother, who was born in the U.K.

While it’s universally accepted among gemologists that round brilliant-cut diamonds are the only diamonds that hold their value, we at Old Northeast Jewelers favor a number of other cuts. My personal choice is the emerald cut, because it can be used with a variety of designs – including Art Deco and other unusual styles that lend themselves to the rectangular, streamlined look of emerald-cut stones. Personal collectors tend to seek kites and rhomboids, along with other unusual shapes.

Six years ago, a Tampa resident brought in a selection of estate jewelry. Two items caught our attention – the first, a large, fancy, vivid yellow diamond that we offered over $30,000 for. The customer was shocked because she had been told by a Tampa jeweler that it was a citrine and had very little value. She sold us many items over the next six years, but the second item from that first group was our favorite – a demantoid garnet and diamond-encrusted bug or roach brooch (which we call a B-roach, upper left).

While we have covered the subject of jade before, we wanted to share this incredible find of a museum-worthy example that just blew us away.

At Old Northeast Jewelers we are nationally known as buyers of vintage rubies and sapphires for several reasons. First, we are very knowledgeable; second, we are strong payers and third, our graduate gemologists can tell whether a stone is heated, which is very important in valuation.

Tiffany & Company reportedly unleashed the “new” gemstone in the late 1960s, with Tiffany’s executives being quoted in 1969 as saying, “Tanzanite is the first transparent deep blue gemstone to be discovered in more than 2,000 years.”

When it comes to black opals, there is a big disparity between retail and fair market value.

This past month we have been fortunate to see and own several nice black opals. These opals, mined at Lightning Ridge Mine in northern New South Wales, Australia, display incredible play of color — from yellow and green to blue and red. The more red and blue you see in Lightning Ridge Mine opals, the better.

Last week, a San Diego jeweler offered us a chance to buy an unusual diamond that is rarely seen.
These are called chameleon diamonds because they temporarily change color in reaction to heat or light.
When put into a dark drawer or safe deposit box, the diamond will change color — looking different when it comes out than when it went in. (Some people can’t even recognize their own diamonds if they haven’t seen them in a while.)

A Chicago jeweler called last year with an unusual belt. It was made of 14 karat gold by an obscure jeweler, the Naples Jewelry Company. It had over 10 ounces of gold and had unusual imagery of crosses and stars and a hanging loop. It had the letters GIDGVMR on it. We researched Naples Jewelry Company and found it was an arts & crafts jeweler in an Italian area of Chicago in the 1920s.

Ok, so yeah, Tom Brady has brought joy and happiness to Tampa Bay.
He is the GOAT. We watched him as he led the team with self-assurance, cockiness, quickness of mind and physical agility. He promised stuff. And he delivered. The GOAT!

But who was really the MVP of the big game?

There were a few others who kicked butt and took names. Our pick is Devin White. Also self-assured. Also cocky. Also quick and agile. And oh yeah, he delivered.