On the heels of last week’s Tiffany article, readers brought in two extraordinary Tiffany items. The first is a 14k gold signed and numbered natural sapphire art deco brooch with only about $300 in gold. We paid $1,000 for it because of its extraordinary design, the fineness of the sapphires and the numbered piece. It was possibly made by designer Oscar Heyman on special order. It is for sale in our store for only $1,500. Call us if you would like to see it.
The second piece is likely one of the most extraordinary Tiffany and Co. pansy brooches ever. In our business, it is considered untoward to “chase” an item. In other words, if you make a terrific offer you shouldn’t have to counter more than an additional 5%. Sometimes, as with this large Tiffany pansy brooch, excitement gets in the way of financial restraint. We started at $5,000, which we thought was a very high offer because it had minor damage and only $400 in gold. We think that the fair market value is only $6,000 to $8,000.
After being rebuffed by the seller, we went against the accepted norms and began chasing this piece. After good natured negotiation (which included me following the nice woman into the parking lot, blocking her with several employees’ cars and a wrestling match at the curb) we were able to secure the piece for $7,500. We likely won’t make a profit, as this is a show off piece that will adorn our showcase for quite a while. All kidding aside, she took it to PBS’ Antiques Roadshow and got an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000 retail value. This incredible example of Tiffany craftsmanship is available in our store for $8,500 – a modest $1,000 profit.
WE ARE ALWAYS BUYING! If you have any pieces
of fine jewelry you’d like to sell, bring them in!
If you need an appointment in St. Petersburg or Tampa,
give us a call. Gold is high; sell NOW! No estate
too small or too large. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
