Gorgeous' Antique Bracelets With Shocking Values on Antiques Roadshow!

My husband gave it to me probably in the 80s, not for an occasion. He didn't always buy a card or give a gift or occasion, but he would come home with something nice. Did he give you a lot of jewelry? Three or four pieces that are nice. So he wouldn't always make the holiday, but he'd make up for it later? Right. Among the most dazzling pieces ever brought to the Antiques Roadshow was a bracelet that perfectly blends elegance, artistry, and heritage. Crafted by Tiffany & Company in the 1960s, this bracelet radiates sophistication with its platinum setting, sparkling diamonds, and deep blue sapphires. The diamonds themselves are a stunning variety. Round cuts, marquees, and baguettes, all meticulously arranged to give the illusion of floral patterns shimmering across the wrist. The sapphires are just really the perfect blue sapphire color that you really look for. The diamonds are beautiful and white. There's probably about 20 carats of diamonds in this bracelet. What makes this bracelet truly special is not just the exceptional quality of its stones, but the unmistakable signature of Tiffany & Company engraved discreetly on the clasp. That name alone represents a tradition of excellence in fine jewelry, and this piece is a textbook example of why Tiffany has remained iconic for over a century. I would expect that this bracelet would bring probably between $40,000 and $50,000 at auction. Oh, wow. That's wonderful. Awesome. Back in the lockbox. You should wear it. Enjoy it. I wear it. Well, it was my mother's bracelet. She took me to the jewelry store in the early 60s. She's a widowed lady, and she bought it for herself. And was this a special occasion, or did you just buy it because? She decided that's what she wanted. And have you ever worn it? Yes, I have. My sisters have worn it. We've all worn it at our children's weddings. How wonderful. The design reflects the bold style of its decade. The 1960s embraced geometric cuts, and this bracelet showcases that flair with a dazzling mix of marquise, baguette, and brilliant cut diamonds. Altogether, the stones weigh around 15 carats, carefully set in platinum to enhance their icy brilliance. Though unsigned, its craftsmanship points strongly toward New York workshops, which at the time produced some of the most elegant fine jewelry in America. And has there ever been talk about splitting it up? Well, when my mother passed, I did take it to a jeweler. He suggested that it could be taken into four pieces, but it would ruin its value, essentially. What makes this piece even more remarkable is its journey in value. Originally purchased for $10,000, a bold sum in the 1960s. Well, you know, if you were to insure this now, I would probably suggest a value of at least $50,000. Oh, okay. That's why we keep it in the safe. Well, thank you. Well, thank you for bringing it. You made my day. That's what I like to hear. Thank you. This was my grandmother's. My mom received it when I was about 12, and then I received it from my mom when I was about 35. Every once in a while, a piece appears on Antiques Roadshow that embodies both artistry and history in perfect balance. This bracelet, passed down through three generations, was created by Marcus and Company, one of Manhattan's most prestigious jewelers in the early 20th century. Founded by a father and son team, the firm gained renown for exceptional craftsmanship and innovative designs, standing shoulder to shoulder with the great jewelry houses of their day. The bracelet is a radiant example of the Tutti Frutti style, an art deco favorite during the 1920s and 1930s. This playful yet elegant design combined carved emeralds with brilliant cut diamonds, set in platinum for strength and sophistication. What makes this particular piece so extraordinary is not just its beauty, but the condition of the emerald carvings. Unlike diamonds or sapphires, emeralds are relatively soft, and many art deco jewels suffered wear over the decades. Yet here, the stones remain crisp and vibrant, preserving the spirit of its era. Originally dismissed with modest offers decades ago, the bracelet's true significance has since come to light. I believe now that if you were to have this in a nice high-end retail jewelry store, it'd be around $25,000. Yeah. Thank you so much. That's fantastic news. I love it. I love to see that big smile. I just love it. I inherited it from my father because he inherited it from his great auntie. We were told it's a Cartier bracelet, but I don't know. It's beautiful. I love it. Reminds me of her. When she passed away, somebody had it appraised for the estate, and I believe they appraised it around $9,000. Some pieces arrive at Antiques Roadshow with whispers of greatness, only to have their true prestige confirmed under expert eyes. This platinum bracelet, handed down through generations, turned out to be far more than just a family treasure. It was an authentic Cartier masterpiece from the height of the Art Deco era. Created between 1925 and 1935, the bracelet exemplifies the period's devotion to geometry and elegance. Its tapered design flows with trapezoidal and pear-shaped sections, carefully balanced to contour perfectly around the wrist. But what sets it apart is the sheer number and quality of its stones. The bracelet is set with 180 diamonds, including several larger Old Mine and European cuts, totaling around 15 carats. Even the reverse reveals Cartier's signature craftsmanship, with hand-finished azure cuts that allow light to flood each stone, enhancing brilliance and making the back as refined as the front. Most importantly, the bracelet bears Cartier's authentic signature and in-house reference numbers, details that remove all doubt about its origin. I would say that this bracelet, easily, because of the Cartier name and the strong Art Deco influences, $40,000 to $60,000. No way. $40,000 to $60,000. That's crazy. Okay. Seriously? Cat got your tongue? Well, no way. Thank you, Aunt Blanche. Thank you. I love it. It's awesome. These were my mother's bracelets, and they were made many years ago. She knew David Webb. He designed these specially for her. And what's really interesting is all the diamonds come from bracelets and jewelry of her mother's. So it's like three generations. The bracelet makes into a necklace, and she wore it quite often. I've worn it for very special occasions. Three generations of heirlooms reimagined into a bold new form. Webb, who opened his Manhattan atelier on 57th Street, became famous for his fearless sculptural designs and his willingness to work with clients' own stones. Here, his vision comes through in the rich texture of the gold, worked into a bark-like surface, and the striking arrangement of diamonds set in platinum at staggered heights. The result is both organic and glamorous, a style Webb mastered better than anyone of his era. Each bracelet holds a share of the total 10 carats of diamonds, and their versatility makes them remarkable. They can be worn separately, one on each wrist for a chic daytime look, or joined together to form a dramatic evening piece with a serpent-like flow around the wrist. In today's market, Webb's creations are highly sought after, with collectors competing fiercely for authentic examples. And I would say, in a retail setting, you are looking at $20,000 to $30,000. Oh, wow. So, I don't know if that's what you were expecting. I had no idea. Few jewelers bridged tradition and innovation as boldly as Charles La Loma, and few antiques roadshow finds demonstrate his genius better than this pair of gold bracelets. Purchased directly from the artist in 1981, they were originally designed in silver, but at the buyer's request, La Loma reimagined them in gold, transforming them into something even more striking. Meeting him in person, with his rock star presence and trademark ponytail, made the pieces all the more unforgettable. Did anything remain with you about the artist himself? Well, he was very Hollywood, you know, with the big ponytail and all. He made bracelets for all the movie stars. He was, he'd gone Hollywood. He'd gone Hollywood. He looked like a rock star. He was a, yeah. He was a beautiful young man. He was a Hopi ancestry. He was from the Third Mesa. He was born in 1921. He passed early in 1991. And when he initially started making jewelry, he tried to enter it into the intertribal ceremonial art shows. He was turned away three times because they said his work was very nice, but it was not Indian. Because he was stepping away from the traditional in a way that's just breathtaking. The two bracelets shown here carry the hallmarks of his artistry. Sculptural form, elegant lines, and a confidence that blurred the line between fine art and adornment. Because authentic La Loma jewelry is so sought after, fakes abound on the market. But these bracelets, bought directly from the man himself, leave no doubt of their authenticity. In an auction setting, for this particular one, the smaller one, I think we're concerned with saying it would sell for about $28,000 on today's market. Wow, oh my goodness. And the other piece, probably in the $40,000 marketplace. Oh, that's interesting. I know that pieces have sold in retail shops for as much as $80,000. I bought this bracelet in a little, what I guess I would call a bric-a-brac shop in Salem, Massachusetts. How long ago? Oh, about 10 years ago. Do you remember what you paid for it? Not exactly, but probably $900 to $1,000, somewhere in that. At first glance, its most striking feature is the turquoise, a brilliant Persian variety prized for its even robin's egg blue. Unlike most turquoise, which tends to discolor over time from oils and exposure, these stones remain perfectly vivid, an extraordinary survival after nearly 150 years. The bracelet, crafted around 1875, showcases the artistry of late 19th century French jewelers. Constructed from thick-walled 18-carat yellow gold, it balances strength with elegance. Its design features a central star motif set with an old, mine-cut diamond, flanked by clusters of rose-cut diamonds that sparkle against delicate black enamel inlays. That subtle enamel border highlights the gems while demonstrating the meticulous detail of its makers. Adding to its intrigue is a hidden surprise, a locket compartment built seamlessly into the band, never once used. Intended to hold a portrait or keepsake, it transforms the bracelet from a mere ornament into a personal vessel for memory. I would say, at auction, this would easily be in a range of $6,000 to $8,000. Oh, wonderful. Yeah. That's amazing. It's been in my husband's family. His aunt passed away about 25 years ago, and she didn't have any children, so everything was passed down to her nieces and nephews. Everyone got to pick something they loved, and I love turquoise and gold and diamonds together, and so we were given this bracelet. Some bracelets surprise not only with their beauty, but also with the possibility of hidden prestige. This piece, inherited through family, dates to the late 1950s or early 1960s and was crafted in France from 18-carat yellow gold. Weighing over 2 troy ounces, it has real substance, yet what makes it captivating is the blend of textures and details. The turquoise is carved into fluted, ridged forms that resemble tiny gourds, while the gold features a florentine finish, an intricate, hand-tooled surface that shimmers with subtle brilliance. Threaded among these elements are diamond rondelles, nearly 100 stones in total. With a combined weight of about 3 carats, the entire bracelet is strung on a foxtail chain, a woven construction prized for both strength and flexibility, used primarily in high-end jewelry. On the tongue, this is the piece that you put into the other end to close the clasp. I had to use some high magnification to figure out what it said. It says, Made in France. A value on this. As I see it right now, I think this is worth, at auction, $6,000 to $8,000. Wow. That's great. I love it. And so, that's amazing. I had no idea. But there's more. Experts noted its strong resemblance to designs produced by Van Cleef and Arpels during the same era. Though the bracelet is unsigned, authentication by the house could potentially double its value, raising it into the $15,000 to $20,000 range. Sometimes, on Antiques Roadshow, an heirloom turns out to hold not one surprise, but two. My husband and I are originally from Los Angeles. He's a congregational rabbi, now retired. And while I was working in Japan in the late 80s, he had a phone call asking if he would officiate at the funeral of somebody that wasn't a member of the congregation. And met this woman, and she was charmed by him. And she invited him to dinner. And he said, well, my fiancé is coming back from Japan. Would you mind if it was the three of us? And on Sunday evenings, she had a particular restaurant in Los Angeles, which she would go to, Trader Vic's. And we were part of the Trader Vic's Sunday night dinner event. And when she passed, she left these two items to me in her will. And I remember admiring the ring, because that was something that she would always wear when I'd see her Sunday night. This guest arrived with a platinum diamond bracelet from the 1940s, a robust design set with 18 carats of diamonds, eight in larger European cuts, and another ten in sleek baguettes woven throughout the band, built to last and beautifully executed. The larger round stones all add up to about eight carats total weight. Wow. And we have these baguettes, what they call straight baguettes, kind of basket-weaved throughout it. And in those is another ten carats of diamonds. Today, if I had to reappraise that for auction, I would tell you that that bracelet would be $15,000 to $20,000. Wow. That's quite a gift. Attention soon shifted to the accompanying ring, long admired by its original owner. At first glance, it featured a 14-millimeter button pearl, framed by Pavet set diamonds glittering across a platinum mount. But turning the piece over revealed the secret. Over here is where the magic starts to happen. We can see right over here, it is signed. VCA. Van Cleef & Arpels. Yeah. Holy moly, she said something about Van Cleef & Arpels. I always thought it was the bracelet. I know you did. Wow. You asked me. Amazing, because I asked you earlier. Wow. What did I say? You said, no, not the bracelet. But you didn't tell me anything about the ring. Wow, what a pleasant surprise. This discovery transformed the ring from elegant to extraordinary. With six carats of diamonds surrounding the pearl, it became a classic example of mid-20th century design by one of the world's most prestigious jewelry houses. If the ring came up for sale, I feel very strongly for it at auction at $20,000 to $30,000. As Shirley Temple would say, oh my goodness. Wow. And it's the kind of thing I think would get to the high end of the estimate pretty quick because Van Cleef is very sought after. If I was doing this for insurance replacement value, I believe you'd have to put the bracelet at $35,000. Wow, amazing. But the ring, because it's Van Cleef, for insurance replacement would probably be close to the $60,000. Oh my goodness, thank you. Together, the bracelet and ring form an unmatched pairing of glamour and heritage, a stunning reminder that the greatest treasures often lie in details overlooked for decades. Some heirlooms carry not only beauty, but also proof of their remarkable origin. These two bracelets, created in the 1970s by Hopi master jeweler Charles Lollema, have both artistry and airtight provenance, original receipts tracing their purchase directly from the artist himself. One was acquired in 1976 for $2,500, the other in 1977 for $750, significant sums at the time that would later prove to be extraordinary investments. Unlike Lollema's better-known inlaid works, these pieces are almost entirely metal, showcasing the sculptural strength of his designs. Both were crafted using sand casting, an ancient technique of carving channels into stone, then pouring in molten silver or gold before shaping the cooled form into a bracelet. It's a process rooted in Navajo and Hopi tradition, and in Lollema's hands, it transformed into wearable modern art. The silver piece incorporates turquoise, while the gold bracelet relies on bold form and surface detail to make its statement. Now the catch is, a great show was done several years ago of his work, and people decided to capitalize on that in illegal ways. And so there are a lot of fakes on the market, and the question every time you see one is, is this real or is it not real? Today, provenance is everything. With so many counterfeits in circulation, receipts and family history confirm authenticity as clearly as any hallmark. That paper trail, combined with Lollema's signature and the bracelet's condition, secures their place as genuine treasures. Walk into a gallery, try to buy one of these, $20,000, $40,000. Holy moly! Yeah, nice. Oh my goodness! The little one's $20,000? Yeah, yeah. A similar one to this in silver recently sold for about $22,000. Oh my goodness. Now I've knocked it down a little bit because this one's slightly plainer. Wow, wow. And we just stumbled across the receipt recently because we're moving my mother-in-law, and we were packing her house, and we just found this receipt like three weeks ago. Don't lose it. I won't. It's as important as the bracelets. Wow, I didn't expect to hear that. The bracelet was a wedding present from my husband's family. We got married 27 years ago, and it came from his aunt who brought it to the United States in the late 30s from Germany. This is my husband's grandmother and his great-grandmother and his great-great-grandmother, and this is his father's oldest brother. And the family was a prominent family. Yes, they were a Frankfurt banking family. Their bank became Deutsche Bank. They had a summer house outside of Frankfurt. Their next-door neighbors were the Rothschilds. Oh, I see. So it was a great neighborhood. And who had the picture of the house? My husband was looking for an image to put on bottles. He was making vinegar. And I went on the Internet, and I was looking at Italian villas, and I thought, oh, just look at Villa Susbach, because that's the family's name. And this postcard came up, and a store in Berlin was selling it. On the reverse side is the signature. It's a nice letter from Hilde, his grandmother. The bracelet itself is a jewel of transition, bridging the Edwardian and Art Deco eras. A heavy yellow gold band forms its base, while delicate platinum vines wind across it, set with sparkling diamonds and natural pearls. Flowing between these motifs are Burmese rubies of the highest quality, perfectly matched in their deep, vivid red. Long mistaken by the family for amethysts, these gems proved instead to be among the rarest and most valuable stones available. Every detail underscores refinement. The supple, jointed construction that lets it drape like liquid across the wrist. The artistry of platinum against gold. The elegance of Edwardian design blending into the sharper lines of Art Deco. Though unsigned, the workmanship strongly suggests it was crafted in Germany between 1910 and 1918. Now, value. Value's going to be difficult. Yes. Besides being beautiful of the period, and it comes from a prominent family, it has everything going for it. If I had to insure it, I would put probably $20,000 on it. Because I don't think you could find one. And certainly not with the whole story. So, I'm glad you came. I said I was going to try not to cry. Don't, no. You don't have to. Be happy. I didn't realize they were rubies. We always thought they were amethysts. Oh, no, no. These are not amethysts. I know. Some of the greatest antiques roadshow stories begin with pure chance. And this bracelet is one of them, bought at auction. It wasn't even the star of the day. The guest had actually bid on an old trunk for $75. Hidden at the bottom of that trunk, inside a paper bag, was a surprise far more valuable. An exquisite sapphire bracelet, along with other forgotten jewelry. Crafted around 1950, the bracelet is made of 18-carat gold and marked with Italian hallmarks, placing it firmly within the country's long tradition of elegant post-war jewelry design. Its highlight is a row of pastel sapphires in the coveted cornflower blue shade, their soft brilliance enhanced by the warm glow of gold. This combination of delicate color and high craftsmanship gave mid-century Italian jewelry its timeless appeal. What makes this piece remarkable is not only its beauty, but also the story of its discovery. I would say about $6,000 to $8,000 auction estimate for this bracelet. Okay. I did not expect any place near that much, but wow. My husband inherited from his grandmother. And no one's ever told you anything about the makers or any of that? This elegant bracelet turned out to be the work of one of the most celebrated jewelry houses in the world, Van Cleef & Arpels. Crafted in France during the 1950s, the bracelet showcases the refined sophistication that defined Van Cleef & Arpels' mid-century designs. Made of 18-karat gold, its surface is composed of textured beads cast in varying styles and patterns, giving it depth and movement. Scattered throughout are round, brilliant-cut diamonds, carefully set to catch the light with every turn of the wrist. The craftsmanship is so precise that the clasp blends seamlessly into the design, a hallmark of true luxury. Van Cleef & Arpels' pieces from this era are in high demand today, especially when signed, as this one is. Collectors prize them for both their artistry and their timeless wearability. And I believe an auction value for something like that would be about $10,000 to $15,000. Oh, my gosh. You're kidding. Well, I'm glad that pleases you. Oh, my gosh. I never dreamed. I never dreamed. Not all treasures sparkle with diamonds. Some captivate through detail and imagination. This European gold charm bracelet, dating to the 1950s, is a masterpiece of miniature artistry. This bracelet was initially bought by my great-grandmother somewhere in the early 1900s. I believe it to be Italian in origin, and that's about all I know about it. Crafted in 18-karat gold, its handmade links carry a series of extraordinary charms, each one three-dimensional and bursting with story. The highlights are two charms signed by G. Nardi, the prestigious Venetian goldsmith family, renowned for their exquisite craftsmanship. One charm opens to reveal a delicate gold diorama of the Grand Canal in Venice, its architecture rendered in breathtaking detail. Another depicts the central doorway of St. Mark's Basilica, adorned with sapphires, while inside rests the Lion of St. Mark, an iconic Venetian symbol. Even the reverse sides are finely engraved, a testament to work meant to be admired from every angle. Other charms include landmarks from Lisbon and Spain, each executed with equal finesse, making the bracelet not just jewelry, but a wearable travelogue of Europe. Today, finding charms of this quality would be nearly impossible, as such intricate handwork has all but vanished from modern production. If you had to go into the marketplace, if you could find them today, these would typically be anywhere between $2,000 and $3,000 a charm. These two charms down here, in the $1,500 to $2,000 range, and then you've got the bracelet as well. So the insurance value would be between $8,000 to $10,000. Holy camoly, wow. There aren't that many charms that I go crazy for and that I get excited for, but these two, especially the Nardi charms, they're really the finest charms I've ever seen. Fantastic. Some of the best roadshow stories begin with an unbelievable bargain. This bracelet, picked up for just $5 at a Virginia flea market, turned out to be far more than costume jewelry. Beneath its bright finish lies real gold, crafted in the 1870s during the height of the archaeological revival style. The bracelet is made using a technique known as bloomed gold, where the surface is treated with acid to heighten its color, leaving a rich, high-carat yellow sheen that contrasts with the slightly pinker gold beneath. Though a jewelry shop once tested it clumsily, leaving file marks inside, the piece remains solidly around 15-carat gold, with a surface finish equivalent to 18. Its decoration features natural coral cabochons, polished into small button-like forms, each carefully set against intricate concentric filigree work that continues around the entire band. That detail alone signals a higher level of craftsmanship, as many bracelets of the time had plain backs. Originally, it was likely one of a matched pair, worn as cuff-style bracelets on each wrist. I'm glad you didn't sell it for scrap. Okay, thank you. In an antique shop, I feel this piece of jewelry would sell for around $2,500. Very good. That's wonderful. I went to a garage sale, and I was looking for costume jewelry because I make magnets out of it and what have you. There was a box of costume jewelry, which I purchased for $15, but this bracelet just didn't fit into my scheme of things, so it was just kind of thrown in the bottom of one of my drawers and forgotten about for 20 years. My son has been into collecting gold. He looked at it, and he said, it is 14-karat gold. But I always thought the bracelet was really ugly, so I never wore it. Made around the 1940s, the bracelet is a custom design featuring English rock crystals. Each crystal was reverse-carved from the back, then painted by hand with brushes fine enough to capture delicate details. The miniature bird scenes shimmer with vibrant color thanks to a thin backing of mother-of-pearl, creating depth and brilliance. While one panel shows minor water damage, most remain pristine, preserving the artistry that makes these pieces so enchanting. Forgotten in a drawer for 20 years, it was later revealed to be a signed piece by Raymond C. Yard, one of America's most celebrated jewelers of the 20th century. Raymond C. Yard began his career at Marcus & Company before opening his own Fifth Avenue boutique in 1922. His clients included America's wealthiest families, the Woolworths, Harrimans, Duponts, and Fleglers. Yard became known for his meticulous craftsmanship and unique commissions, often incorporating special materials like these reverse-painted crystals into bespoke designs. Now, we gotta talk about a value. Any thoughts on that? Well, just the price of gold today, I figure it's worth a couple thousand. Well, a couple thousand, yeah. Okay. At an auction, I figured this would go in the catalog for $6,000 to $8,000. Oh, my gosh! But certainly, by the time it gets to the retail market and say it was sold on Fifth Avenue again, like it probably originally was, a piece like this would easily be $15,000. Oh, my goodness. I guess I better start wearing this thing. It's fun. Maybe you'll grow to like it. I hope so. I'm liking it more and more. This is a bracelet that is from my fiancé's family, and I understand that it was from his great-grandmother or his grandmother. And his dad gave it to him, and he asked me to marry him with this and my engagement ring. Oh, wow. How can you say no to that? I know! Dating from around 1925 to 1930, the bracelet is a classic of the Art Deco era. Crafted in platinum, it features bold geometric lines and symmetrical design, hallmarks of the style. Its centerpiece is an old European-cut diamond weighing just under a carat, surrounded by a total of four carats of diamonds set throughout the bracelet. The stone's brilliance combined with platinum's cool sheen creates the crisp, sophisticated look that made Art Deco jewelry so enduringly popular. While the owner had imagined it might be worth around $4,000, the appraisal told a very different story. And it's a beautiful design. A bracelet like this, if you went to buy it in a nice retail store, would probably sell for about $8,000 to $10,000. Really? Wow! I bought it because I do a lot of construction-y stuff. On my spare time, we're remodeling an old 100-year-old home, and I'm always out there, so it had a screw. So I thought that would be fun to wear because I don't wear bracelets very often. Where'd you find it? I found it in a garage sale. How much? $4. Big spender, Jim. She's a big spender. At first glance, even the appraiser suspected it might be costume jewelry, but closer inspection told a very different story. Stamped with 9999, it was revealed to be pure 24-carat gold, an extraordinary mark indicating the highest possible purity. Weighing just over 7 pennyweights, the bracelet contained around $700 worth of gold in scrap value alone, regardless of its design. While not tied to a famous jeweler or historic era, its appeal lies in both the material and the surprise of discovery. Just a little clasp. It's a little soft. And then I saw this name on the end, which made me think, for sure this is a piece of costume jewelry. Right. But for sure it's not. That's just scrap. You have to go buy it at retail. You pay $1,000 for this. Gotta pay extra for the screw. I'd buy it with the screw, yes. Thank you. It's very much capturing a moment that's 70s and 80s, but this could be any time in the last 25 years. Sometimes jewelry was not created for celebration, but for remembrance. This English bracelet, dating to the late 19th century, is a poignant example of memento mori jewelry, pieces designed to honor and memorialize loved ones who had passed away. Actually, I got it from a secondhand shop. I spent $40 on it. It's an English bracelet. It was done about 1880, 1890, and it's in 15-karat rose gold. Rose gold, giving it a warm, soft hue that reflects the Victorian taste for sentimentality and symbolism. Such bracelets were often worn quietly as tokens of memory, both decorative and deeply personal. Their purpose was not to dazzle in society, but to keep a connection alive, carried on the wrist in gold. If you were looking to replace this, you would have to spend about $800 to $900 to replace it. So it's probably not a bad $40 that you spent. No, it's not at all. It's beautiful. It's beautiful. Thank you so much. It's a bracelet that I have played with ever since I was 6 years old. It was my mom's. She gave it to me to play dress-up with all these years, and I kept it, and I just thought it was really a cool-looking bracelet. Where did she get it? Do you have any idea? I don't know. She doesn't remember where she got it. She remembers that it was a favorite bracelet of hers, but she doesn't remember where she bought it. She's 95 years old now. This bold cuff bracelet, once casually worn for play, is actually a rare work by Art Smith, one of the most influential modernist jewelers of the mid-20th century. Born in Cuba and raised in Brooklyn, Smith was an Afro-Cuban-American artist whose work redefined jewelry as wearable sculpture. By the 1940s, he was at the center of New York's Greenwich Village art scene, drawing inspiration from modern dance, abstract art, and the avant-garde energy of the time. His striking fluid forms earned him commissions from cultural icons such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Duke Ellington, with his designs featured in Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. This particular cuff, known as the modernette, is exceptionally rare. Smith produced variations in copper, brass, and silver, but this example's material and design make it especially desirable to collectors. Its sculptural curves reflect his philosophy that jewelry should not merely adorn the body, but move with it, becoming an extension of art in motion. Signed discreetly on the underside, the bracelet carries Smith's unmistakable mark, a comparable piece sold at auction in 2012 for $12,000. Do you have any idea what it might be worth? The $10 that my mother probably paid for it? That's about it. This sold at auction in 2012 for $12,000. Oh, my gosh! Are you kidding? No, I am not. Oh, my! Oh, okay! I'm kind of speechless right at the moment. Oh, my gosh! That's amazing. It is amazing. What's more amazing is that I'm sure it's worth a lot more than that now. If I were to put an auction estimate on it now, I would be very comfortable with $15,000 to $25,000. Oh, my goodness! Okay! My mom's going to be so excited, and so am I, but she's going to be amazed. What began as a playful accessory has revealed itself as a masterpiece of modernist jewelry, an heirloom whose value lies not only in its price but in its place in the story of American design. It was given to me from my mother. My mother was a German countess, and her ancestors started in Russia, and then during the Russian Revolution, they fled to France. Okay. And at that time, they were supposed to have acquired this piece. In France? In France. It was supposed to have belonged to Marie Antoinette. That's the story I got from my mother. My mother was born in France, and then they moved to Germany, and she was raised in a castle in Munich. While family legend claimed ties to Marie Antoinette, the bracelet itself was actually crafted in France at the end of the 19th century, long after the Queen's tragic era. Its true magnificence lies in the gemstones. Five Burmese rubies glowing with that rare pigeon's blood, red prized above all others, form the heart of the design. Each stone weighs around 4 to 4 1⁄2 carats, entirely natural and untreated. Surrounding the rubies are delicate diamonds, finely set in platinum, while the reverse reveals 18 carat gold, hallmarked with French double eagles that confirm its origin. The bracelet's survival is nothing short of miraculous. Ever wear this bracelet? No, my mother used to wear it all the time. In fact, she left it in a car that my father sold, and she realized that she'd left it and went back the next day, and it was still in the glove box, so... Oh, my God. I guess I'm fortunate to still have it. A piece like this in today's market could easily sell for somewhere between $30,000 and $35,000. This piece? This piece, at auction. I'll hold on to it for a long time then. This platinum diamond bracelet, handed down from a great-grandmother, embodies the sleek geometry and bold elegance of the Art Deco movement. Made between 1925 and 1935, it reflects the period's obsession with symmetry, clean lines, and the glittering sophistication that defined the Jazz Age. The bracelet is as substantial as it is stylish. Crafted in platinum, a favorite metal of the era for its durability and cool silvery sheen, its design features three prominent stations, each set with marquise-cut diamonds of about three-quarters of a carat apiece. Adding to the grandeur are straight, baguette-cut diamonds, totaling around two-and-a-half carats, perfectly aligned to emphasize sharp, modernist lines. The rest of the piece is encrusted with roughly 300 round diamonds, contributing another 12 carats of brilliance. Altogether, the bracelet holds nearly 16 carats of diamonds, making it an extraordinary piece both in craftsmanship and sheer sparkle. I would put this into auction for $10,000 to $15,000. Wow. This bracelet was given to me on my birthday, passed down to me from my mother, and it came from her aunt, and it was passed to her from her mother. It was crafted around 1900 by the Riker brothers, a distinguished Newark, New Jersey firm known for exquisite Art Nouveau designs. Made of 14-carat yellow gold, the bracelet immediately commands attention with its dramatic motif, a dragon, its form alive with curves and flowing lines. Typical of the Art Nouveau style, the creature is accented with old, mine-cut diamonds, their soft sparkle adding a layer of mystique to the piece. On the clasp rests the hallmark of authenticity, the Riker brothers' signature sword-and-arr emblem, alongside the gold purity mark, quietly confirming its origin. Though the family once believed it might trace back to their German ancestry, the bracelet's true story is distinctly American. It represents the period when Newark was a powerhouse of fine jewelry, producing innovative works that rivaled those of Europe's great houses. Did you have any idea as to a value on the piece? Has anyone ever told you anything about it? No, I took it to have it just evaluated because we weren't sure, and someone did tell me that they were old diamonds, but they weren't willing to give me an appraisal. The conservative price on this that the piece would probably fetch is around $8,000 to $10,000. Wow! Did you like that? It's an incredible piece. I mean, it really is. That's awesome! It's absolutely superb. It's done by Charles Lollema, who was a Hopi artist, Hopi jeweler. I was with my mother in the early to mid-'80s in Santa Fe when she bought it. There was a Charles Lollema show, and Mother had always wanted a piece of his jewelry, and so we went to the show, and she bought this. And he was there? He was there. I met him. Sort of a little short man. Yeah. At the time, the buyer's mother paid $5,200, a significant sum then, but one that has since grown many times over in value. Lollema's genius was in combining traditional Native influences with a bold contemporary aesthetic. A skilled lapidarist, he cut and shaped every stone himself, then fit them with remarkable precision. Here, lapis lazuli, Persian turquoise, deep red Mediterranean coral, and nearly black amethyst come together in a mosaic of color set seamlessly into 14-carat gold. The result is both architectural and organic, a wearable canvas that reflects his ability to blend materials in ways no one else had attempted. What sets this work apart is not only the painstaking inlay, but the vision behind it. In an era when Native artists were often judged only by adherence to tradition, Lollema dared to innovate. Though initially rejected by tribal art shows for being too modern, he went on to earn international acclaim, creating jewelry for collectors, celebrities, and museums. If this piece came up for sale at auction, I think it would easily bring $40,000 to $50,000 and perhaps as high as $55,000. Oh my. It's just fabulous. It's the top of his work. I knew it was a wonderful piece. I didn't realize it had appreciated that much. But it's gorgeous. I love it. And you do wear it? I do wear it. Good. I do. People don't know what it is, though. Who cares? That may be better. It's better they don't know. This bracelet, passed down through a family from Europe, is a beautiful example of mid-20th century Italian craftsmanship. Made in the 1950s, it demonstrates a technique for which Italian jewelers were especially renowned, the blending of multiple colors of gold into one harmonious design. Stamped in 18-carat gold, the bracelet reflects both luxury and durability. Jewelers of this period often experimented with tones, yellow, rose, and sometimes white gold, interwoven to create subtle contrasts and textures. Rather than relying on diamonds or sapphires for sparkle, the beauty here comes from the metal's richness and the precision of its workmanship. It's jewelry as sculpture, elegant in its simplicity yet unmistakably refined. Italian gold work from this era remains highly collectible. A retail value would be in the neighborhood of $5,500 to $6,500. Do it. Wow, that's quite a bit. If you enjoyed this deep dive, you'll love our dedicated video on Louis Comfort Tiffany and the history of Tiffany Studios. Click this video on your screen to watch the full biography and uncover more fascinating stories.