Selling Jewelry for Fun (And Money)
At Raymond Lee Jewelers, we totally get that there are a lot of reasons for deciding to sell your old, unwanted or extra jewels. The truth is that circumstances may at times push you to part with a piece of jewelry you’re not sure you want to lose. For instance, an unexpected expense such as a medical bill or automobile repair may just pop up from nowhere. Maybe as an ex-bride-to-be you are feeling that the beautiful dream-diamond you both agreed you could keep proves to be an unpleasant memory and there is no joy in wearing it anymore. Sometimes your reason for selling or trading may come down to the simple fact that you just don’t want a piece of jewelry anymore.
Whatever your reason, we are here for you. Bring your jewelry in and let’s talk. We have been serving Boca Raton residents for a long time and we want you to think of us when you think jewelry so we definitely aim to please—plus we have so many fabulous pieces on hand for you to check out while you are here. We can already see you wearing new jewels from Raymond Lee Jewelers around Boca Raton and beyond! Exciting.
Seriously though, we would love to talk to you about your jewelry needs and have caring professional jewelers and appraisal experts on hand to answer any questions you might have. At Raymond Lee Jewelers, we make selling your unwanted jewelry easy, we are experienced at pricing all kinds of ornaments including vintage jewelry, antiques, fine gold, diamonds watches,precious gem stones and pearls.
No Stigma; Some of the top the ‘celebutantes’ have sold their jewels.
Boca Raton residents have a reputation to maintain. We get that. As Florida’s own version of Beverly Hills style, people in Boca are keenly aware of what is what and who is who in the world of celebrity. Stars wear jewels that are worth their weight. Have you ever heard the wildly rich albeit tragic story of Barbara Hutton? The Woolworth heiress who blew through approximately 900 million dollars and died nearly penniless? The story is sad but telling. Even the rich have to sell their jewelry some times.
Case Study: Ms. Barbara Hutton, Heiress Millionaire
Ms. Hutton was the daughter of two very wealthy parents. Her mother was daughter of Frank W. Woolworth who was founder of the Woolworth’s chain of stores. These were the first and most successful five and dime stores in the world. Her father was Franklyn Laws Hutton, the founder of the immensely successful E. F. Hutton & Company which an investment and brokerage firm based in New York.
Barbara took some hard hits including finding her mother’s lifeless body when Barbara was only six years old. But, her family indulged her and she lived a life of opulence and frivolousness. She married seven times; lived lavishly loud even during the Great Depression and in general just did what she wanted. Think Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian on steroids. This was the original bad rich girl.
The point is regardless of the reasons, even poor-little-rich-girl Barbara found herself falling on hard times and, toward the end of her life, liquidating her fine jewels was one way she made ends meet.
Since we’re talking about Ms. Hutton, let’s talk about one particular piece of jewelry that she adored, her Marie Antoinette pearl necklace. Ms. Hutton may have exercised poor judgment when it came to her finances but there is no denying her exquisite taste when it came to jewelry. She was a great collector and expert on jewelry. During her lifetime, Barbara Hutton acquired a magnificent collection that included this elaborate and historic piece as well as other jewels once owned by historical figures such as the Empress Eugenie of France.
Speaking of pearls, you should know that they are very much in demand right now. The ever classy pearl is making a serious comeback and the stars, celebrities, rich and famous and everyone else who knows what is what is making sure they have some pearl jewelry. It is simply classic chic.
The Marie Antoinette Pearl Necklace
This magnificent work of art is a single-strand pearl necklace composed of 44 graduated pearls. The necklace once belonged to the Marie Antoinette of France (queen consort of King Louis XVI). It was inherited by Barbara Hutton one of the richest women in the world who wore it at her first wedding to Russian Prince Alexis Mdivani.
This necklace is quite simply an exploration of excellence.
- The strand necklace is composed of forty-four graduated natural pearls, that vary in size from approximately 8.7 mm to 16.3 mm. Their total weight is 1,816.68 grains.
- The pearls on the Marie Antoinette are white and nacreous. The gems have near perfect spherical shapes, and the brilliant luster and orient that is characteristic of natural saltwater pearls.
- The 2 largest pearls in the strand, form the centerpiece of the necklace, and they occupy the twenty-second and twenty-third position from one end of the necklace.
- The pearls gradually decrease in size beginning from the two central pearls of identical size with symmetrical positions.
- A rectangular-shaped, cabochon-cut turquoise, surrounded by a single row of 16 small diamonds makes up the clasp.
This particular piece ,commonly referred to as the ‘Barbara Hutton/Marie Antoinette Pearl Necklace,’ sold in May 1992 at a Christie’s auction for $ 580,000 (USD) and then again seven years later more than doubling its previous price by raising a staggering $ 1.47 million (USD) , at another Christie’s auction also held in Geneva.
These pearls are worth their weight. If you have a pearl necklace, ring, brooch, or choker that you want to valuate we would love to help you out. Pearls are holding their own at auction and in sales.
Assessing your pearl jewelry
The Japanese Mikimoto AAA quality pearl is considered the best in the world. Yours may not be a Miki—but then again you won’t know until you have it appraised. Here is what to look for in pearls.
- Pearls are as individual as our fingerprints. Look for Luster which the amount of light it reflects. High quality pearls are luminous.
- How is your pearl’s surface? The perfectly round pearl is among the rarest and so it is the most valuable. Other shapes from the South Sea pearls include button, tear drop and baroque.
- Pearls vary in color. This is based on the producing oyster. Pink rose pearls are among the most popular; while gold and peacock green are the rarest shades. Look for rich color that is evenly distributed.
- Size affects the price. Large pearls are hard to come by and are very rare. This increases their value and price.
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