Featured Amber Earrings

I only paid $44 for these but the auction house indicated that they were 18k, marked 750, amber earrings. For the life of me, I cannot find the 750 mark but assuming that that it is there, what considerations come into play when valuing amber?

 

Here is a site on amber valuing:
http://www.jewelrynotes.com/how-to-evaluate-and-choose-baltic-amber/
In spite of what they say, I find that egg yolk amber does best in international auctions. Here is one of my Latvian egg yolk amber brooches:

 

Thank you, any. I appreciate this background information! It sounds like color and clarity are the driving forces behind value and inclusions are less problematic. In your opinion, how does the color and clarity of this piece stack up? Being a novice, bordering on totally incompetent in this space, I would say the clarity is very good.

 

Try the posts for the mark. Run your nail along the post, you will feel it if it is there even if it is tiny.

 

Sure enough the smallest "750" that I have ever seen! Thanks Marie!

 

Good idea Marie.
Danno, are there any other tiny marks, I am thinking of a star and other marks that would make it Soviet made, like on this pendant, the star is just above centre:

Your amber looks like Baltic amber, the most valuable. That could mean the earrings were made in a Baltic country. If it was Soviet Russia, that could boost the value. The Soviets were also masters of extremely small marks.

 

It sure would appear that way, Any, but I cannot get a clear photo since the marks are just so tiny. This is about as good as I can do. Did I do okay for $44?

 

Check this out:
https://russiangold.com/product-sea...viet+gold+amber+earrings&submit_search=Search

 

Are you thinking $300-$500, Any??

 

Depends on where you sell them. We sell on Etsy, and would probably list them for $200, but we always try to stay below the regular price.
The most important thing is to mention Baltic amber and 18k/750 Soviet gold, marked with star, etc. That makes all the difference.

 

Wonderful. Thank you again! Sounds like they are worth roughly about the same amount as the Georg Jensen 118 earrings that I picked for coincidentally the same amount. No need to sell....I will just add to my collection of things that I like but know very little about! Thanks to you...I know a lot more.

 

If you find Soviet jewellery, it is worth seeing if you can get it for a good price, like you did. It is collectible. Take a loupe with you for those tiny marks.

 

My reasoning behind buying it was two fold:

1. I liked it and my taste was confirmed by the lady sitting next to me and
2. You do not put something cheap in 18k/750

 

That is always the most important thing.

That is true for amber, but there is a lot of vintage and antique gold jewellery mounted with synthetic gemstones and even glass. There was a time when synthetic gemstones were more expensive than the real thing, and they still fetch a nice price. But glass is a different story.
And I even have a traditional style Dutch necklace with a gorgeous antique 18k gold clasp and low quality plastic beads. I knew that when I bought it and didn't pay much. I have antique coral beads to replace the junk, and when I have, it will be very nice.

 

Okay, I best stick with my initial thought of appeal and dismiss my logic!

 

At $44 you did well! That's at least the melt weight on those, and any time you can get nice gold for melt I say grab it.

 

YEA! Great! I learned to feel for the mark when my eyesight started to go. Also, I don't like pulling a loupe at sales, I don't want sellers to know I resell

 

The melt value is about that $44, indeed, but I don't think the amber adds as much as one might think, and nor, here, would the USSR mark. I could probably buy those for about £100, maybe less. Buterscotch amber, on the other hand, I'd grab all day long. Still about eight times gold.

 

I bought them for less than 100 pounds so I have little doubt you could as well. Fortunately, buyers do not always look at intrinsic value.

 

Congratulations! As Marie said, always loupe the stem of earrings.