Nobody Wants Grandmas Jewelry Anymore Except These 12 (Check the Clasp)

Eleanor Hayes

Eleanor Hayes

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A full jewelry box chapter, with a Your Task check on every entry and real dated sales, plus Marks Plates at the back that include sterling vs. silverplate and the gold marks and plating codes: What It's Worth: The Whole-House Appraisal System
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Open the jewelry box on your dresser and hold the thinnest gold chain's clasp under a lamp — that tiny stamp decides whether it's junk or real money. This video reveals the 12 kinds of jewelry that still sell today, and the clasp check that separates them from the costume pile. In this video you'll learn the clasp check for twelve jewelry types that still sell — from Juliana rhinestones and Schreiner reverse-set stones to Trifari sterling jelly bellies, Haskell hand-wired pearls, Bakelite bangles, Taxco silver, Victorian hairwork, pearl strands, platinum rings, gold class rings and plain gold chains — with real sold prices from $50 to $7,500 and the one habit that keeps families from losing money.

• Turn every piece over: the clasp stamp answers who made it, what metal, and when.
• Juliana rhinestones: look for five-section bracelets and figure-eight solder puddles; $80–$250 typical.
• Schreiner: reverse-set stones point at you; signed brooches usually $250–$700.
• Wartime Trifari, Coro Craft, Eisenberg sterling figurals bring $250–$800 with uncracked Lucite.
• Miriam Haskell: hand-wired pearls on filigree; most pieces now sell under $400.
• Bakelite: hot tap water and smell test; groups sell $70–$180, rare laminated bracelets far more.
• Mexican silver: eagle mark means 1948–1980; tourist pieces are worth their silver weight.
• Native American silver: weight and hand-stamping matter; describe honestly under the 1990 law.
• Pearls: check the clasp for 14K or 585 first; gold keeps value even if pearls are glass.
• Plain gold chains and broken earrings often beat the whole costume box at melt value.

Timestamps:
0:00 The Clasp Check
3:45 Number 12: Unsigned Juliana
5:36 Number 11: Schreiner
7:14 Number 10: Wartime Sterling
9:59 Number 9: Miriam Haskell
11:51 Number 8: Bakelite Bangle
14:15 Number 7: Mexican Silver
16:38 Number 6: Native American Silver
18:34 Number 5: Mourning Jewelry
20:27 Number 4: Pearl Necklace
22:17 Number 3: Platinum Rings
24:09 Number 2: Gold Class Rings
26:00 Number 1: Plain Gold
28:29 The One Habit

Research & sources:
• Ripley Auctions, Indianapolis (2016–2026 sales)
• Bonhams (Bakelite and mourning jewelry sales)
• Antique Trader, Pamela Wiggins Siegel
• Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
• Morning Glory Jewelry (Miriam Haskell dealer)
• Global Gemology (marks and catch dating)
• Adobe Gallery, Santa Fe (Fred Harvey jewelry)
• Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990
• Gemological Institute of America (1990 Majorica pearl study)
• Antiques Roadshow appraisers (1998, 2018)
• Consumer Reports gold buyer test (2009)
• InvestigateTV (2026 gold selling advice)
• Thrift Retailer newsletter (2023)
• American Society of Appraisers
• Spratling hallmark records

Disclaimer: Prices quoted are past auction and reported sales, not appraisals; values change with the daily gold and silver market. Have anything valuable examined in person by a qualified appraiser before selling, and never test jewelry in ways that can damage it.

#VintageJewelry #EstateJewelry #CostumeJewelry #JewelryAppraisal #GoldAndSilver