GUEST: I brought a platter of some kind.

It was in my grandpa’s house for as long as I can remember.

And we really don’t know that much about it.

APPRAISER: When I first saw this, you, you brought it to the table and you, you peeled back the, the packaging, and my heart kind of skipped a beat just a little bit.

(chuckles) Because I knew instantly what it was and where it was from.

GUEST: Great.

APPRAISER: And it's just such a beautiful example.

This is a Viennese silver, enamel, and rock-crystal presentational centerpiece, or charger, dating from around about 1880, and we attribute it to the very, very successful maker called Hermann öhm.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: And he was most well-known for this Renaissance revival.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: Which is what we're looking at here.

When my colleagues and I looked at it, the first thing that we were really taken by is that at first glance, the panels appear to be glass.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: But in fact, they're not.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: They're made of rock crystal.

GUEST: Oh, wow.

Okay.

APPRAISER: In fact, it's a variation of quartz.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And in one of these panels, you can just see one of the internal fractures... GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...that helps us identify that it is rock crystal.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: It's meticulously carved.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: It's got this beautiful silver and enamel decoration throughout, uh, with, with putti, cherubs, winged figures, uh, satyr masks--you name it, it's, it's all there.

And then centered by these beautiful, uh, maidens within cornucopias.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: It's just really fabulous.

One of my favorite things about this is the way it's made.

Each individual bolt here represents one of the pieces that's been applied to the front.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: That's a real reflection of the craftsmanship.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: Surrounding each panel of rock crystal, you have this little decorative framework, as well.

And perhaps one of my favorite and the most unseen are the feet.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: These beautiful, uh, hairy paw or lion paw feet with enamel decoration.

It's also incredibly big.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER It's a really large example.

This is nearly 22 inches in diameter.

Um, have you ever had it appraised?

GUEST: No-- nope.

It's just been sitting, gathering dust.

(chuckles) APPRAISER: So, I'm glad you said, "Gathering dust."

It's dusty.

GUEST: (chuckles) Uh, yes.

APPRAISER: It could do with just a little bit of love, uh, like... GUEST: I, I think my dad hosed it off in the sink to get some of the dust off once, so I'll tell him not to do that again.

(laughs) APPRAISER: With a little bit of love and a little bit of cleaning, I think, if I were to see this come up at auction, I would feel very comfortable with an auction estimate of $30,000 to $50,000.

GUEST:(chuckles) Oh, wow-- oh, my gosh.

Wow.

Um, uh, we had no idea.

That's incredible-- we've always loved it.

I always loved the little jewels as a, as a kid.

I always thought it was beautiful, but... Uh, wow.

That's amazing.

(laughing) Wow.

(sniffles) (chuckles softly) APPRAISER: I'd recommend an insurance value of $60,000.

GUEST: (inhales) Wow.

Okay, so... No more hosing it off.

(laughs) My husband has lugged it around all day today, so I'm glad it was worth, worth the effort.

(laughs)