Posted on: Saturday, October 16, 2004
ISLAND TREASURES
'The Greatest' memorabilia
By Brenda Reichel
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| An autographed photograph of Muhammad Ali at the peak of his career could fetch up to $145.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser |
— M. Higa, Kaua'i
A. You have a promotional photograph of The Greatest at the height of his career. Many Ali-related sports memorabilia stores and Internet offerings are available. The autographed photograph has a value of $50-$145, depending on the condition.
Q. I was told I might have a pearl of some kind from a mollusk in Mexico. I found it in a can of abalone. The can has "giant top shell from Mexico" on the label. This pearl measures 13.32mm x 9.2mm and is an oblong, oval shape. The pearl weighs 7.94 carats. The colors are divided evenly. What's it worth?
— Need help in Pearl City
A. You have a natural pearl from the Gulf of Mexico, valued at $3,495.
There have been natural abalone pearls from this region along with a rare melo pearl from Vietnam, which is orange and can come as large as 24mm. Melo pearls and abalone pearls are nothing like the Akoya Japanese cultured pearl or even the freshwater Chinese cultured pearl, which have a nacre (outer surface) surrounding a mother-of-pearl bead. The melo pearl and abalone pearl are concretions from a bivalve-type animal.
Your pearl is weighed in carats just like a diamond and other colored stones. Christie's and Sotheby's auction prices for both melo and abalone pearls range from $1,200 to $34,000.
More information about natural pearls can be found in the publications of the Gemological Institute of America (www.gia.edu), Pearl World, Gems & Gemology, and the American Pearl Co.
Brenda Reichel is the owner of Carats & Karats Fine Jewelry. She is a graduate gemologist (GIA) and a member of the International Society of Appraisers, National Association of Jewelry Appraisers and the Accredited Gemologists Association. Reichel is the host of "Gemnews," a weekly radio program on KWAI 1080-AM, every Saturday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you have a family treasure and you're wondering what it's worth, send your questions, along with a picture of the item, to Brenda at her store, 1254 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96814 or flawless@lava.net.
