I kept an old clock from my grandma for decades – I was stunned when Antiques Roadshow said etching makes it worth $20k

AN unknowing woman was shocked when she learned her antique clock handed down from her grandmother was worth $20,000.

The clock is a French masterpiece designed by renowned artist , René Lalique.

YouTube/Antiques Roadshow PBS

YouTube/Antiques Roadshow PBS

YouTube/Antiques Roadshow PBS

Dubbed, Deux Figurines, for its two figures etched into the glass, this circa 1935 figurine is one of Lalique’s later clocks.

“This is a very popular clock that was first introduced around 1926,” said Arlie Sulka, an appraiser from New York , during a recent episode of Antiques Roadshow .

“This is a very Neoclassical look,” said Sulka.

“You would see [these clocks] during the Art Deco period – both in France, or even in the United States,” Sulka explained.

“It is the quintessential Art Deco clock,” she said.

Sulka explained that this particular clock by Lalique was made of clear and frosted glass, with the figures and surrounding flowers being acid-etched into the surface.

The two figures are seen wearing classical drapery, common for that time.

The antique clock also illuminates, giving off a nice, dim light underneath the figures to create a breathtaking display.

“When this is plugged in, both the clock and the lights come on at the same time,” Sulka explained.

However, Sulka said the on button for the clock had been previously replaced, making it slightly less valuable .

However, the base of this particular clock is made of chrome , which likely means it was created closer to 1935, according to Sulka.

Lalique’s earlier clocks from the ’20s were made from gilt metal and donned a decoration on the front – which this one did not feature.

Questions were also raised about the clock’s hands inside.

“These hands, there was a question of whether or not they had been replaced,” Sulka said.

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But what we realized is that if you see examples of this clock, oftentimes the hands vary from one to the next,” she explained.

“The hands were made by a company called Ato, and they supplied the hands for Lalique,” she said.

“So this could have just been a later version of the hands,” Sulka said.

But in terms of value, according to Sulka, that question along with the replaced button didn’t do much harm.

“Because there is some replacement here, but it is in very nice condition, I would put a value in a retail shop of $15,000 to $20,000,” Sulka said.

The woman, shocked, just laughed in disbelief and said, “That’s great.”

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