Some of the glasses tested positive for diamonds and the emblem 14k
Purchased at an estate sale of an avid Elvis collector
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry. Based on the photographs and information provided, the item being appraised is a pair of German-made Neostyle NAUTIC sunglasses in gold frame #822, in a presentation set. The glasses appear to be of the craftsmanship and quality that denote they were customized by Dennis Roberts of Optique Boutique in Beverly Hills, Presley's optician.
This set appears to include approximately 100 inset diamonds on the gold frames of the glasses themselves, two gold EP cufflinks, and a gold TCB bracelet with approximately 20 inset diamonds, with the items all in an original presentation case.
Original sets of Presley TCB glasses are rare and highly sought after, with their value increasing dramatically if they can be documented to have been worn by Presley himself. While the overall market for Elvis memorabilia has softened in recent years, pieces connected to the Presley collection during his lifetime remain strong. At auction, Elvis-worn Neostyle NAUTIC sunglasses fetch in the $10,000 to $27,500 range. Likewise, even those whose ownership can be traced to Presley, can fetch in the $4,000 and above range. It is to be noted that none of the glasses examined in these examples mentioned bear a jeweler's hallmark of DBR beneath the hinge.
That said, further authentication or the acquisition of additional documentation would need to be examined to definitively confirm that they are among the approximately 400-500 pair of TCB sunglasses produced specifically for Presley between 1970 and 1977. Roberts' Boutique is no longer operating, and the late Roberts provided authentication services himself during his lifetime (based on the presence of accompanying documentation from auctions where authentic TCB frames were sold).
The original request for an appraisal reported the provenance as "Purchased at an estate sale of an avid Elvis collector". The initial appraisal request also included a set of nearly identical glasses marked "2001 Optique Originals", which are replicas of the original Neostyle frames. This appraiser assumes that the original owner of both sets of frames had the second set for regular wear, and kept the Neostyle frames away from daily use. The replica pair's value is approximately $200 to $300.
Based on the materials, construction, and hallmark, this appraisal is marked conditional as it is reasonably assumed but not definitively determined that the Neostyle NAUTIC set was produced by Roberts for Presley, presumably as a gift set. Further examination of the materials, including the diamonds in the set should be performed by a jeweler. The Neostyle NAUTIC sunglasses are not assumed to have been worn by Presley himself, so a pre-auction estimate of the Fair Market Value of this set is $5,000 to $6,000.
Sending photos of just the DBR glasses
Please let me know if you need anything else
Ok I will get you more photos. Thank you.