'Antiques Roadshow' expert holds guest's hand after she's shaken by the appraisal of royal jewelry
The elderly guest was visibly shaken to learn the value of her prized family heirloom.
July 23 2025, Published 10:45 a.m. ET
An elderly guest on "Antiques Roadshow" was left visibly shaken after getting a massive appraisal for her family heirlooms. While the owner of a set of "Royal Cufflinks" and a "rare brooch" cherished the items, which were passed down to her, she had no idea how valuable they could be. Finally, the show's expert, Geoffrey Munn, revealed that the value of her prized collection was about £32,000 or approximately, $43,000, leaving her stunned.
In the old episode, the guest told Munn that the rare items once belonged to her great-grandfather, who worked as a chef to Queen Victoria and Edward VII. "He was chef to Edward VII and Queen Victoria at the end of her reign," she explained. They were given to him as a gesture of appreciation.
Munn immediately noted that the pieces were incredibly rare and they had hallmarks of Russian design. "There's the most marvelous word in Russia used to describe this, which is called 'samorodok,' which was much favored by Fabergé. But, these are not by Fabergé, and the lid's satin rather conveniently tells us that they're made by somebody called Ivanov," he said.
He then went on to examine the brooch closely and revealed that it was gifted by Tsar Nicholas II. The appraiser confidently identified it as an authentic Fabergé piece as it bore the famed jeweler's initials. The guest was shocked to learn this, as she knew it would significantly increase the item's value. “Wonderful. Because I wondered and half hoped it would be, and that’s marvellous," she said.
When it was time for the appraisal, Munn noted that all of the items in the collection were rare and valuable. He started with the least valuable items first, the pair of 'Royal Cufflinks'. "They are very desirable, very wearable, and with a very precise provenance. So, I suppose it would be something like £7,000 or £8,000 (~$10,000)," Munn stated. The audience gasped, and the guest exclaimed, "Really? My goodness gracious me!" Moving on to the cufflinks that had been turned into brooches, Munn estimated that they could fetch about £8,000 to £10,000 (~$13000).
The guest was visibly shaken by the number, and Munn had to hold her hand to comfort her. “Are you feeling calm? This is very, very good, isn’t it? Making me nervous," he said. Saving the best for last, Munn finally asked the guest how much she thinks it is. After the guest guessed £10,000, Munn replied, saying, “Well, it is £10,000 and it’s more than £10,000. It’s £15,000 (~$20,000).”
The audience couldn't help but gasp again. “My dear chap. Gosh. That’s amazing. I never realised it would be as much as that, I must confess," the guest said. She further added that despite the big appraisal, she wasn't willing to sell the items as they belonged to the family. Munn suggested she pass them down together as a collection to preserve the value of the items.
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