'Antiques Roadshow' expert values necklace belonging to a historic woman at almost $800,000
"Antiques Roadshow" guests are known to get overwhelmed by emotions after a massive appraisal for their items but experts usually contain their excitement. They rarely get flabbergasted, but when they do, the item in front of them is exceedingly special. That’s what happened when a man brought a stunning diamond necklace and earrings to the show. They were owned by one of the most popular women in England and had a long history in politics.
Before the century-old necklace was revealed, the guest introduced himself as the Lord Mayor of Plymouth City Council. His name was Dr. John Mahoney. Mahoney had brought the jewelry set along with a picture that acted as an impeccable provenance. The picture showed a woman placing a necklace around another woman’s neck at what appeared to be a formal occasion.
“The occasion was 1959, when the freedom of the city was being bestowed upon Lady Astor, who had been the MP for 26 years prior to that, and she was presenting, unexpectedly, a diamond necklace that she wore frequently with earrings to the then-Lady Mayoress, Mrs. Washborne. And she gave the diamonds to the city in perpetuity for the Lady Mayoress to wear on certain occasions each year,” the guest revealed.
The expert called Lady Astor her an extraordinary woman before revealing that she was an American who came to the United Kingdom and married a man named Waldorf Astor. “He presented her with very significant jewellery indeed. She was known for her generosity, but mostly in Plymouth, she was known for extraordinary loyalty to Plymouth city itself,” the expert added.
The guest then revealed that Lady Astor was the MP for 26 years, as her husband was the Lord Mayor during the years of World War II, and that they were both largely responsible for kickstarting the redevelopment of the city. Now, it was time to take a look at the necklace and the earrings. The expert called it a diamond skipping rope, thanks to its massive length. He also said the necklace could be split into six parts, each of which could be worn as a bracelet.
While the jewelry had an important place in British history, the expert speculated that it was made in 1910 in the United States of America. It was of a French design, but there were no marks to suggest that it was from France. “I cannot stress more, the provenance is crucial. You have absolutely cast factual provenance for this piece,” the expert added. The guest said that the necklace set was already insured for £300,000 ($395,495).
The expert said that the necklace would sell for close to that amount of money at least. For insurance purposes, he said that it was worth £500,000 ($659,158) to £600,000 ($790,989). The guest did not look surprised, but the people who had gathered to see the necklace were stunned.
More on Market Realist:
'Antiques Roadshow' guest stunned by the value of her vintage jewelry: 'I wear it quite a lot'
'Antiques Roadshow' guest breaks down after hearing the value of her heirloom with 'dramatic story'
