'Antiques Roadshow' guest covers face in disbelief after hearing value of her 200-year-old jewelry set
The guest said that it was left to her by her grandmother who passed at the age of 102.
July 13 2025, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
Guests on “Antiques Roadshow” are often unable to contain their emotions when they’re left shocked by the true worth of their possessions. Some break down, and some are more vocal about their thoughts, but one guest could only hide her face in disbelief after the appraisal of a 200-year-old jewelry box. The guest said that she had inherited it from her grandmother, who had passed away at the incredible age of 102.
The first item inside it, which the expert picked up, was a Georgian gold chain with a hand clasp embedded with a tiny gem at one end. “Well, on the basis that a Georgian gold muff chain like this, it’s a little shorter than the very long ones that you get. That, by itself, is probably worth £1,000 ($1,352),” the expert said. The guest wasn’t expecting this and let out a small laugh, expressing her surprise at the appraisal.
Next up was another gold chain, and its craftsmanship was one to marvel at, as it was made of spun gold. “I mean, considering it was probably made in about 1825, 1830, you can see the technique, the sophistication that that would have been made,” the expert explained. He then went on to place a decent appraisal value of £600 ($811) to £800 ($1,081). The expert then turned his attention to some rings.
“The thing about mourning rings is, of course, that when someone died, it was customary to commemorate the person by mounting a small lock of hair in a locket center surrounded it quite frequently with half pearls. Being mourning, the color was black, always going to be black, and then at the back of the ring, we might find a small sort of engraving of the person’s name, the date that they passed on, and also you might find a locket compartment where there would be a small lock of hair,” he said.
These rings were worth between £300 (405) and £400 ($541) each. The expert had also asked the guest if she had worn any of the jewelry in the box, and the guest had pointed to another ring that she had worn at her wedding. This one, as per the expert, was a late Victorian ornament. It was a gold ring with a sapphire in the center surrounded by pearls. Despite being of simple design, it looked stunning.
During the appraisal, the expert turned his attention to a half hoop ring with multiple diamonds and said that it was worth £800 to £1,000. It was then time to place a value on the jewelry set as a whole. That amount, as per the expert, was £8,000. ($10,813). The guest did not expect this, and she covered her face in shock. “God. Didn’t realize that at all,” she said in disbelief.
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