'Antiques Roadshow' guest breaks down in tears after expert tells the value of her grandma's jewelry
"Antiques Roadshow" turns appraisal of collectors' items and artifacts into relatable content by introducing an element of drama and focusing on the emotion attached to the items. It was on display in a special episode when a guest brought in her grandmother's pearl necklace and a diamond brooch, which she had held close to her heart for years. While the items had a great sentimental value, expert Susan Rumfitt pushed their monetary value through the roof with a massive appraisal.
In the episode filmed at the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, U.K., the guest brought a brooch and a pear necklace alongside a black and white picture of a glamorous woman. "Little bit of magic here today. Pearls in the pendant, diamonds in the brooch, and a rather glamorous lady. Tell me about her," Rumfitt said looking at the items.
The guest went on to share that the woman was her grandmother, Irene Picks, who was the owner of the jewelry. "She married my grandfather before the First World War. He was killed in France at the very beginning of the war. After he died, she went to England and married somebody called Robin Buxton and I think he probably gave her these jewels, and then my father gave them to me after my grandmother died," she added. She explained that her grandmother was a 'theatre girl' after the expert noted how glamorous she looked in the picture.
The expert then turned her attention to the "delicate flower brooch" which was embedded with what she described as "gorgeously cut diamonds." Even though the jewelry didn't have a hallmark, the expert could tell that it came from a good jeweler, due to craftmanship. Shen then pointed out the intricate engraving around the border, which helped her to date it back to the latter part of the 19th century or early 20th Century. "I would have been a very lovely thing to have," she said.
Moving on to the necklace, Rumfitt said that it was also from a similar time period and is known as a lavaliere pendant, with two drops that are slightly different lengths. "Have you noticed there are some fittings at the back of the drops?" the expert asked. She then explained that the fittings enable the owner to take the drops off and wear them as earrings as well.
The expert theorized that its diamond coronet detail indicates that the necklace was made for a special royal occasion. She confidently estimated that the pearls were most likely natural due to their distinct shapes and lustrous quality.
“They have a beautiful luster to them, they’re slightly different in shape and size which, again, I think is just gorgeous, absolutely wonderful,” the jewelry expert said. However, she added that only an X-ray could tell if the pearls were natural or cultured. Rumfitt then went on to talk about the value of the "magical items." She said, “I love the diamond brooch. If that came up at auction, I would expect it to be between £5,000 (~$6,160) and £7,000 (~$8,625).”
The guest was visibly overwhelmed and exclaimed, “Wow. Right. I wasn’t expecting that. Not at all.” Moving on, the expert said that the special pendant could be even worth more. “It’s absolutely stunning. So, auction estimate, £20,000 (~$24,651) to £30,000 (~$36,977).” While the appraisal prompted a gasp from the crowd, the guest almost broke down. “Oh my God. Wow. Never entered my head," she said while holding back tears.
“Two beautiful pieces of jewelry. Thank you very much indeed," Rumfitt said to comfort her. In an interview, the guest added that it was an "almighty shock" as she thought it was just a nice pendant. “It really took my breath away, that’s all I can say. Unbelievable,” she added.
