'Antiques Roadshow' guest was almost in tears after expert revealed value of her 150-year-old item

Guest reactions after knowing the prices of their possessions is what sets "Antiques Roadshow" apart, but no matter how long people have been watching it, nothing can prepare them for the dramatic ways in which some owners react. While some guests are completely oblivious about the value of their artifacts, some go in with their homework done. The owner of a collection of ancient Chinese artifacts, who came with an expectation of getting a few thousand dollars, was literally speechless after learning the true value of her items. 

In the episode of the long-running PBS reality show, the guest brought an impressive collection of two jade tablets and a Chinese imperial seal, which she inherited from her Grandmother. "She died in 1929 at that point, my mother inherited them. I have been told they are 18th century, from China. According to my mother, she may have purchased them in San Francisco, where she lived," the guest told the expert Robert Waterhouse.

Taking over from the guest, Waterhouse explained the history and significance of the items she had brought. "They're mottled green Jade. They're plaques or tablets. It's likely that the two on the screen behind the seal were, in fact, out of an album," he said. He further explained that they might have been a part of "a jade-paged book" as they are incised with official Chinese script. 

"And the seal, again, is green Jade surmounted with a Double Dragon and a cord the seals a symbol of Imperial authority," he added. The expert noted that the items were lovely, but some of them may not be from the 18th century as the owner thought. "You might see here, it's actually dated here Guangxi, the first year of Guangxi, which is 1875, and these are more than likely commemorative pages. There was an honorary mention of a previous ancestor. These jade book pages are not uncommon. They're more than likely two of a book of 12," Waterhouse pointed out. He then asked if the guest had any idea about their value. The lady told the expert that her mother had the two plaques appraised back in 2007 for about $1,400.

Waterhouse then went back to talking about the jade seal, saying that their team needed to do more research as the item was a little "problematic." Pointing at the carvings on the seal, the expert noted that they were weak at places, which in a way signaled that they were not from the early 18th century but from a time when Chinese decorative art witnessed a decline. Coming to the numbers, the expert shared that the team's general consensus was that the two plaques are imperial, at least when associated together. Thus, at an auction, they would carry an estimated value of about $20,000 to $30,000. The numbers stunned the guest as she believed the items to be worth only a couple thousand dollars.

"Do you have any idea of the value of the seal?" the expert asked the lady. She shared that her mother had it appraised, along with the plaques, for $1,400. Blowing her mind, Waterhouse shared that their team estimated the value of the item to be anywhere between $30,000 and $50,000. "Uh... um, okay. All right," the guest stuttered.

However, the expert wasn't done yet. Waterhouse went on to add that if any proof emerges or a shared consensus develops that the seal is from 1875 or towards the end of Guangxu's reign, the value would go up in multiples of 10. "So it may carry an auction estimate of $300,000 to $500,000," he noted.

At this point, the guest seemed to have forgotten how to speak English as she stammered. "Oh, is that all? She quickly said as she teared up before thanking the expert for sharing such an amazing appraisal. "Okay, well, that's a little bit different than what I was expecting today. But, oh my, oh my. Thank you," she added in the end.