'Antiques Roadshow' guest breaks down after hearing the value of her heirloom with 'dramatic story'
"Antiques Roadshow" has inspired a lot of viewers to come forward with their family heirlooms and learn about their worth beyond the memories and emotions. Since the guests are already sentimental about such items passed down through generations, they tend to get overwhelmed after an appraisal. One such guest was an elderly woman who was nearly in tears after she found out the value of her grandmother's adorable jewelry collection. The items that came from a Russian Noble also had an incredible story to tell, according to the expert Sarah Churgin. The guest was on the verge of breaking down when Churgin told her that the collection was worth about $40,000.
The guest started by saying, "My great-grandmother, right there, her name was Vera Elibaba. She adored jewelry, and her husband gave her a lot of jewelry. And after she died, tragically, my grandmother inherited them. All my family was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. And during the revolution, those who could escape and went from Russia to Finland, from Finland to Riga, where I was born. My grandmother and my aunt escaped with the jewelry to Finland, and they escaped by lying flat on the bottom of a boat, and they put rags and stuff on top, and the jewelry came with them. And anytime any of my family moved, the jewelry went with them."
She further added, "My two uncles were shot. One uncle had his wife with him, and she was six months pregnant. They shot her. And then my grandfather, who was a part of the Tsar's cabinet, was just elected to become the treasurer of Russia. So that he had to be killed." She further explained that her father was an American spy and with his help they landed in the U.S., hoping to bring her grandmothers.
Churgin then took over to explain why she chose a couple of items from the large collection that the guest had brought. "Most pieces had the Russian marks on them. These pieces are both unmarked, but very clearly from the family because it's noble jewelry, so clearly from a family that had wealth," she noted.
The expert further added that the ring was equally valuable as it was made of platinum and encrusted with cut diamonds with a ruby at the center. "The ruby is strongly fluorescent, and that's an indication of Burmese origin. I would have it sent to one of the fine gem labs and have it certified for country of origin," Churgin told the guest. Churgin went on to estimate that the brooch was worth between $15,000 and $20,000. Shocked by the number, the guest said, "And I brought it here in my pocketbook. Oh! Yeah, okay," nearly breaking down in tears.
Churgin then went on to add to the guest's delight. She said, "And the ring, while it's scratched and worn and much more diminutive, because of the stones in it, specifically that central red stone, is worth as well $15,000 to $20,000."
The expert then thanked the elderly guest for bringing the wonderful collection to the show. "I wish they could talk because they would have a very dramatic story to tell," the guest remarked in the end.
More on Market Realist:
'Antiques Roadshow' guest stunned by the value of her vintage jewelry: 'I wear it quite a lot'
'Antiques Roadshow' guest stunned to find out that white stones on her brooch were real diamonds
