A visitor to the Antiques Roadshow was so stunned by the valuation of her jewellery collection that she had to apologise for nearly swearing on camera. The incident occurred as the BBC programme filmed at Cromford Mills in Derbyshire.
From Costume Jewellery to Small Fortune
The guest presented a set of gold and silver pieces, including a brooch and bracelet, to expert Joanna Hardy. She revealed she had bought the first item 35 years ago, believing it to be diamantes and "posh costume jewellery". The collection also bore the inscribed name of sculptor George Weil.
While she admitted paying "quite a lot" – around £1,500 in total – for the items over time, she was utterly unprepared for Joanna Hardy's assessment. "My goodness. My heart jumped when I saw these pieces," the expert exclaimed.
The Eye-Watering Valuation Revealed
Hardy delivered the astonishing news piece by piece. She estimated the entire collection would be worth around £15,000 in today's market, prompting the guest to gasp, "Oh never," and apologise: "Sorry I nearly swore."
The expert then broke down the values: one brooch was estimated at £5,000 to £7,000, another at £3,000 to £5,000, and a ring at about £2,500. The combined total for the collection reached an incredible £25,000.
Antarctic Soup Bowls Fetch Thousands
In another remarkable find from a different episode, filmed at Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing, a guest discovered her family heirlooms were also worth a small fortune. She brought in a pair of soup bowls and a painting connected to her grandfather, Reginald Skelton, an officer on the first major Scottish expedition to the Antarctic.
The painting was of Antarctica by artist Edward Wilson, and the Royal Doulton soup bowls were used by officers on the expedition. Expert Fuschia Voremberg valued the bowls at £3,500 each and the painting at £7,000.
The astonished owner said, "A bit astonished, quite honestly... Certainly we would never sell them. They'll just go down through the family."
Antiques Roadshow airs on Sundays on BBC One and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
