A guest on Antiques Roadshow was left lost for words by the valuation placed on an inherited brooch.
The woman appeared on Easter Sunday’s (April 9) episode of the popular BBC show, bringing along a family heirloom that she had inherited from her mother.
Antiques Roadshow yesterday
Antiques expert Geoffrey Munn was blown away yesterday by a stunning gold brooch, encrusted with rubies and diamonds.
The owner told the story of how she had come to inherit the piece from her great-aunt, via her mother.
“She was cook and housekeeper to Prince Ernst August of Hanover for 37 years.” She explained.
Geoffrey then affirmed that the brooch was indeed “a very typical gift from a royal personage, there’s no question at all”.
The woman expanded on her family’s rich history: “They come from Silesia, which is today southern Poland, and they had to flee from the Russians during the end of the war. And they made it over to west Germany.”
The expert then joked that he was “going home”, made “redundant” by all the owner had managed to work out for herself.
“It’s Russian and it’s got a 56 kokoshnik mark, I believe, which is 14 carat gold,” the owner told him.
She also continued: “And it’s got an assayer’s mark of Ivan Lebetkin in Moscow between 1899 and 1908.”
She laughed about all the “squinting and turning” she had done to find this out.
An impressed Geoffrey confirmed all of these details, identifying the broach as indeed typical of “pre-revolutionary Russian style”.
Afterwards there was some speculation that the broach resembled the work of Karl Faberge.
However lack of a maker’s mark and differences in handwriting caused Geoffrey to eventually conclude that it had instead been made by one of his competitor’s.
This would of course mean that it was “not as sweet financially.” But by no means did this make it worthless.
Woman lost for words at value of broach
While the guest had clearly done her research, nothing could prepare her for the valuation of her brooch.
“So what’s it worth? Between £7,000 and £8,000,” estimated Geoffrey.
This news was followed by oohs and ahhs from those around her and left the owner “speechless”.
“I never believed that.” She managed to say finally, “Wow!”
“You’ve got to believe it!” The expert told her, to the delight of the crowd.
Read More: Antiques Roadshow: BBC viewers stunned over staggering value of watch bought for £20
Antiques Roadshow airs every Sunday at 8pm on BBC One.
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