BBC Antiques Roadshow expert in show first as 1900s necklace is one ‘I’ve never seen this fine’
Antiques Roadshow host Ronnie Archer-Morgan was left stunned when once guest brought along a necklace she found on her honeymoon – creating show history for the expert.
During Sunday night’s latest episode of the BBC series, host Fiona Bruce and the experts travelled to Belfast’s Botanic Gardens, where treasures included a rare teddy bear made to mark the sinking of the Titanic, an early work by celebrated Irish artist Nora McGuinness and the dress medals of Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne, one of the founding soldiers of the SAS.
Book expert Justin Croft was thrilled to find an early edition of one of the world’s best-loved children’s books, Guess How Much I Love You.
Miscellany expert Raj Bisram was reminded of how the great guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, celebrated his birthday when he visited the city.
Bruce discovered a gold and ruby salamander that was found on a ship sunk during the Spanish Armada in 1588.
However, it was Morgan who was left stunned when he came across a necklace which had been purchased by the owner 16 years prior.
Speaking to the guests about the piece of jewellery, Morgan noted: “This was made such a long way from Northern Ireland, by the Zuni people, a very spiritual Pueblo people from New Mexico.
“You’ve got to tell me how this happens to be in Northern Ireland, in Belfast.”
The woman replied: “Well, we were on honeymoon, 16 years ago, in Flagstaff, Arizona. We went into the trading store and that jumped out of the cabinet.”
Laughing at the way she described it, Morgan continued: “I am not surprised. What I love about this is the lapidary work, and that’s the work where they cut out little pieces of stone and shells, and set them in.
“They used to make lapidary work animals and things that they used in their ceremonies hundreds, maybe 1,000 years ago, and they have passed that tradition down through the generations and still use it today.
“Now in the 1870s, a travelling Navajo was in New Mexico, met up with a Zuni lapidary maker and taught him silversmithing and they learned from the Navajo how to use their lapidary work and work it with silver.”
Morgan revealed that the necklace was more than likely 100 years old, and could have been made in the 1900s.
When asked what she knew about the necklace, the woman explained: “We were told 1910, made for a Zuno chief’s wife. That’s hard to know for sure, yeah. I bought it, not because of what he said but because I fell in love with it.”
She added that she has only worn the piece of jewellery once and admitted that the colours of the necklace were the same as her birthstone.
Impressed, Morgan went on to value the necklace and said: “You had to have that! So we’ve got to come to value, I think.
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“I think this, in a gallery specialising in Native American silver… someone would put a price of between £1,500 and £2,000 for this. I have never seen one of this type as fine as this.”
The woman smiled at the price and simply stated: “Thank you!”