BBC Antiques Roadshow guest gobsmacked as ‘over the top’ item fetches £30k value despite owner’s dislike
Antiques Roadshow expert John Benjamin has left one of his guests gobsmacked after he revealed the staggering valuation of her mother’s jewellery which she initially claimed was “over the top”.
During the repeat episode from October 2023, which airs tonight at 7pm on BBC One, treasures found included a signed Paul McCartney cartoon, a portrait of the late Queen made out of Lego bricks and some valuable vintage Vivienne Westwood outfits.
Mark Smith discovered a cigar which belonged to Winston Churchill, while Alastair Dickenson was thrilled to see a silver card case designed by Archibald Knox for Liberty in 1901.
Jon Baddeley pored over the estate agent sale documents for the Crystal Palace itself from the early 20th century, and Justin Croft saw some rare, early edition James Bond books.
Taking a look at the items on the table, Benjamin began: “We have a pair of drop earrings, and we have a ring so first thing is, tell me a little bit about them.”
The guest explained: “The earrings were my mother’s, bought by my father in the 40s, 1940s and she wore them, that is all I know about them. She left them to me.”
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Benjamin continued: “Alright, as I look at them here, the design of them is very much of the 1940s. These drops are very pretty in their construction.
“You have got these principal stones here, in a diamond-like halo surround, diamond top sections, almost like a flame.
“Question for you, did you wonder at the way that they just finished up with the kind of a flat top? Can you see that there? I think that it’s possible that they were even longer and your mother may have chopped the tops off to make them a little bit shorter.
“Nonetheless when you look at them the shape, the construction, the beauty, the wearability, they’re very very lovely.”
Moving onto the ring, Benjamin added: “Let’s just take this off the prop. In the middle is a brilliant-cut diamond, weighing around four carats in the centre.
“The diamond is almost between tram trails of baguette diamonds and in typical what I would call a three-dimensional look, you have to look at this back band, parvay diamond set, with further brilliant cut diamonds.”
Cutting Benjamin off, the guest noted that she thought the ring was “over the top” and didn’t like the fact it was flashy.”
Benjamin laughed and continued: “The fact that it is over the top, people like that. The principal diamonds you can see how it sparkles here in the sunshine.
“Have you ever looked at it and thought to yourself that the diamond looks a little yellowish in colour? It is not absolutely pure white, it is what we call draws, a little bit of yellow colour to it.
“I have looked at it with my lens and I can tell you it is beautifully made which means it is very well cut and it’s also very lovely clarity.
“Now, most stones you look at, have a flaw in it, this is a four-carat diamond that has no flaws in it at all. Your mother had never conveyed this to you?”
The guest explained that she and her mother had never discussed it as she was only little and was never really interested as she grew older.
Valuating the pair together, Benjamin revealed: “Together, for these two diamond pieces, we are looking at the best part of £27,000 to £30,000.”
Stunned, the guest replied: “Oh good… thank you very much.”