Antiques Roadshow fans were left absolutely staggered on Sunday night, as one tiny brooch received a whopping valuation.
Expert John Benjamin was looking to value a plum coloured box which contained the tiny piece of jewellery, along with a ring with some pretty significant history attached.
The brooch’s box harked back to the Russian royal family, with the guest also bringing along a black-and-white photograph of her grandfather and a lady, who had both worked at Buckingham Palace for King George V.
“The Tsar came to visit Buckingham Palace in 1908 and when he left, he presented her with the brooch inside that box,” she explained.
John couldn’t find a record of his visit, but he theorised that it might have been the Tsar’s mother and sister who arrived in England.
(Image: BBC)
The leaves on the brooch were green gold – gold mixed with silver for a subtle touch.
A monogram also appeared on the back of the pin, with John explaining: “This tells me that this was made by a craftsman called Tieleman and he was a craftsman who did work for – guess who? Peter Carl Fabergé.”
Which brought him onto the impressive valuation of £8,000 to £12,000 – a huge amount indeed for such a tiny ornament.
(Image: BBC)
“It’s in the original presentation case, and it’s in absolutely pristine condition,” John explained. “Subject to the affirmation of this connection directly to the Tsar or his mother, eight to £12,000.”
“Goodness!” the guest responded, clearly taken aback.
Fans immediately flocked to Twitter to echo his sentiments, with one writing: “£12,000 brooch!!”
Someone else said: “I knew there was a reason I switched from #NFLRedZone to #AntiquesRoadshow… 12 grand, well done lass!”
(Image: BBC)
“Fabergé always means a top dollar valuation on the #AntiquesRoadshow,” another fan chimed in.
“When the war was declared, he had to go out to France as a dispatch rider,” the guest explained. “And then King George V came out to visit the troops, and he came on horseback, and when he came near the troops they all clapped and cheered.
“His horse reared, and he fell quite heavily, and fortunately my grandfather was there and he recognised him because he had been his footman, and he carried him to safety in a chateau! He was quite badly hurt, and [my grandfather] was awarded the Victoria medal.”
He was originally gifted the ring as a tie-pin from the King before it was fashioned into a ring for the guest’s mother to wear.
The ring was valued at £800 to £1,200 for an interested collector.
John said of Jean and Thomas, depicted in the photograph: “They left a legacy which today has matured into something quite significant.”
Antiques Roadshow airs Sunday night from 8pm on BBC One.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
