Antiques Roadshow expert delivers 'bad news' to guest over family jewellery

Edinburgh Live

3 days ago

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Antiques Roadshow expert, John Benjamin, delivered some 'bad news' to two guests on Sunday's episode of the show.
The latest edition of the hit BBC programme took place at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham, where local residents arrived to have their antiques and fine arts appraised by experts.
As such, two guests brought their family's Art Deco jewellery to be valued and examined. At first, expert John was handed an antique tin but upon opening it he found a spectacular pair of drop earrings set in platinum and a sapphire ring.
One of the guests explained that it was given to his mother by a friend of hers who had met a guy who spent a lot of time in France.
(Image: bbc)
However, expert John noticed a detail on both items of jewellery as he said: "Someone who has owned these in their history has taken them to a jeweller and said: 'I'm not sure if I like the fittings'.
"So what they've done is they've removed the original fittings from the back and they've soldered on these long gold sort of posts with nine carat gold screw fittings at the end."
Meanwhile, while talking about the ring, John explained: "Here's an interesting point, in the 1920s, when that was made, synthetic rubies and sapphires were beginning to appear on the market.
"The sapphires on the shoulders in the ring are actually synthetic. They're not real. So, there we are."
(Image: BBC)
Giving a valuation, he added: "Here's the bad news, those drops, today, if they were having the original fittings on them. I think would be worth between £4,000 and £5,000.
"But because the fittings have been changed, I think we've got to now drop that price to probably £2,500 to £3,000 simply because of a clumsy conversion."
He added over the sapphire ring: 'The ring about £1500.'
This prompted one of the guests to joke: 'How much is the box worth?' to which John quipped: 'Priceless, absolutely priceless the box!'
Elsewhere on the show, art specialist Rupert Maas evaluated a monochromatic painting depicting Princess Daisy of Pless, an Edwardian-era high society figure.
The owner recounted how her father came across the piece in Watford, snapping it up from a junk shop for just £13.50.
Rupert went on to say: "You're going to be hanging it again, I hope, especially when I tell you what it's worth," before sharing the item's value of £2,000 to £3,000.
The guest was visibly taken aback, expressing disbelief: "Really? Gosh! I was thinking you were going to say a couple of hundred," only for Rupert to admit it wasn't a fortune but certainly more than its purchase price.
Antiques Roadshow continues on Sundays at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.