Antiques Roadshow expert sends guest AWAY after spotting 'crucial' detail missing from diamond bracelet linked to Hollywood star
An Antiques Roadshow expert sent a guest away after spotting a 'crucial' detail missing from their diamond bracelet, which was linked to a Hollywood star.
A resurfaced episode of the BBC show, which sees specialist appraisers value heirlooms and heritage items, went to the Baddesley Clinton manor in Warwickshire.
Expert Geoffrey Munn was asked to assess a stunning diamond bracelet, said to have once belonged to iconic Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth.
He admired the beautiful jewellery: 'Diamonds sparkling in the sunshine here. This is almost Hollywood sunshine, isn't it?'
The owner replied, revealing the item's Tinseltown origins: 'It is indeed and that is exactly where this was bought.'
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
She purchased the bracelet from an antique and jewellery store on Hollywood.
The woman was introduced to the owner and they soon developed a close friendship, which lasted 24 years until the shopkeeper passed away.
She added: 'It's always nice to have a jeweller as a friend.
'And I had inheritance so I thought I would put it into something tangible and also pretty and also probably a better investment than the bank.'
With this origin story about diamonds and best friends, Geoffrey could not resist a couple of obvious jokes: 'Your best friend, a girl's best friend, all these cliches are tumbling out onto the table!'
The owner said she bought the bracelet for $23,000, which is around £13,500 - but it was her mention of its previous owner that got Geoffrey really excited.
'But in fact it had belonged to Rita Hayworth', she said, to which the expert responded enthusiastically: 'Oh, how marvelous! That's very good to know.'
The jewellery was a gift to the actress and pin-up girl, who was one of the top stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, best known for her turn in 1946 noir film Gilda.
It was given to her by her third husband of a total five - Aly Khan, whose father was the former President of the Assembly of the League of Nations.
The current owner of the bracelet, which she described as '1940s, American, fabulous Hollywood glitz', was clearly a big fan of Rita: 'She was an amazing star and a real Hollywood A-lister.
'She acted with absolutely everybody in Hollywood at the time - Glenn Ford, Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles.'
Geoffrey agreed, pointing to her many fans: 'She was much adored and much loved.'
But the owner, despite her best efforts, had not been able to find a picture of Rita wearing the bracelet so far.
The specialist recommended she go away and keep trying to find such an image: 'Well, I will send you home to look for those photographs and maybe even her will would be interesting too, wouldn't it?
'And you've got to go in for a bit of open cast archaeology here because the provenance of these pieces have to be crucial in every sense of the word.'
'Because they're heirlooms, they're talismans and when you can associate them with somebody famous, someone utterly glamorous in lifestyle and in looks, then this adds hugely to your investment in some regard.'
His recommendation informed his eventual estimate of how much the jewellery would go under the hammer for.
Geoffrey said: 'Maybe if you go home and do your Rita Hayworth thing, find a photograph of her wearing it under the most spectacular circumstances with somebody famous, well, then £80,000.'
The owner was absolutely delighted by this estimate: 'That's good! That was really quite a buy!'
But the expert was quick to add: 'But if we can't find that and never do, then it's not so much fun. It might only be a mere £45,000.'
The woman was not at all put off by that: 'It's still good! It's still lovely! I'm delighted!'
It comes after guests on another more recent episode of Antiques Roadshow were stunned into silence after learning the eye-watering value of a watch purchased for just £21.
Sunday's instalment of the popular BBC show saw expert Ben Wright presented with a pair of Rolex watches.
One of them, the watch that cost only £21 originally, belonged to the guest's great-great-grandfather and was identified as the Rolex Prince.
Sunday's instalment of the popular BBC show saw expert Ben Wright (pictured) presented with a pair of Rolex watches
The other, more recent one, meanwhile, was his father's, who had accompanied the guest to appear on the programme.
Of the older watch, Ben said, also looking at the paperwork accompanying it: 'I notice there's a little bit of wear and tear on the dial and we've got a later winder on the case.'
Ben then went on to comment on the Rolex Submariner, which belongs to the father.
'I was a merchant navy cadet in 1976 and I saved up my pittance to buy that in Singapore. It was £250 I think,' he revealed.
The specialist then revealed his valuation: 'At auction the Rolex Prince is going to be between £3,000 and £4,000.
'The Submariner, it's in great condition, all in all, the full ensemble at auction easily £8,000 to £12,000.'
The father and son duo smiled and nodded silently at the whopping values, utterly stunned, before thanking Ben.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
10 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
BBC Bargain Hunt expert jailed over art sales to ‘Hezbollah financier'
Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, sold artwork worth around £140,000 to Nazem Ahmad, a man designated by US authorities as a suspected financier for the Lebanese organisation. Ojiri, of Brent, north London, previously pleaded guilty to eight offences under section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000. He is believed to be the first person to be charged with the specific offence. The art dealer, who has also appeared on the BBC's Antiques Road Trip, was charged with failing to disclose information about transactions in the regulated art market sector on or before dates between October 2020 and December 2021. US prosecutors say Mr Ahmad was a 'major Hezbollah financial donor' who used high-value art and diamonds to launder money and fund the group. He is accused of evading terrorism sanctions by using front companies to acquire more than 160 million dollars (£120 million) in artwork and diamond services. Following the introduction of new money laundering regulations in January 2020 that brought the art market under HMRC supervision, Ojiri is said to have discussed the changes with a colleague, indicating awareness of the rules. The court previously heard the total value of the artwork sold was around £140,000. The defendant was, at the relevant time, the owner and operator of Ramp Gallery – latterly Ojiri Gallery, Lyndon Harris, prosecuting, said. Mr Ahmad is understood to be based in Beirut, the court heard. Mr Harris said: 'The defendant engaged in discussions with and sales over a 14-month period with Nazem Ahmad and his associates, selling art to the value of £140,000 over that period.' The defendant knew Mr Ahmad had been sanctioned in the US, a previous hearing was told. Ahmad's phone number was saved on Ojiri's phone as 'Moss', the court heard. '[It] appears to have been a name deliberately chosen to disguise Mr Ahmad as being one of his contacts,' the prosecutor said. He added that Ojiri was warned by others about his conduct 'but proceeded to engage in dealings with Ahmad in any event'. Gavin Irwin, defending, said Ojiri was arrested while filming a BBC TV programme. He said: 'He has lost the work he loves. He was arrested while filming a BBC television programme. 'He has already lost, of course, his good name, he was until recently a man of good character.' He said the defendant had been 'naive' in relation to his participation in Ahmad's art market, but that he was 'preyed on by more sophisticated others'. Mr Irwin also said the defendant has lost his business, accepted that he had done wrong and wanted to 'apologise for undermining trust in the industry' and also to 'apologise for the distress that he has caused principally to those who know him, who love him, but also those who have supported him throughout his career'. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced Ojiri to two years and six months in prison at the Old Bailey on Friday, with a further year to be spent on licence. She told Ojiri he had been involved in a commercial relationship 'for prestige and profit', and that he had been 'seeking the kudos of dealing with an eminent name in the dealing world'. She added: 'You knew about Ahmad's suspected involvement in financing terrorism and the way the art market can be exploited by someone like him.' Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that until these events he was 'someone to be admired' and added 'this is the nadir – there is one direction your life can go and I am confident that you will not be in front of the courts again.' The judge said the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: 'The prosecution, using specific Terrorism Act legislation is the first of its kind, and should act as a warning to all art dealers that we can, and will, prosecute those who knowingly do business with people identified as funders of terrorist groups. 'Oghenochuko Ojiri wilfully obscured the fact he knew he was selling artwork to Nazem Ahmad, someone who has been sanctioned by the UK and US Treasury and described as a funder of the proscribed terrorist group Hizballah. 'Financial investigation is a crucial part of the counter terrorism effort. A team of specialist investigators, analysts and researchers in the NTFIU work all year round to prevent money from reaching the hands of terrorists or being used to fund terrorist attacks.' Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'It is clear that Oghenochuko Ojiri was aware of new money laundering regulations in the art world and that he had knowledge of Nazem Ahmad's background. 'Ojiri engaged in activity designed to conceal the identity of the true purchaser by changing the details on invoices and storing Mr Ahmad's name under a different alias in his mobile phone. 'His motivation appears to be financial along with a broader desire to boost his gallery's reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector.' Ojiri has appeared on a number of BBC shows including Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip. He described himself as 'absolutely obsessed' with collecting contemporary art in a BBC Q&A. He has previously worked as an auctioneer and is known for championing African and European contemporary art. Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political and militant group based in Lebanon, backed by Iran and known for its armed resistance against Israel. In the UK, the entire organisation – both its military and political wings – has been banned as a terrorist group since 2019.
The Guardian
10 minutes ago
- The Guardian
UK government signals it will not force tech firms to disclose how they train AI
Campaigners have accused ministers of lying to parliament and the creative industries after the government signalled it would not force AI companies to disclose how they train their models. Ministers are holding firm in a standoff with the House of Lords, which has called for artists to be offered immediate copyright protection against artificial intelligence companies. Peers voted by 221 to 116 on Wednesday to insist on an amendment to the data bill that would force AI firms to be transparent about what copyrighted material they use to train their models. In an amendment tabled on Friday, the government dismissed the Lords' request and reiterated its promise to publish an economic impact assessment and technical reports on the future of AI and copyright regulation. Beeban Kidron, the cross-bench peer and film director who has campaigned on behalf of the industry, said during Wednesday's debate that she would 'accept anything that the Commons does' after this week. 'I will not stand in front of your Lordships again and press our case,' she said. But the News Media Association (NMA), which represents publishers including the Guardian, said peers could table further amendments to the data bill when it returns to the Lords next Wednesday. Industry figures said the government was acting in bad faith by not addressing the Lords' concerns and called for it to make further amendments of its own before MPs vote on it on Tuesday. Kidron said: 'The government has repeatedly taken all protections for UK copyrights holders out of the data bill. In doing so they have shafted the creative industries, and they have proved willing to decimate the UK's second biggest industrial sector. They have lied to parliament, and they are lying to the sector.' She said the government's action 'adds another sector to the growing number that have an unbridgeable gap of trust with the government'. Owen Meredith, chief executive of the NMA, said: 'the government's refusal to listen to the strong view of the Lords … risks undermining the legislative process. 'There is still time for the government to do the right thing, and take transparency powers in this bill. This would be a key step towards rebuilding trust with a £126bn industry.' Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The government's approach to copyright has drawn the ire of major creative artists and organisations including Paul McCartney, Kate Bush and the National Theatre, with Elton John describing the situation as an 'existential issue' this week. Opponents of the plans have warned that even if the attempts to insert clauses into the data bill fail, the government could be challenged in the courts over the proposed changes. The consultation on copyright changes, which is due to produce its findings before the end of the year, contains four options: to let AI companies use copyrighted work without permission, alongside an option for artists to 'opt out' of the process; to leave the situation unchanged; to require AI companies to seek licences for using copyrighted work; and to allow AI firms to use copyrighted work with no opt-out for creative companies and individuals. Kyle has said the copyright-waiver-plus-opt-out scenario is no longer the government's preferred option, but Kidron's amendments have attempted to head off that option by effectively requiring tech companies to seek licensing deals for any content that they use to train their AI models.
Telegraph
14 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Piri piri monkfish with runner bean relish
Monkfish on the bone is perfect for a piri piri dish like this – its firm flesh stands up to the heat and a good roast. You can use other fish, just go a bit gentler with flakier varieties when it comes to cooking and serving. The relish is a great way to use up a glut of runner beans – you can also serve it as part of an antipasti spread or with grilled meats and veg. Requires marinating time. Overview Prep time 20 mins Cook time 35 mins Serves 4 Ingredients For the marinated fish 4-5 red chillies juice of 1 lemon 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 bay leaves ½ tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar 2 tsp paprika 60ml vegetable or rapeseed oil 1 x 1kg monkfish tail or 2 x 500g tails, trimmed For the relish handful of runner beans (about 6-7), trimmed and diced 1 red onion, finely chopped ½ tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar 2 medium tomatoes (seeds removed), diced ½ red chilli, finely chopped 1 tbsp chopped coriander, plus extra to serve 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
