Latest news with #valuables
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Antiques Roadshow guest sobs 'I don't believe it's true!' as expert reveals staggering real value of gems she thought were 'costume jewellery'
An Antiques Roadshow guest sobbed when an expert revealed the staggering real value of gems she thought were 'costume jewellery'. Sunday's instalment of the popular BBC show saw expert Susan Rumfitt presented with a selection of pieces of jewellery. The guest brought along two necklaces, one came with matching brooch and a pair of earrings which had been gifted to her by her grandmother when she was 18 years old. 'How wonderful, that's quite a present, isn't it?' Susan remarked. The guest explained how she thought they were 'just costume jewellery, that's what she told me'. 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. The other necklace belonged to her mother, 'I think she inherited it, possibly, I can't really remember,' the guest explained. Susan examined the items and noted that one of the the necklaces contained amethysts and topaz, while the matching set was made from garnet. The expert dated the amethyst necklace to the 1880s to 1890s, 'amethysts are absolutely gorgeous, lovely saturation of colour and obviously mounted in yellow gold'. She described it as a 'beautiful piece of jewellery, with a case, which is what everybody loves at the moment.' Susan then explained the garnet necklace set dated to the 1800s. Revealing the value of the pieces, the expert said: 'The amethyst and white topaz necklace, if this came up for auction, an auction estimate of between £1,000 and £1,500.' 'As for the garnet parure, a set of jewellery, absolutely lovely. At auction because of the popularity of Georgian jewellery at the moment, auction estimate of £3,000 to £5,000,' she went on. The guest was visibly shocked and exclaimed: 'Oh my goodness, I didn't think I was wearing anything like that.' She added: 'Am I in a dream here, I don't believe it's true!' During another instalment, a guest on Antiques Roadshow was left floored by the whopping value of a 'grotty' item that had been abandoned in her garage for 20 years. Expert Marc Allum was presented with a designer piece of luggage at Beaumaris Castle. 'It's a pretty kind of grotty looking old piece of luggage this, it looks like it's had a really hard life,' Marc commented. The guest had acquired the Louis Vuitton chest after a family friend passed away and didn't originally realise the possible value of it. The guest's cousin who lives in Texas owns the item and she is the 'custodian' of it. 'We opened it and it said Louis Vuitton and I've actually had it in my garage for the past 20 years covered up,' she revealed. The expert explained how the trunk featured an 'unpickable lock' and inspected the inside details of the luggage box. He dated it to around 1890 and noted that though it needed 'quite a bit of work' he still gave an impressive valuation. 'As this stands, it's worth in the region of £2,500 to £3,500 at auction. It's a really nice thing,' Marc explained. 'Wow, wow,' the guest remarked.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Antiques Roadshow guest floored by whopping value of 'grotty' item abandoned in her garage for 20 years
A guest on Antiques Roadshow was left floored by the whopping value of a 'grotty' item that had been abandoned in her garage for 20 years. During a previous instalment of the BBC show, expert Marc Allum was presented with a designer piece of luggage at Beaumaris Castle. 'It's a pretty kind of grotty looking old piece of luggage this, it looks like it's had a really hard life,' Marc commented. The guest had acquired the Louis Vuitton chest after a family friend passed away and didn't originally realise the possible value of it. 'When we cleared the house it was covered in a blanket with a lamp on it, we just thought it was part of the clearing,' she explained. 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. 'When we cleared the house it was covered in a blanket with a lamp on it, we just thought it was part of the clearing,' the guest (pictured) explained The guests cousin who lives in Texas owns the item and she is the 'custodian' of it. 'We opened it and it said Louis Vuitton and I've actually had it in my garage for the past 20 years covered up,' she revealed. The expert explained how the trunk featured an 'unpickable lock' and inspected the inside details of the luggage box. He dated it to around 1890 and noted that though it needed 'quite a bit of work' he still gave an impressive valuation. 'As this stands, it's worth in the region of £2,500 to £3,500 at auction. It's a really nice thing,' Marc explained. 'Wow, wow,' the guest remarked. During the same instalment, a guest struggled to speak after they discovered the value of an 'extraordinary' family heirloom. Expert Joanna Hardy was presented with a piece of jewellery made of ten gold nuggets. 'They just look extraordinary,' she commented, as the owner explained her grandfather had gifted the bracelet to her grandmother. The guest revealed: 'My grandfather worked in Segovia, in Colombia in the Frontino mines in the '30s and '40s. 'He was an engineer so I don't believe he mined those by hand, but I think he must have got those from there.' Joanna marvelled how the piece of jewellery was 'ahead of its time' given the art deco style that was popular in the 1930s. The expert gushed over the nature of the bracelet and precious metal it was made of. She said: 'Gold, it is the only metal that is just so malleable, it doesn't rust, it doesn't tarnish, it's inactive to chemical reactions so what you see here is exactly the same as when it was first found. 'It's just got that raw energy about it.' The guest agreed and commented, 'I love it when I wear it because it's really heavy and it just fits, it's a really nice size as well.; Joanna moved onto discussing the value of the item and pointed out 'Gold has never been higher than today'. 'So at auction, I think you'd be looking at around £5,000,' she explained. The guest was visibly shocked and appeared to struggle to speak after realising the value of her bracelet. She stammered: 'Oh! Okay. That's quite a lot, everybody said that I know but it's really a lot more than I thought.'
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
How to value your family heirlooms
Sorting through clutter in the attic or sifting through belongings after a loved one passes away can feel overwhelming – but hidden among the ordinary may be objects of real value and historical interest. Whether you're driven by curiosity, considering insurance or a potential sale, or simply hoping to honour the memory attached to a cherished item, understanding its true worth is an essential part of preserving your family's legacy. To help navigate this process, we've turned to antiques expert Caroline Hawley. A familiar face on the Bargain Hunt presenting team, Hawley also owns and runs Hawleys Auctioneers in North Cave and Beverley, East Yorkshire, alongside her husband John. In our conversation, she answered some of the most frequently asked questions about how to evaluate the true worth of family heirlooms. What types of items might be particularly valuable? Don't dismiss any old toys that are in mint condition. 'When you are clearing out the back of the cupboard, things like old toys, games, Barbies (especially with the Barbie resurgence following the release of the movie) and Matchbox toys are all really popular,' says Hawley. 'If they're boxed and in good condition or mint condition, that's always a great thing. It makes them much more valuable if they haven't been played with. There is also a lot of interest in Pokemon cards right now.' Plus, designer watches are always a hit. 'Watches are very, very popular at the moment,' says Hawley, 'Brands like Rolex and Breitling in particular and any of the old Omega watches, especially in gold with diamond-set vessels, can be worth phenomenal amounts of money.' Furniture from the mid-20th century is also highly sought after. 'A lot of people don't think about selling this type of furniture because it's not strictly an antique,' says Hawley. 'It might be that your parents bought it in the 1970s, but this type of furniture is really making a comeback.' Fashion is another area that many people tend to overlook when going through family heirlooms, she adds. 'When someone has passed away, people tend to just bundle up the clothes, but I would advise them to have a jolly good look, because certain items of vintage clothing are very hot at the moment,' recommends Hawley. 'We've sold a lot of Mary Quant recently, and it's getting phenomenal money because people want something that's sustainable, but a bit different.' What are some key factors that determine an item's value? As expected, condition is paramount. 'With fashion, look very carefully at the condition in case things have been altered,' advises Hawley. 'Look for where you would expect obvious signs of wear, like under the arms where there could be deodorant staining, and also look out for things like moth damage. 'Some dresses from the 1920s are absolutely phenomenally beautiful, but they're no good if the condition is poor. So condition is a key thing to look for.' Furthermore, evidence of provenance (the place of origin or earliest known history of something) can also significantly increase the value of a family heirloom. 'We recently sold a good Rolex just short of £30,000, and the person that bought it was really pleased because of all the provenance came with it, including a picture of the original owner wearing it in the 1970s,' says Hawley. 'Also, all the service history and the original box add value, as people like to know the story of an item from its original purchase. That provenance of its journey through life into the new owner's hand makes a massive difference.' The antiques expert added that provenance is particularly important for medals. 'Any story that you have with medals like photographs, a uniform, diaries etc helps build a picture of the recipients of the medal and that adds to the value,' says Hawley. And lastly, some brands and designers consistently perform exceptionally well. 'Certain designers, Dior is an obvious one, are more valuable, but there are also some really cool designers from the Sixties and Seventies to look out for,' says Hawley. 'Some of the early Vivienne Westwood pieces can get an awful lot of money too.' How do you know if an item is a fake or a copy? 'Just about anything that is worth money, people are prepared to fake,' acknowledges Hawley. 'Especially with watches and handbags, there are so many fakes. 'If you do think there's something not quite right, look at the detail because sometimes that's what's lacking on a copy or a fake. Original Hermès scarves, for example, have hand-rolled edges and on a lot of the fakes they're not hand-rolled and stitched, and the measurements are just slightly off.' To be sure, Hawley suggests having anything you're uncertain about authenticated by a reputable auction house or a long-standing antiques dealer. When is it worth getting a professional appraisal? 'Don't be afraid to go with anything at all,' says Hawley. 'Quite often, the thing that they think is the least valuable turns out to be the most valuable. ' People come to me every day with things that are on their way to the tip because they think they're worth nothing, and then are thrilled to find out they're worth an awful lot of money.'
