In an archive episode of BBC’s Antique Roadshow , viewers were taken to Winchester College where people took their unique items to be valued by a team of experts. One of which included a woman who was curious to see what her late grandmother’s jewellery collection would make at an auction. Telling the expert her relative died a few years prior, at the age of 102, Hugh opened a box which contained unique pieces in a pull-out draw which he called a “cabinet of curiosities.
” Observing the pieces inside, he commented: “It’s an extraordinary collection of Georgian and Victorian jewellery.” Pulling out a necklace which caught his eye, the BBC star told the woman it was a Georgian gold belcher link chain with a hand clasp which he called a “beautiful” piece. However, it was a collection of mourning rings in the box which Hugh wanted to know more about.
He commented: “The thing about mourning rings is of course when someone died it was customary to commemorate the person by mounting a small lock of hair in a locket centre, surrounding it quite frequently with half pearls. “Being mourning, the colour was black, always going to be black. Then at the back of the ring, you’d find a small engraving of the person’s name and the date that they passed on.
“Then, also you might find a tiny little locket compartment where there would be a small lock of hair.” Curious, he asked whether or not the woman wears any of the rings as she revealed wearing one on her weddi.