In an episode of BBC's Antiques Roadshow, expert Hugh Scully was left baffled by a 'unique' jewellery collection that a guest had brought in to be valued as the guest held back tears Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters In a throwback episode of BBC's Antiques Roadshow, the show took us to Winchester College where individuals brought their unique items for valuation by experts. Among them was a woman eager to know the potential auction value of her late grandmother's jewellery collection. She informed the expert that her relative had passed away a few years earlier at the age of 102.
Expert Hugh then opened a box revealing an array of unique pieces in a pull-out drawer he dubbed a "cabinet of curiosities." He marvelled at the "extraordinary collection of Georgian and Victorian jewellery." One necklace particularly caught his eye - a Georgian gold belcher link chain with a hand clasp, which he described as a "beautiful" piece.
However, it was a collection of mourning rings in the box that piqued Hugh's interest, reports the Express . He explained: "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." He added that the colour of mourning jewellery was always black and that the back of the ring would typically feature a small engraving of the deceased's name and date of death.
Additionally, there might be a tiny locket compartment containing a small lock of hair. During an enquiry about whether she ever sported any of the jewellery, a woman revealed that she wore one ring on her wedding day last year, admitting that she hadn't had any of the items valued before. Hugh, the Antiques Roadshow expert, left her astonished by declaring the belcher chain alone could fetch £1,000.
"Oh my god! " the woman responded, clearly taken aback and chuckling at the unexpected figure. As Hugh delved further into the collection's worth, individual prices elicited visible emotion from the woman; she began to breathe deeply and tremble as she absorbed the valuation. He went on to say: "From what looks like a fairly straight Sheffield plate set, which is worth no more than about £300.
You've got a lower-tiered draw which is probably worth £8,000." Stunned, the lady covered her mouth in shock and uttered, "My god, I didn't realise that at all." Hugh concluded with, "It really is a unique collection.
" Episodes of Antique Roadshow are available to watch on BBC iPlayer..
