An Antiques Roadshow guest gave a two-word response when a jewellery expert's opinion hinted that her piece might be extremely valuable. The BBC show made its way to Beaumaris Castle in Wales, where Joanna Hardy, a jewellery specialist, engaged with visitors and their prized possessions. A mother and her daughter caught Joanna's attention as they produced a ballerina-shaped brooch with an intriguing backstory.
Describing her first impression, Joanna excitedly recalled: "You were in my jewellery queue this morning and opened the jewellery box and just said to me 'what do you think of this?'. "I was just doing cartwheels in my head and I was actually physically on the floor. I thought 'is this 'true'? It can't be 'true'' so before we go into all of that, I would love to hear the story behind this brooch.
" The brooch had been handed down by a Polish jeweller, who gave it to the mother during the closure of his shop in the late 70s or early 80s, letting her pick out her favourite as a parting gift after narrowing down her options with her husband. Ballet being a longstanding family passion, with the mum having formerly taught at a private ballet school in Chester, gave the brooch added sentimental value. However, when Joanna sought the feelings of the original owner regarding the glamorous accessory, she revealed: "Well I thought it was a bit too glamourous.
I mean, I loved it for the texture, the shape and the subject." Jewellery expert Joanna took viewers through the details of.
