The Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned when her £15 costume jewelery was worth a staggering three-figure sum.
During the last episode of the show, a woman brought expert Judith Miller a necklace with a striking green emerald.
The piece was purchased many years ago, as the guest revealed that she bought it with her first salary when she was only 16 years old.
When shown the stunning necklace, Judith said: ‘I love costume jewelery now. I’ve always done it and I’m totally in love with it. What made you love it?
The guest joked: “It was a combination, its color, its simplicity, it’s really bold and really attractive.”
The Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned when her £15 costume jewelery was worth a staggering three-figure sum.
During the last episode of the show, a woman brought expert Judith Miller a necklace with a striking green emerald.
“It was actually in a dark corner and I really loved it right away,” leaving Miller more intrigued as he asked where he found it.
‘A small antique shop in a small alley in Wollongong in Australia. I had just started my first job.
And I decided to treat myself to something that was a little special. I spent part of my first salary on it. I was 16.’
Judith attempted to provide expert analysis on the piece, but the jewelry story was missing the maker’s mark.
She said: ‘It’s really high-quality costume jewellery. Because costume jewelry comes in all kinds of levels, I mean, there’s cheap costume jewelry, there’s extremely expensive costume jewelry, and this one is incredibly well made.
‘It is beautifully designed and it inspires me to think that it is French. Just looking at the quality makes me think of a haute couture collection.
“You don’t get this detail on every piece of jewelry, it’s definitely the 1950s.”
The piece was purchased many years ago, as the guest revealed that she bought it for £15 with her first paycheck when she was just 16 years old.
Surprised by the small price she paid, Judith valued the item at between £400 and £500.
The surprised guest replied: ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe it! Wow, good choice! Thank you!’
‘Absolutely of its time, do you remember what you paid for it?’
The guest revealed: ‘Actually, yes. It was 30 Australian dollars, so I don’t know, about 15 to 20 pounds.
Surprised by the small price she paid, Judith valued the item at between £400 and £500.
She said: “I think it was a good bargain at the time because today I would value it at between £400 and £500.”
Other treasures included a set of stained glass windows decorated with mermaids, an ornately decorated mandolin found hidden in an old wardrobe, a device used to make penicillin, a silver milk jug from Kashmir and a huge bell from a Japanese temple.
The surprised guest replied: ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe it! Wow, good choice! Thank you!’
“I’m absolutely shocked, I’m so shocked that, I mean, 16, I had no idea what I was doing, I bought something that I loved,” she added.
“I think it’s really surprising to hear that he’s worth anything, other than my emotional attachment to him, so it’s lovely.” Follow your instinct, I think it’s great, buy things you like.’
Other treasures included a set of stained glass windows decorated with mermaids, an ornately decorated mandolin found hidden in an old wardrobe, a device used to make penicillin, a silver milk jug from Kashmir and a huge bell from a Japanese temple.