An Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned by the price of his “over the top” Alaska-themed gold belt buckle.
During the PBS series During his special visit to Alaska, the guest presented his enormous accessory for evaluation.
Expert appraiser Kevin Zavian left the guest wide-eyed with excitement when he revealed that the belt buckle was worth a whopping five figures.
The belt, adorned with remarkable detail and craftsmanship, including what could be a mammoth tusk and pure gold nuggets, was purchased at auction a few years ago for approximately $5,700. But the belt, Zavian said, is worth up to $40,000.
“This is so Alaskan that, at the right auction, I think something like this could fetch between $20,000 and $40,000,” he said on the PBS episode.
An Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned by the price of his “over the top” Alaska-themed gold belt buckle
The belt, adorned with remarkable details and craftsmanship, including what could be a mammoth tusk and pure gold nuggets, was purchased at auction a few years ago for approximately $5,700.
But the belt, Zavian said, is worth up to $40,000.
Zavian joked: “It’s a belt buckle, it’s pretty big.” Of course, I threw it on the scale. You almost broke my scale.
Here are five troy ounces of gold. A substantial amount of gold,” she continued.
He pointed out the meticulous workmanship, from the carefully soldered pips to the tusk ornament, which he said could very well be a mammoth tusk, indigenous to Alaska.
“These nuggets are soldered to a gold base, so even though they look like they were just placed there, it’s a lot of work and effort.”
You have this pretty twisted wire ornament. I love this part, that it’s about a mastodon tusk.’
He pointed out the meticulous workmanship, from the carefully soldered pips to the tusk ornament, which he said could very well be a mammoth tusk, indigenous to Alaska.
‘It could be a mammoth tusk. At first I thought it was wood. But the tusk is something like that in Alaska. All the elements here, except the diamonds, are truly Alaskan.
‘So you have this beautifully executed frame and it has this nice shape. It is riveted, which shows the special care that the jeweler put into it.
‘I love the little engraving in the corners. Everywhere you look you have this beautiful little sign of quality and that someone took care of it.’
The guest was glowing when he heard the news.
Antiques Roadshow is the longest-running British television series about antiques appraisal, beginning broadcast on 18 February 1979.
The show began as a 1977 BBC documentary about a London auction house touring England’s West Country.
Another Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned to learn his vast collection of medieval keys was worth thousands of dollars, in the latest episode of the BBC show.
Another Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned to learn his vast collection of medieval keys was worth thousands of dollars, in the latest episode of the BBC show.
In the episode, which aired Sunday, a guest brought in the large stash of keys he had accumulated after receiving one from his grandfather as a child.
In the episode, which aired Sunday, a guest brought in the large stash of keys he had accumulated after receiving one from his grandfather as a child.
Explaining that some of them dated back to the 15th century, he had built up the collection by collecting keys at car boot sales, before seeking out more selective pieces from private sellers and auctions.
As expert Marc Allum examined the collection, he shared that he was impressed by the size of the collection and made the surprising admission that all of the keys could be worth more than $25,000.
The guest seemed somewhat surprised by the enormous sum, but remained tight-lipped about whether he would consider selling his enormous collection.