Antiques Roadshow viewers stunned as 'astonishing' Yorkshire jewellery collection amassed at fairs and markets is valued at £20,000
Sunday night’s (September 19) episode saw one guest bring along a collection which left antiques expert John Benjamin in awe.
John began: “I don’t say this very often, but this is a truly remarkable collection.
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Hide Ad“Where on earth did they come from?” he asked the owner of the jewellery.
The owner explained he and his family lived in Doncaster in the mid 1960s and described it as a thriving market town.
He revealed his mother used to explore antiques fairs and markets, which is where she purchased the jewellery in the collection.
The group of items included a number of stunning brooches, however it was an amber necklace which stood out most to Antiques Roadshow expert John.
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Hide AdThe necklace was adorned with shockingly large amber beads and while looking closely at the item John made a confession.
He remarked: “Now, I’ve been doing this show for how long? Nearly 30 years. I’ve never seen amber of that size ever brought in.
“The amber beads are absolutely colossal and I truly am speechless about amber of that particular size and quality,” he remarked.
“This is the butterscotch amber that is by far the most commercially sought,” he revealed.
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Hide AdAfter assessing the full collection of items, John moved on to estimating the value.
He explained: “These amber beads need to be tested, I want to make that clear.
“They need to go through a laboratory certification process to make sure they are all absolutely as they should be.
“But, the size, the scale, the scope… £5,000 to £7,000,” he said, revealing his estimated value for the necklace.
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Hide Ad“Good gosh!” The owner exclaimed and burst out laughing in shock over the high figure.
John continued: “I think that’s really going to capture the market if you sell them, as indeed the whole collection would.
“This is a powerhouse collection of antique jewellery. It’s astonishing. It’s very rare.
“As a total group collection, £15,000 to £20,000,” he estimated.
“This has been a privilege for me today,” added John.