An Antiques Roadshow guest was left speechless after learning that a family heirloom brooch was worth £20,000. The episode, filmed at Morden Hill Park, featured expert John Benjamin examining a large aquamarine and diamond brooch brought in by a woman.
Benjamin noted that the central aquamarine was “absolutely massive” and rare, saying: “It is really very rare to come across an aquamarine of this size, this colour, this beauty.” The woman explained that her husband’s grandfather had purchased the gemstone in Brazil in the 1920s or 30s, and it was later mounted into a brooch by her father-in-law.
The brooch, set in 18-karat white gold with a flame-shaped diamond cluster, had only been worn a few times on special occasions, including the woman’s daughter’s wedding. She admitted it had been stored in a drawer for decades. Benjamin revealed the gemstone weighed 75 carats and was of exceptional quality, likely untreated.
When Benjamin estimated the brooch’s value at “the best part of £20,000” at auction, the woman gasped and asked him to repeat the figure. She later joked, “I need a gin and tonic I think after this!”
