An Antiques Roadshow guest was left overwhelmed after learning that a ring she had inherited from her grandmother was worth between £3,000 and £4,000. The woman had always believed the stone in the centre of the ring was made of glass.
Specialist reveals true nature of the ring
The BBC programme visited Cardiff Castle in 2017, where jewellery authority John Benjamin assessed the woman's treasured keepsake. She explained: "This one was given to me by my grandmother when I was a teenager. When she gave it to me, she kind of implied that it didn't have a lot of value and I had always thought the stone in the middle was probably glass because of what she said."
Benjamin initially agreed, saying: "This does have all the appearance of a piece of rectangular pink glass. It looks like glass, doesn't it?" He then revealed: "So it's not glass, I'm pleased to tell you. It's a tourmaline in a diamond surround but this one was made in about 1925 or 1930. And it's art deco."
Guest reacts to valuation
The specialist noted that the pink tourmaline weighed roughly 12 or 13 carats and was supplemented by sapphires and diamonds on the shoulders. When Benjamin announced the ring's value, the owner gasped and replied: "Gosh". She added: "I had no idea. I am overwhelmed. I had no idea."
Fans praised the ring on YouTube, with one commenter writing: "This is probably one of the most interestingly beautiful rings that I've ever seen, after watching thousands of episodes of Antiques Roadshow." Another said: "That is a gorgeous ring!", while a third remarked: "Incredible setting and centre stone!"
Some viewers question the estimate
Not everyone agreed with the valuation, however. One viewer posted: "£3,000-£4,000 seems rather a low ball estimate for such a stunning art deco ring. The tourmaline is a substantial size, complimented by sapphires of a beautiful rich blue colour as well as diamonds. Surely, it is minimum £5,000 all day long." Another viewer called it a "ridiculous estimate!"
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
