An Antiques Roadshow guest was left gasping when an expert revealed the true value of a ring she believed was made of glass. The item, inherited from her grandmother, turned out to be a valuable piece of art deco jewellery.
The BBC programme visited Cardiff Castle in 2017, where jewellery specialist John Benjamin met a woman keen to learn more about the ring. She explained that her grandmother had given it to her when she was a teenager, adding: "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."
Expert reveals the ring's true nature
Benjamin initially agreed the ring had "all the appearance of a piece of rectangular pink glass," but 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."
He noted that the stone was "supplemented by having sapphires and diamonds on the shoulders" and estimated the pink tourmaline weighed around 12 or 13 carats, prompting an "oh wow" from the guest.
Valuation leaves owner overwhelmed
Benjamin then shared that the ring was worth between £3,000 and £4,000, causing the owner to gasp and reply: "Gosh." When asked what she thought, she said: "I had no idea. I am overwhelmed. I had no idea."
Viewers praised the ring online, with one writing on YouTube: "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 commented: "Incredible setting and centre stone!"
However, some fans felt the valuation was too low. One 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 simply called it a "ridiculous estimate!"
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
