“Antiques Roadshow” appraisal expert John Benjamin has changed lives for years with his incredible pricing estimates. He judges fine antiques and heirlooms and determines their true value, which is usually much higher than the owner originally thought. One lucky woman’s life was about to change when John looked at her antique…
A Traveling Roadshow
“Antiques Roadshow” has been on TV since 1979, and audiences have been tuning in for nearly forty years to watch appraisers search through thousands of antiques in hopes of the next big thing…
A Life Changing Find
One woman who came to the show discovered that one of her belongings was in fact, not as worthless as she originally thought…
A Big Surprise
Many people have appeared on the show in hopes of finally scoring big money on their old family heirlooms. Sometimes, their treasure ends up in the trash. But sometimes they’re in luck. This woman was simply looking for the history behind a family brooch, when she got so much more…
Meet Your Hosts
The popular British TV show has had several hosts throughout the years. Originally, network news reporter Bruce Parker held the position, then was soon replaced by Angela Rippon. Currently, Fiona Bruce is the host. Several of the other presenters have had no experience in the antique field. That’s where the appraisers come in…
An Expert Opinion
There have been an endless list of appraisers who have come and gone from “Antiques Roadshow.” From archaeologist Wes Cowan to gallery owner Arlie Sulka to antique dealers Leigh and Leslie Keno, the show has booked top experts in every field…
Coming To Halifax
Crew members of “Antiques Roadshow” chose to head over to Halifax because of its bright history. The minister town has been a center of woolen manufacture ever since the 15th century. Coming to this town, they knew immediately which venue to hold the show at. Over 20,000 people visited over the course of the day for the episode which was aired in March.
Picking A Venue
Choosing the best place to host the show is one of the most exciting parts of planning the whole event. Choosing a venue that fits the theme of “Antiques Roadshow” is key. A dusty warehouse or a museum of modern art wouldn’t be right. This time, the crew had the right idea in mind when they chose this place…
Catching His Eye
One particular woman with a unique brooch caught John’s eye. The piece had always been referred to as “the big blue blob” to her family, and John could see why. He took a closer look and called her up to the podium for an in-depth inspection…
Passed Down For Generations
John needed to know the history of the piece. The woman told him that the brooch had belonged to her grandmother, who then gave it to the woman’s father, who then gave it to her. It was meant to be “something blue” on her wedding day. She has kept it ever since…
History Lesson
Even though the piece had been in this woman’s family for years, where did it come from before that? It was clearly sentimental, and the woman wasn’t concerned with its worth. She was simply curious about the brooch’s history…
One Of A Million
Nearly everyone has a brooch lying around in their house somewhere. While they are not something we tend to wear anymore, there is always a reason why someone may have one, even if it’s for a fancy dress costume! The jewelry item was originally used to hold a garment closed or just for decoration. Made out of metal, silver or gold, and sometimes bronze, they are generally not worth all that much but John had a closer look…
An Ordinary Style
John was able to easily determine that this was a very simplistic style of brooch. The stone was cushion-shaped and it was most likely still in the original box. The woman had taken the piece to her local jeweler hoping for a history lesson but never had any luck…
Laughed In Her Face
Her local jeweler had told her several times to “take it away” and that it was “valueless” to experts. Many believed it was simply costume jewelry and questioned why she had even bothered bringing it in.
More Questions Than Answers
Some experts believed the white stones around the edge of the brooch were real diamonds, except they were in bad condition. So essentially, it’s worthless. Others said it was most likely paste jewelry. It seemed like no one could agree on its true origin…
The Results Were In
John wanted to give this woman the closure she’d desperately been searching for, and his opinion had been decided. How would she feel if all of those jewelers she saw were wrong? She began to smile. She was ready for the truth…
A Historic Piece
John revealed that this brooch was a piece of “significant consequence.” Everything the other jewelers said about the brooch being costume jewelry was 100% wrong. John believed the piece was made in the late 19th century. This was only the beginning of the good news…
Not So Hidden Gem
The woman had been led to believe that the stone in the middle was just a piece of colored glass made to look like a gemstone, but she was wrong. It was actually a huge cushion-shaped sapphire. This was the largest sapphire he had ever seen, and it had a very unique past…
World Traveller
Thankfully, John knew all about the stone. It came from Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka. These specific sapphires are a very bright flue, making it easy for professionals to spot, but that clearly is not always the case…
A Diamond In The Rough
Ceylon sapphires have been famous for years. Sri Lanka has been trading precious gems and stones for more than 2,500 years. It’s believed that 90% of its landmass is gem-bearing rocks.
Hidden Gems
Sri Lanka also happens to produce several other types of gems, though the sapphire is the most famous. Sri Lanka is also home to one of the rarest gems on the planet, the Padparadscha sapphire. They are highly sought-after stones that come in a variety of coral tones from salmon pink all the way to orange.
Special Meanings
Sapphires have been the favorite of royal families for generations, seeing as they symbolize wisdom, loyalty, power, and love. It is also common for women to include small sapphires in their every day jewelry or engagement rings.
The Weigh-In
John estimated that this particular sapphire brooch weighed around 25 and 30 carats, meaning it was an enormous gemstone. John had never seen one so large find its way onto “Antiques Roadshow.” The largest blue sapphire ever found weighed 1404.49 carats and was worth $175 million. But that still wasn’t all…
“The Star of Adam”
The largest sapphire in the world, “The Star of Adam,” has been set in several different important pieces since its discovery in 2015. Here it can be seen in the British Queen’s imperial state crown. It is often mistaken for a ruby.
“The Star of India”
The “Star of Adam” has also been coined “The Star of India.” The unearthing of the sapphire in 2015 came during the rise of sapphire demand following Kate Middleton’s sapphire engagement ring…
It’s All In The Details
It also turned out that every white stone around the edge of the brooch was a real diamond. To top it off, everything had been originally mounted in gold before being completely set in silver. The fact that it was in the original box was also huge. John and his guest couldn’t believe their luck…
From What He Understands
While John is not necessarily a jewelry expert, he understands enough to guide people to pieces that he knows will interest them. However, all of his time on the market had taught him enough to know how much a specific brooch like this one could sell at an auction….
The Final Price
John believed the brooch could be worth anywhere from $52,000 to $66,000. It turned out the woman had been sitting on a huge amount of money all this time and never knew. She couldn’t help but gasp when she heard the news…
A Loss For Words
John knew the brooch was an “absolute beauty” before admitting there was nothing else left to say. The woman was not intensely grateful for the revelation – John was grateful to have seen such an incredible piece…
History In The Making
After arriving in Yorkshire, it seems “Antiques Roadshow” certainly left a mark on this woman’s life. The hall has a historical significance all of its own thanks to being the only 18th-century cloth hall still standing. It was once the home of many textile traders but was now about to see a whole host of other collections pass through the doors, and this diamond was just one of them…
Her Final Decision
Now, the woman is left to decide what to do with her valuable brooch. Sure, it has been in her family for many years, but if she sold the piece of jewelry, then the money could be about to change her entire life. However, keeping it in pristine condition in the original jeweler’s box means the brooch’s value could continue to rise. It might not be long before this guest has the ultimate sale of “Antiques Roadshow.”