Antiques Roadshow's unique brooch sells for three times amount expert predicted

24 December 2023 , 22:21

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Antiques Roadshow's unique brooch sells for three times amount expert predicted

BBC's Antiques Roadshow is known for showing off unique and treasured items, which are usually worth a tidy sum.

During a festive special, which aired tonight (24 December), viewers of the popular antiques show were wowed after seeing a 'missing treasure' which was worth a whopping £10,000 then sell for more than three times its worth.

Host Fiona Bruce introduced the vintage treasure as she explained: "We begin with the kind of story we love on the Antiques Roadshow - a hunt for a missing treasure. 12 years ago at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, we asked our experts to tell us about any items they dreamed of discovering. And our jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn had not one, not two, but nine items on his wish list."

BBC Antiques Roadshow viewers were shown a 'missing treasure' with a prized and rare brooch (BBC)

In a throwback clip, Geoffrey stated when looking at a unique brooch: "What we see the least over almost holy grail of Victorian 19th-century design. And the highest possible point of that, for me is the jewellery designed by the neo-Gothic architect William Burgess, who's really the greatest genius of 19th-century design. And we know about them because the designs remain at the Victoria and Albert Museum."

Geoffrey then confirmed to Fiona that the brooch in his hands was indeed a William Burgess piece, as he said: "It says on the top of here that six of these are in silver and three of these are in gold, so we have nine chances of the Antiques Roadshow flushing these out."

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In the Christmas Eve festive special, which aired tonight (24 December), Fiona explained: "Just a few years later, Geoffrey was amazed to see one of the lost brooches turn up at the Senate House in London." Viewers then watched as Geoffrey was reunited with the treasured brooch as he said, "Oh my goodness me".

He was clearly moved by the unique piece as he then continued: "I don't think there's any shadow of doubt and I think that is absolutely... Well, I honestly can hardly articulate but in every sense of the word, it is it! And so it's pulse-making. It's a Tutankhamun experience on the Antiques Roadshow." The big question then came as the guest asked how much the brooch would be worth, as Geoffrey gave his expert view: "Something close to £10,000".

Yet Geoffrey's prediction turned out to be on the shy side, as Fiona informed viewers that the 'missing treasure' brooch went on to sell for a whopping £31,500 - over three times the amount that the antiques expert had predicted.

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Niamh Spence