Antiques Roadshow guest receives mind-blowing appraisal for pearl necklace with a secret history
Topics: BBC, Film and TV, Money
Bec Oakes
Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: BBC, Film and TV, Money
A woman who went on Antiques Roadshow with her grandmother-in-law's necklace was stunned to learn just how much it was worth after learning its fascinating history.
We all dream of finding an old trinket lying around the house or for pennies at a thrift store that ends up being worth a fortune.
Well, that was exactly what happened for a guest on a recent episode of Antiques Roadshow.
The BBC programme sees people come on the show with various bits and bobs in a bid to find out their history as well as learn how much they're worth.
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In a recent episode, a woman brought on a pearl and diamond necklace from the 1910s that she'd inherited from her grandmother-in-law.
After the one-of-a-kind piece was presented to appraiser Gloria Lieberman, she quickly confirmed that it had been created by Paulding Farnham during his time as the lead designer at Tiffany & Co.
This was determined by two signatures on the necklace - one on the back of the diamond pendant and another on the clasp.
Paulding Farnham, a jewelry designer, sculptor and metallurgist was the lead designer at Tiffany & Co. for about 20 years in the late 19th and early 20th century.
According to Antique Jewelry University, he was 'universally recognized as the genius behind Tiffany’s success.'
She said: "Most people would say, 'Oh, it's diamonds, you know, that's what's important.' No, it's all about the pearls.
"This piece was probably designed by one of Tiffany's greatest designers, Paulding Farnham and he loved natural pearls.
"Each pearl is beautiful: the luster, the match, the skin on it — we call it the skin. It has no blemishes. I mean, these are beautiful, natural pearls."
Then came the necklace's appraisal that left its owner's mind blown.
Despite missing two pearls, the necklace was valued at a whopping $200,000.
The guest was understandably left in absolute shock at its valuation but revealed that she has no plans to sell the necklace.
Instead, she says she want to keep it for her daughters' weddings.
And Lieberman agreed.
She told the guest to have the necklace restrung at Tiffany & Co. and to 'wear it sometimes to enjoy its beauty', but mostly keep it for important occasions.
But, not all Antiques Roadshow appearances have such a happy ending.
When the show visited Cardiff in Wales, expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was met with an item that he refused to place a financial value on.
The item in question was an ornate ivory bracelet that a guest had bought in a house sale for just £3 ($3.79).
While Archer-Morgan described the bracelet as 'amazing', he explained that it has a dark history and the 'callous' links to the slave trade of the 17th and 18th century.
He stated: "I just don’t want to value it. I do not want to put a price on something that signifies such an awful business.
"But the value is in the lessons that this can tell people. The value is in researching this and what we can find out."