A Antiques Roadshow The guest was amazed at the incredible value of a ‘stunning' diamond brooch that had been in her family for generations.
The guest had the brooch examined when the BBC show stopped at Brodie Castle in northern Scotland.
It contained dozens of dazzling brilliant-cut diamonds set in white gold in a classic Art Deco pattern, with a yellow gold back.
Jewelry expert Susan Rumfitt, who presented the beautiful piece, said it “made her smile”.
“This is a magnificent brooch. I hope you wear it every day,” she said, after which the owner confirmed that she wore it “at night” when she “went out.”
“It comes from my grandmother in the family,” she added when asked how she got the stunning piece of jewelry.
After examining the brooch, Ms Rumfitt confirmed that it was a genuine Art Deco piece from the 1930s.
“The brooch is from the 1930s, the height of the Art Deco period, which was really about having a great time in terms of costume jewelry and parties,” she explained.
“I can imagine your grandmother really had a wonderful time putting that brooch on… There's something theatrical about it, doesn't it?”
Ms Rumfitt said the brooch came from a particular moment in fashion history, with 1930s styles “being very similar to the '20s” but with less emphasis on colored stones and more on diamonds.
“It's pretty extraordinary considering we had the Wall Street Crash and the Depression in 1929,” she said.
“One of the biggest designers behind the love of diamonds was of course (Coco) Chanel, and she teamed up with (diamond prospector) De Beers to promote the diamond industry.” They were basically saying that diamonds are wearable, you can show the greatest value in the smallest amounts… It's no wonder so many people turn to diamond jewelry when the likes of Chanel say that's what you should do.”
The jewelery specialist explained the diamonds were a “modern brilliant cut” and added that the brooch was “unusual” as it came in one piece and not in the form of two separate clip brooches as was customary at the time.
When asked how many carats she thought the brooch had, the guest guessed three. She was stunned to find his weight was 14 carats.
“Oh my god,” she remarked before becoming visibly emotional when Ms Rumfitt revealed the value – £20,000 (A$40,000).
“Oh my God,” repeated the guest.
“That took my breath away. Oh crumbs. It brings tears to my eyes.”
She confirmed that despite the unexpected price, she will “definitely” continue to wear the piece.
In an interview filmed after the piece's value was announced, the guest said it was “really a big surprise.”
“I'm still shaking a little,” she laughed.
