A woman who paid 50p for a handful of charity shop bits and bobs for a little girl to play with was amazed to discover the items included a ring worth hundreds of pounds.
What she initially assumed must be a piece of worthless costume jewellery was anything but. An expert at Bishton Hall, Hansons Auctioneers’ Staffordshire saleroom at Wolseley Bridge, was swift to confirm that it was, in fact, an 18ct gold diamond and sapphire dress ring. The ring has been consigned to auction with a guide price of £600-£800.
Melissa Lee-Patrick, jewellery assessor for Hansons Auctioneers said: “The lady was in a charity shop and picked out a few items from a box as a little gift for her young niece. She thought she might like to play with them. She paid just 50p for the lot.
“When she got home and started looked through the bits and bobs that had taken her eye, she realised that a white metal ring might just be something a little bit special. She looked more closely and realised that it was a genuine cocktail ring bristling with marquise-cut diamonds and sapphires around a gorgeous central stone.
“When she brought the ring to Bishton Hall to discover its potential value, we had a good giggle about her lucky find. I appraised the item and tests indicated it was made from 18ct white gold. It’s set with beautiful natural sapphires and lively diamonds with great clarity.
“Finds like this always take people by surprise but, though unusual, they are not as rare as you might think. We see gorgeous pieces of jewellery every year which have been mislaid, ignored or given away to charity shops because they were thought to be worthless, or simply went unnoticed during a major house clearance.
“Quality gems are easily mistaken for costume jewellery and can languish in drawers and jewellery boxes for years. Sometimes they’re inherited and people put them to one side, never imagining they could be lucky enough to own something valuable.
“I’m so pleased this particular client realised she had unwittingly bought something special – and I was delighted to confirm its potential value. If you have anything tucked away at home, be it jewellery, silver or a vintage watch, that just might be worth something, do bring it along for assessment. I might just make your day.”
Melissa Lee-Patrick offers free jewellery, silver and watch valuations at Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Staffs, ST17 0XN, every Tuesday, 10am-1pm. Entries are invited for Bishton’s monthly Fine Art and Antiques auctions. To find out more or to book an appointment, email [email protected] or call 01889 882397 or 07568 397228.
