A guest on Antiques Roadshow was left stunned after the ring which she described as an “ugly lump of glass” was given a whopping evaluation by the show’s jewelery expert.
Valuer on the UK TV show Susan Rumfitt revealed a guest’s Art Deco cocktail ring with a yellow sapphire was worth almost $9000.
The guest explained the ring had belonged to a relative of her mother’s who lived in Philadelphia in the US, The Sun reports.
Stream your news live & on demand with Flash for $8/month and no lock in contracts. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends October 31, 2022 >
“When she died, her jewelery was sent to my mum, which included rings and brooches,” she said.
She confessed she thought the ring was “an ugly lump of glass” and “a bit too much” for her.
Rumfitt replied: “That’s a shame, it’s a gorgeous color though, it’s a really pretty colour.
“And if it is glass, it’s definitely a nice piece of glass.”
But then the guest was shocked to discover the jewel was in fact a huge yellow sapphire.
“I can understand why you thought it might have been a citrine as you do get that range of yellows from that light, very punchy yellows,” Rumfitt said.
She said the sapphire was about 16 carats, leaving the guest open-mouthed.
“It’s certainly brightened up my day, and if it went into auction you would be looking at an estimate of between £4000 and £5000 ($A7000 to $A8700),” Rumfitt said.
“You’re kidding me,” the guest replied. “That’s ridiculous.”
This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission
.