On Antiques Roadshow, a Scottish participant was left speechless after discovering that her glass box's valuation dramatically exceeded expectations.
The surprise not only shook the guest but also the BBC’s antiques aficionado Joanna Hardy, who was visibly taken aback upon learning the item's modest purchase price.
Filming at Edinburgh's Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Joanna and her team were swarmed by intrigued locals, yet one woman’s visit took center stage as she presented a small, intricately detailed glass box for evaluation. "The skill of a goldsmith and the skill of an enameler, is the same whether they are making jewellery," remarked Joanna as she began examining the artefact.
Eager to know more, she asked: "This beautiful box, it is just wonderful, now tell me why did it catch your attention and how did it catch your attention? " The owner recalled stumbling upon the piece during an online auction in England, captivated by its unique rock crystal construction — a feature rarely seen in such objects.
She confessed her penchant for virtual bidding wars and noted regretfully that the box had lost some of its original sparkle since she'd acquired it.
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The guest revealed the story behind her purchase of what she initially thought might be just a "I think they described it as being glass, a glass box and I knew it had something unusual about it, with the designs on it and things like that,"
She recounted to expert Joanna, "I think they described it as being glass, a glass box and I knew it had something unusual about it, with the designs on it and things like that," Excitedly she shared, "I couldn't really see much of the silver, I had a sneaky feeling it might be that so we actually polished it all to reveal the beautiful enamel on the surface and the lovely colours."
The intrigued guest continued, discussing how she snagged the item for a mere £32, a fact that visibly stunned Joanna.
She informed the guest, "Well, this is rock crystal which is of the quartz family," highlighting its significance by pointing out, "and you can see the inclusions inside the stone which are their natural inclusions, there are no bubbles, if you saw bubbles then you would know it would be glass.", reports the Mirror.
The BBC expert further explained the piece's origins, stating, "Now, in about 1850 in Vienna in Austria, there were a group of goldsmiths who also did a lot of enamelling work sort of in the renaissance style and this is in the neo-renaissance style."
Joanna positioned the item within a historical context, "So this is dating this from about 1860 to 1870, but there was one person that was really the head of this, he was the leading enamelist in Vienna at the time and he did the neo-renaissance work."
Finally, Joanna disclosed the staggering valuation, asserting, "If that was in the right auction I think you are going to be looking at between £4,000 and £6,000," leaving the owner in sheer amazement.
The guest was visibly shocked as she exclaimed, "No! ! Really?!? ," unable to contain her emotion and bursting into tears upon discovering that her modest £32 investment had turned into a fortune.
Expert Joanna then praised the lady, saying, "Enjoy it and well done."
For those looking to catch more of such astounding revelations, episodes of Antiques Roadshow can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
