I rescued a ring from a petrol station drain – I couldn’t believe how much it was worth reveals Antiques Roadshow guest
A GUEST on Antiques Roadshow was shocked to learn the value of her mum’s ring, which briefly got lost in a petrol station drain.
The guest had been holding on to the ring for years before finally deciding to take it to the roadshow.
A repeat episode from series 41 of the BBC antiques show has piqued viewers’ interest.
During an episode where the beloved series ventured to Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, a woman who had recently lost her mum, met with expert John Benjamin to have some of her jewellery appraised.
She brought in two of her mother’s rings, one of which had a very interesting history.
Both of the rings had sparkly stones. The one with a large round cut diamond was set on a white gold band, while the other had small stones set between blue gems on a gold band.
Appreciating the pieces, John said: “Twinkling nicely in the slightly overcast day at the moment at least, you’ve brought along two rings, one with blue stones, one with a white stone. Family rings?”
“Yes, my mother’s. Well, sadly, my mother passed away a couple of months ago. I knew she had the rings, but she hadn’t worn them for quite a while,” the guest replied.
She continued: “My father bought the white one quite a few years ago for her, many years ago.
“The other one, I’m not too sure where the other one came from.”
However, the BBC expert was able to give some details on the “other” ring, which was the small of the two. He explained that it was a “traditional” half-hoop ring with turquoise stones and tiny diamonds, made around the 1900s, which he priced at around £120 to £150 “on a good day.”
The guest knew much more about the white gold band with the large diamond and revealed its interesting history.
She explained that her mum “did mention once that the bigger one, she went down to her friend’s, she was on her way to Brighton and she stopped in a service station and went to the ladies room and it fell off her finger and down the drain.
“Luckily, it was very early in the morning. She went out and someone came along and opened the trap and luckily it fell out.”
John was completely “intrigued” by the diamond-looking ring.
Antiques Roadshow presenters through the years
Antiques Roadshow launched all the way back in 1979 and has become a staple BBC programme. Here is a look at those who have hosted the show over the years.
- Bruce Parker (1979): Journalist and presenter Bruce Parker was the original host of Antiques Roadshow when the programme debuted.
- Angela Rippon (1979): Broadcaster and former newsreader Angela Rippon briefly took up the hosting reins in 1979.
- Arthur Negus (1979-1983): The first long-term presenter, the television personality and antiques expert had a four-year stint with the show. He died in 1985, two years after leaving Antiques Roadshow.
- Hugh Scully (1981-2000): Hugh, a journalist, radio and television presenter, is the longest-serving presenter of Antiques Roadshow. He died in 2015, at the age of 72.
- Michael Aspel (2000-2008): Retired presenter and newsreader Michael Aspel hosted Antiques Roadshow for eight years. He is also known for his work on shows including This Is Your Life and Crackerjack.
- Fiona Bruce (2008 – present): The current host, journalist, newsreader and presenter Fiona joined the BBC show in 2008. She remains the ongoing presenter to this day.
He teased: “It could be a colourless big stone or it could be something slightly more interesting.
“Of course, what we like it to be is something more interesting.”
Taking a closer look, he was quickly able to confirm that it was actually a 4.3 carat “large” brilliant-cut diamond from the 1950s.
Despite its impressive size, the expert stated that it wasn’t perfect: “I’ve looked at it with my lens and it’s actually got one or two little flaws internally.
“It’s got a little tint of colour. The best diamonds you can buy are colourless, known as D colour.
“The colour of this diamond is probably around about J colour, so you see it’s a few grades down the scale.
“But the overall impression that it makes, for a ring that was lost down the sink, it’s pretty good.”
“Now the diamond ring is a little bit more interesting than £100. 4.3 carats – £20,000.”
The guest was floored to hear the value of her mum’s ring
Shocked, she replied: “Wow. Ok. That’s very nice. I’m pleased she got it out of the sink!”