I bought a rare Victorian brooch for just £20 – its real worth nearly made me fall off my chair
A WOMAN was left stunned after a brooch she bought at a market for less than £20 during the 1980s turned out to be a rare Victorian treasure – worth £15,000.
Flora Steel, based in Rome, purchased the silver brooch over three decades ago – but had no idea it was “historically significant” and dated back to the 19th Century.
She got in touch with Gildings Auctioneers after noticing the design was similar to one which appeared on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow – and later sold for £31,000.
Flora was left gobsmacked when experts revealed her brooch was also an original by Victorian Gothic Revival designer and architect, William Burges.
Burges is best known for designing Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch in South Wales, and his designs remain on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
He has also been described as “the greatest genius of 19th-century design.”
Flora’s brooch will now go under the hammer in the spring with an estimate of £10,000 to £15,000 at Gildings Auctioneers, in Market Harborough, Leicester.
She said: “The brooch originally caught my eye for its strong design, strange lettering and unusual stones.
“I always loved it and thought that it was so particular in its design that sooner or later I would discover who had designed it.
“I’ve always adored the Antiques Roadshow, so when the clip popped up on my phone, I said to myself, ‘that reminds me of the brooch I found 35 years ago’.
“So, I decided to have a better look at the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) drawing and lo and behold there was my brooch. I practically fell off my chair.”
The silver, coral, lapis lazuli and malachite brooch was acquired at a Midlands antiques market in 1988 by Flora.
Her discovery is the third time a William Burges brooch has been uncovered by Gildings and Antiques Roadshow jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn.
They confirmed Flora’s brooch was designed by Burges -this time for the wedding of an unknown individual named Gibson.
Gildings director Will Gilding said: “It was clear this was another one of the designs on the page of sketches.
“So, now a Burges brooch has again been discovered via a chance sighting via the Antiques Roadshow.
“For it to happen once, amazing. Twice, remarkable. A third time? Pinch me!
“Whether this brooch reaches the heights of the first one we auctioned or indeed results in any more examples being unearthed remains to be seen.
“However, as a fascinating piece of jewellery with an even more intriguing backstory, we’re honoured to be playing a part in its continued history as we present it to the open market next year.”