An Antiques Roadshow guest was left gobsmacked after an engagement ring her husband bought from a pawn shop was valued by experts.
The thrilled owner of the dazzling emerald green engagement ring said the couple didn't know the history behind it.
Her admission in a BBC One episode, which aired last month, prompted expert Susan Rumfitt to quiz the couple on where they purchased the unusual ring.
And when she discovered the pair had found the gem in a pawn shop, she was stunned, reports The Mirror.
The lucky owner of the dazzling jewellery piece explained: “Well, it was in a pawnshop in Barnsley, in South Yorkshire.
"And I kept going past it and looking at it and loved it and sent a picture to my then-boyfriend and said, 'If you ever want to marry me, this is the ring.'"
For two years, every time she walked past the shop window, she dreamed of buying the ring to claim it as her own – until one day, it vanished.
As it turns out, the Antiques Roadshow guest’s boyfriend had purchased the ring as a surprise and had hidden it in a Christmas cracker before proposing.
Art Deco
After hearing the couple’s precious story, jewellery expert Susan explained the origins of the ring.
“The centre stone is a beautiful, old-cut diamond which has had a little bit of a modification to the cut.
“And this was very popular at the time that it was made which was around about 1930. We’ve got a beautiful diamond – well-cut.
“But over and above that, it’s an Art Deco piece of jewellery, which people are really hunting down at the moment.
“It’s also set in platinum which again is the typical metal for that period as well."
Susan went on to reveal that the ring was worth between £12,000 to £15,000 – leaving the owners gasping.
“Wow!” they giggled in complete disbelief.
*Antiques Roadshow airs Sundays on BBC One
