An ANTIQUES Roadshow guest was ‘heartbroken’ after a shocking discovery instantly halved the cost of a Fabergé box.
BBC viewers watched expert John Benjamin inspect a very rare cigarette case as the show resumed on Sunday at Forty Hall in Enfield, north London.
Jewelery historian John was delighted to appreciate the “rather plain” box, but quickly realized it was actually a Fabergé cigarette box worth thousands of pounds.
John said to the guest, “Well, we’re looking at a rather simple, rather austere-looking rectangular cigarette case.
“But it has a lot of hidden extras.”
The owner said that this was the work of his grandmother Olga, who died in 1993 and passed to him as a family heirloom.
He said: “It belonged to my grandmother Olga, she died in 1993, and it passed to my mom and dad.”
A mother and son told how many years ago someone knocked on their door and offered to buy a thing for 1,000 pounds.
The casket was mistaken for an expert who said that it was “perhaps Russian”, but had no real “value” - despite this, they decided to leave the cherished thing in the family.
John went on to reveal that it was a genuine piece of Carl Faberge, pointing out the special markings and the P56 stamp indicating it was 14 carat Russian gold.
He added, “It’s a Fabergé cigarette box and that’s why someone was raving about it.”
However, John then noticed that the box was visibly damaged, causing its value to plummet.
“One problem with his exquisite box and I’m going to show it to you because it really breaks my heart,” John explained.
He showed the couple a small “rock-crystal break” in the corner of the case.
John admitted: “If it was in perfect condition, I think it would cost between £8,000 and £10,000.”
“Let me be a little careful and say £5,000 to £8,000 with the damage he has suffered.”
While they were initially devastated by the drop in value, they were also delighted with the sheer amount they cost.
John linked the name Olga to Russia and pointed out that what the owners thought were clear glass panels were actually “hard natural rock crystal” and were “definitely not a humble piece”.
The specialist noticed a sheet panel on the outside of the box, and the red dot was a “natural ruby”.
Antiques Roadshow airs Sunday at 7pm on BBC One.
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