If you have never seen the show Antiques Roadshow on PBS you are seriously missing out. What is better than watching a bunch of people learn that their family heirlooms are worth thousands of dollars?
There’s really nothing like it.
In one episode, a sweet little old lady named Rose brought her brooches onto the show to get them appraised, just to see if they were worth anything. They had a story and meant something to her, so she wanted to know if they would be worth anything to someone else.
Little did Rose know she was in for a big surprise.
Here’s how it works. Antiques Roadshow is a tour and tour goers can buy tickets if it’s stopping in their town. Then, they are allowed to bring a couple of items to have appraised.
Not all of the appraisals are filmed, and obviously not all of the appraisals are winners. Something you think is worth thousands could actually be something bought at Walmart 20 years ago. You never know.
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To most people, Rose’s brooches don’t look like much.
Just some curly silver metal on a pin. But Rose claimed that they were a gift from Harry Bertoia, a famous artist and sculptor. He had stayed in the dorms where one of her sisters worked while he was in school, and he gave all three of the girls a brooch as a gift.
The appraiser, Peter, instantly knew that these were legitimate.
“There’s no soder. Everything is either done by rivets or pins or tension fitting and this is very much keeping with the aesthetic of what we call modernist jewelry from this period.”
Even though Bertoia was known for his sculptures, early in his career he made some jewelry. Since he moved onto another medium, it’s very rare to find something small that he made, like these brooches.
Now came the exciting part. How much was this pair of brooches worth?
The big reveal…
When Peter said that at an auction these pieces could go for forty to sixty thousand dollars, you could see that Rose had to catch her breath. He also said that if she had a third they could bring in even more- to the right buyer of course.
Rose has the cutest reaction. She exclaims:
“Well Hallelujah it was worth the trip! It was so nice meeting you Peter!” Rose said in typical grandma fashion. “I’m gonna go home and celebrate!”
But that wasn’t the end of the story.
Just as the two were wrapping up the interview Rose let it slip that she had actually considered selling the pieces. She heard people were buying up silver and thought that she could make a couple bucks by selling off some of her own jewelry, but she decided to hold onto these.
This story could have a much less happy ending if Rose would have sold those brooches years ago and she’s overjoyed that she decided to hold onto them knowing what she knows now.
Watch the full video below and start thinking about those heirlooms you may have buried in your jewelry box!
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