The brooch will be sold at auction this spring via Gildings.
A jewelry enthusiast bought a unique silver brooch at a market in Midlands, England, in 1988 for just $25 but it now turns out that the brooch is valued at $19,000 and is a rare piece of Victorian treasure, according to reports.
Floral Steel, who currently resides in Rome, Italy, purchased the brooch and didn’t realize it was a rare treasure until she saw a similar one while watching an episode of the TV program "Antiques Roadshow," in the U.K, FOX News reported.
The brooch was made by designer and architect William Burges, whose work currently happens to be on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, FOX News reported.
After watching the episode, she later went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and discovered the brooch she had at home was one of his designs, according to FOX News.
“The brooch originally caught my eye for its strong design, strange lettering and unusual stones,” Steel told Gildings Auctioneers. “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 drawing and lo and behold there was my brooch! I practically fell off my chair!”
Steel then contacted Gildings, who valued the brooch at $19,000, the auction house said.
“It was clear this was another one of the designs on the page of sketches,” Gildings director Will Gilding said in a press release. “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!”
The brooch will be sold at auction this spring via Gildings.
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