WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow guest admitted that she did “care” about the value of her two items, despite the expert’s assumption that it didn’t matter to her.
Travelling to the Pitzhanger Manor in London, expert Geoffrey Munn was on hand to meet with a church warden to discuss the extravagant objects she had brought to be appraised.
“Well these are massive jewels, I hardly believe them. Where did they originate from?”, Munn commented.
She replied: “They belong to the church where I’m a church warden at that was also TS Eliot’s church when he was a church warden for many years.”
The items in question were morses and when questioned on what their use was, she explained: “So it holds together a cope which is worn by senior clergy.”
On the first morse, Munn pointed out that it was covered in various stones including aquamarines, amethyst and pearls.
He then moved his attention onto the second which the guest stated had been donated “by a lady who was widowed”, and had made it in memory of her husband.
Analysing the morse, the expert said: “What she’s doing here is giving us her own jewellery to the church and to the morse.
“Identifiable here is a very sweet diamond riviere necklace and then possibly his stick pin diamonds here and then her very nice brooch, turquoise and pearls from the 1900s.
“Then a bracelet clasp from the 1840s and what she’s doing there is referencing the mediaeval Church Of England where there would be shrines bedizened with jewellery of this sort.”
“So let’s turn it over and find what is a very touching inscription and it says ‘To the glory of God, in grateful and loving memory of a beloved husband Henry Stafford Gustard RIP.’
“So what she’s doing is giving something to the spectacle of the church.
“They’re marvellous objects, they are intrinsically valuable, she was all too aware of I’m sure but much more than that, what these jewels are doing is referencing 15th Century Catholic England.
Munn then stated: “Slightly difficult to say what on earth these are worth and you don’t care and I care rather less as well”, with the guest quickly correcting him: “I do care a bit actually.”
The expert laughed: “You care a bit! How marvellous”, before he summarised their value.
He said: “I’m going to say £7,000 for that one and then there is an intrinsic value here nudging £8,000 to £10,000.
“Thank you so much for bringing them, holy objects, sacred objects aren’t they?”
She agreed: “Obviously we’ll keep them and treasure them but thank you so much.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.