Woman Buys $15 'Costume Jewelry,' Turns Out It May Be Worth $450K
A presumably fake diamond ring purchased decades ago at a flea market and for around $15 was recently found to be the real deal.
About 30 years ago, a woman perusing the wares at a London car boot sale, an event not unlike a flea market, fell in love with what she though was a big, fake diamond ring.
She handed about $15 to make it her own and, for decades, wore it while going about even the most mundane activities, notes the BBC.
After being told by a jeweler that it may be valuable, she had it appraised and discovered it’s the real deal—26.27 carats worth.
That very ring will soon be available at auction. Sotheby’s anticipates it will bring as much as $455,000.
So how does a massive diamond go unrecognized for all that time? Apparently, it just didn’t sparkle like one. Jessica Wyndham, a representative for the auction house, notes that the gem was likely cut in the 19th century, reports The Guardian.
She further explained, “With an old style of cutting, an antique cushion shape, the light doesn’t reflect back as much as it would from a modern stone cutting. Cutters worked more with the natural shape of the crystal, to conserve as much weight of the crystal rather than make it as brilliant as possible.”
The auction for the ring will be held on June 7 at Sotheby’s London.
About 30 years ago, a woman perusing the wares at a London car boot sale, an event not unlike a flea market, fell in love with what she though was a big, fake diamond ring.
She handed about $15 to make it her own and, for decades, wore it while going about even the most mundane activities, notes the BBC.
After being told by a jeweler that it may be valuable, she had it appraised and discovered it’s the real deal—26.27 carats worth.
That very ring will soon be available at auction. Sotheby’s anticipates it will bring as much as $455,000.
So how does a massive diamond go unrecognized for all that time? Apparently, it just didn’t sparkle like one. Jessica Wyndham, a representative for the auction house, notes that the gem was likely cut in the 19th century, reports The Guardian.
She further explained, “With an old style of cutting, an antique cushion shape, the light doesn’t reflect back as much as it would from a modern stone cutting. Cutters worked more with the natural shape of the crystal, to conserve as much weight of the crystal rather than make it as brilliant as possible.”
The auction for the ring will be held on June 7 at Sotheby’s London.