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30 Years After Buying $13 Ring, Owner Gets It Appraised

30 Years After Buying $13 Ring, Owner Gets It Appraised November 25, 2022Leave a comment

A Genuine Appraisal

She thought that she heard things. She questioned if the appraiser was having a go at her. "Could a professional make a joke about that?" she thought.

The surprised woman didn't know to react to the information. Quite frankly, the appraiser couldn't believe what she was saying herself. They were both in the presence of royalty.

An Unusual Find

Petticoat Lane Market

Our lead protagonist, who prefers to remain anonymous for security reasons, of course was humble enough to share her story with the local press. Her story starts just like any other typical Londoner. She was on her usual weekly stroll through the Middlesex Hospital Flea Market. She had a hobby of collecting antiques and enjoyed spending a few pounds on tiny treasures which were within her budget.

While looking at a pretty beaded necklace, something sparkling caught her eye. It was a large diamond set in an antique band. She couldn't take her eyes off it.

Hidden Potential

iTV Sothebys

The anonymous shopper wanted to purchase the ring immediately. Something about it drew her towards it. It looked like a natural diamond, and could easily pass as one.

She held the ring close to her eyes, looking deep into the center. "Cut, clarity, and color she thought to herself," something she had heard wealthy ladies brag about before and giggled. She didn't know the first thing about grading diamonds, but she had to have this piece.

Big Dreams

ITV Sothebys

The ring was massive, the woman had never seen such a big diamond before. "It can't be real," she thought, "not at a flea market."

To the woman, it was more than buying a piece of imitation jewelry. It was her good luck charm and reminded her that she deserved everything of the best in the world.

Unwanted Attention

Petticoat Lane Market

The woman approached the salesperson and asked the price, and it was just a mere Ten Pounds ($13). She took her new piece home, cleaned it with jewelry cleaner, and watched it shine in its glory.

She smiled, and she saw how the light danced through the clear stone; it was simple pleasure like this that gave her meaning to life. The lucky ring was always on her finger and drew much attention from strangers. She didn't know that she would also meet someone interested in her ring.

Strange Customer

WFLA News

It was a sunny afternoon, and our lady was on her way home after a great work day. She stopped by her usual grocer and was in a hurry to get back on her way.

Standing in line to pay, she noticed a tall man standing behind her. He was edging closer toward her. She would take a step forward, and so would he. He was making her feel very uncomfortable. She tried to ignore it, as people do tend to push the limits of personal boundaries in public spaces.

There Is Someone Following Me

This man was utterly obnoxious. By this point, the woman had made it known she was uncomfortable by moving forward, but he didn't care. Finally, her turn came, and she hurried to the cashier and left the store.

She was in a good mood before, but now she felt strangely suspicious. She looked behind her and started to walk faster.

A Near Escape

Twitter

The lady was now terrified. She ran towards her car and fumbled for her car keys. She was just about to unlock the door when she was stopped.

It was her worst nightmare. He was right behind her. She wondered if she should scream. She looked him dead in the eyes and what he said made her freeze.

Nowhere To Turn

Medical News

The man immediately apologized for startling her. She wasn't convinced. The reason he followed her is because of the beautiful piece of jewelry he saw on her hand.

The woman was not naive. She thought twice. She didn't know this stranger. Why should she let him touch her personal belongings? There was no need.

Absolutely Not

The lady wasn't going to hang around for another second. She was not going to be another statistical crime. She pushed passed him, quickly opened her door, and closed it.

As she was starting her car, the man was still standing on the pavement, trying to get her attention. She pretended as though she couldn't see him. He was having profusely, "Where did you buy your ring from, lady? Come on," he said. But she wasn't interested in making small talk; she just wanted to get home.

Always, But Not That Day

Sotheby's

The woman always had her talisman by her side, but one day she was in such a hurry that she forgot to put it on.

It had become a ritual for her to wake up and immediately put the ring on her finger. But that day, she was frazzled. She was going to be late, and as she hurried to get dressed and out the door, the ring was not on her finger.

Anxiety

Newsweek

She didn't think much of it, but as she hopped on the subway and her hand held onto the strap above her to steady her balance, she noticed her mistake.

Fear pulsed through her body with such force she thought she was having an anxiety attack. She needed to do something, but whatever she did, she needed to do it fast.

Turning Back

The Independent

The ring was so precious to her that she got off at the next stop and headed straight back to her house. "I can't believe I left it at home," she thought angrily –  even after she had been so paranoid about the man at the grocery store.

As she rounded the corner to her house, dread engulfed her. She saw a car speed away, which seemed like it had been parked right in front of her driveway. She felt immense pressure in her chest and immediately ran through her front door.

The Door Was Unlocked

istock

As she gasped for air in her entranceway and looked back at the door, she realized that she had run through it with such force that she didn't even think twice about the fact that it was unlocked.

That was it- her talisman was gone, and now she would never know its real value. Still, she needed to check ​to make sure. But what she found made her blood boil even more.

All Of Its Glory

Sothebys

She climbed the stairs two-by-two​ and started in her bedroom. Her initial thought was to look for the ring where she had always kept it. Nothing. It was not there. She knew she should have been more careful!

Something was off about that man, and her gut feeling told her so too. With her eyes widening and her breaths ragged, she turned her bedroom upside down. She could not find her precious costume ring, but then something jogged her memory.

In The Bathroom

istock

She retraced her steps that morning. As she entered her bathroom, there it was. The ring sat next to the sink, sparkling in all of its glory.

She had put it there to remind herself to put it back on after brushing her teeth but didn't. She couldn't live with his anxiety; she had to do something.

Auction House

Sothebys

She was struggling to pay her bills; that was no secret. All she could think about was the strange man with an uncanny interest in her ring. He seemed to think her' crystal ring' might be of some value.

Who had it belonged to? The encounter with the man had been enough for her to take the ring to Sotheby's London — maybe they could answer her questions and relieve her anxiety.

Who Did It Belong To?

Brides

She wondered, longingly, if the ring had belonged to someone famous. The ring was obviously old, the silver mounting and band had tarnished, and there was a lot of dirt on it — but what secrets was it hiding?

After a couple of anxious days waiting for the news from the auction house, she would finally find out the mind-bending truth.

A Mistake?

Sothebys

The suspense was killing her, and suddenly, a sense of dread overcame her. What if she had given her prize possession to them and never saw it again?

What if all of this was a scam devised by the mysterious man who coveted it? Sotheby's said they had to keep it for a couple of days to run some tests on the stone, and her heart plummeted.

A Diamond In The Rough

New York Post

When Sotheby's Jewelry in London confirmed the stone's authenticity, nobody could believe it. It turned out that her ring was a giant, 26-carat cushion-shaped white diamond from the 19th Century.

The Londoner couldn't believe it… surely they had made a mistake? How could she have been wearing a ring of such value all this time?

Fit For Royalty

Jessica Wyndham, who heads the auction house's jewelry department, explained that a ring of such value was probably owned by someone in the royal family all the way back in the 19th century.

And, because the diamond cutting was "slightly duller and deeper" than nowadays, "it could trick people into thinking it's not a genuine stone."

No One Would Think It Was Valuable

ITV NEWS

"With an old style of cutting – an antique cushion shape – the light doesn't reflect as much as it would from a modern stone cutting," Jessica Wyndham explained further.

"Cutters worked to conserve as much weight rather than make it as brilliant as possible," she said. So, nobody was the wiser because the stone was duller than you'd expect for a genuine diamond.

Antique Style

Pinterest

The antique shape, tarnished mount and band, and older style had disguised the ring's true brilliance for all those years.

Jessica Wyndham also went on to explain why they took so long to get it authenticated and valued: "We confirmed that it was indeed a diamond. We got it tested with the Gemological Institute of America … and that then dictated the price," she said. "It's a life-changing amount of money,"

An Amazing Windfall

News Times

Jessica Wyndham explained more details to the BBC about why the lucky London woman had no idea what she had.

"They'd been to quite a few car-boot sales over the years. But they don't have any history of collecting antiques, and they don't have any history of collecting diamonds. This is a one-off windfall, an amazing find."

Once In A Lifetime

Sothebys

Jessica Wyndham told the unidentified woman that the ring could go for as much as £350,000 (about $450,000) if it were auctioned!

The head of the auction house continued to explain the cut of the stone probably would have meant that it didn't sparkle, plus it was all dirty; no one would really think it was real. "They came in with the idea that it might be real, and they had no idea of its value," Wyndham added.

Fairytale Ending

Twitter

Although the diamond appeared dull, the lucky London woman knew that the ring sparkled when she was standing at the flea market. That is what caught her attention, but maybe her talisman only shone for her.

Having lived life from paycheck to paycheck, another person's junk was her treasure – and it was about to change her world.

A Staggering Amount Of Money

Sothebys

The ring was sent to auction and got sold for a staggering amount: £656,750 ($847,667). The woman's life would never be the same.

Not only did this great little possession's auction make her life a whole lot easier, but she finally knew that she had been a princess all along. But some diamonds have fetched even more eye-watering amounts at auction.

The Oppenheimer Blue

eNCA

On the 18th of May 2016, a 14.62-carat diamond, the Oppenheimer Blue, sold for the world record-breaking amount of $58 million at auction.

Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, was present at the auction held at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva and said the bidding war lasted well over 20 minutes. But one diamond fetched even more than that.

The Pink Star

Getty Images

The Pink Star diamond smashed the record held by Oppenheimer Blue when it sold for an unbelievable $71.2 million in 2017.

The 59.60-carat diamond is the largest internally flawed 'fancy vivid pink diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America. Additionally, the Pink Star also holds the record for the highest price item ever sold at auction in Asia. 

Unbelievable Luck

Hub Pages

While the London woman had unbelievable luck that day when she bought the ring for $30 at the flea market, many people have found rare and valuable antiques in the strangest places.

Next time you spot something cheap in a flea market and get a gut feeling about it, you shouldn't hesitate to purchase it. Who knows… maybe you'll be the next lucky one.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.