PC: The Sun
How did a £5 car boot sale ring contain a £15,000 diamond
A UK shopper who paid just £5 for a ring at a car boot sale in Oxfordshire was left stunned after experts valued the jewellery at £15,000. The ring, which the woman initially believed was an attractive piece of costume jewellery, was found to contain a 3.02-carat natural diamond set in 18-carat gold. During the valuation, experts identified the stone as a 3.02-carat natural diamond set in 18-carat gold. The ring was subsequently valued at £15,000. I only paid £5 for the ring thinking it was just an attractive costume jewellery piece and never expected it to be worth thousands.
Because she thought it was pretty, without realising that it contained a valuable natural diamond, the owner had bought the ring.
The discovery was made during a jewellery and antiques valuation event organised by WeBuyVintage at Seacourt Hall in Botley, Oxford, according to the BBC. The jewellery had no maker’s mark, and it was believed to date from the 1970s or 1980s, according to The Sun. She said: “I was completely shocked, according to the BBC. Nayak said: “Finds like this are exactly why we love what we do.”, according to The Sun.
Valuer Asha Nayak examined the ring, which had no maker’s mark and was believed to date from the 1970s or 1980s. The woman purchased the ring at a car boot sale in Oxfordshire, attracted by its appearance rather than any knowledge of its materials or history. She later brought the piece to a public valuation event in Botley, where specialists examined it and established its composition and estimated worth. Speaking about the discovery, the owner described her reaction to learning the ring’s value. Asha Nayak, who assessed the ring at the WeBuyVintage roadshow, highlighted the role of professional examination in identifying valuable jewellery.
