The owner of two pairs of Edwardian cufflinks was left in complete shock by their huge evaluation on Antiques Roadshow at Powis Castle in Wales.
Expert Joanna Hardy was thrilled to evaluate the unusual cufflinks and was amazed by their quality despite being 100 years old.
During a repeat episode on Sunday, Joanna told the owner: ‘Jewellery always tells a story and when I saw these cufflinks, they certainly are depicting an era of 100 years ago, of an Edwardian gentleman’s vices – horse racing, gambling, women, drinking. So how have you had these?’
The guest replied: ‘Well, these are my grandfather’s. My mums just passed them down to me now and the story goes, my grandfather was the chauffeur for Lord and Lady Trafford on the Trafford estate where they lived.
‘Mum lived on the estate and what I get from Mum is that it was a gift from them to say thank you for the hard work and service that they did.’
The owner of two pairs of Edwardian cufflinks was left in complete shock by the huge evaluation on Antiques Roadshow at Powis Castle in Wales
Expert Joanna Hardy was thrilled to evaluate the unusual cufflinks and was amazed by their amazing quality despite being 100 years old
The BBC expert added: ‘Maybe he was driving to many horse racing and nightclubs and parties do you think?’
‘Like me,’ the guest joked as the expert asked whether he had worn the cufflinks.
The owner admitted he knew very little about the cufflinks and revealed he had only worn them once.
Joanna was impressed with the condition of the cufflinks considering their age and the material they are made from.
She said: ‘These were typically Edwardian period, when people had come out of the Victorian era where it had all been quite dowdy and Queen Victoria had been in mourning for a long time and then you had the Edwardian period, and that was just gaiety and fun and lightness and these cufflinks really imbued that kind of era.
‘And they are made with painted enamel and the detail on these, you’ve kept these beautifully, because they are just so exquisite in their execution.
‘There’s not one chip, it’s so easy to chip these, so you’ve really done very well because they are over 100 years old.
‘They are enamelled with gold backs and you will never want to part with them.’
The guest revealed he had only worn them once and they had been passed down to him from his mum as they were his grandfather’s who ‘was the chauffeur for Lord and Lady Trafford on the Trafford estate where they lived’
Expert Joanna revealed the cufflinks are ‘highly collectable’ and could fetch between £800 to £1,000 at auction leaving the owner amazing
The owner added: ‘No I hope not,’ as the expert revealed the cufflinks are ‘highly collectable’.
Joanna revealed the cufflinks could fetch between £800 to £1,000 at auction leaving the owner amazing.
He said: ‘Wow. Are you joking? I thought you were going to say £100, that’s amazing. Thank you so much, that’s hit me in [in the heart].’
