Junk Shop Treasures

If you have children, you probably have a slew of pretty “costume” jewels rattling around in your drawers. Thea Jourdan was no exception to this rule. She obtained most of the ‘treasures’ from junk shops around town to the delight of her daughter Imogen. Imogen’s favorite piece was a pretty orangey-pink stone surrounded by imitation diamonds in a brooch. It was one of those perfect pieces that almost looked real and at £20 it was a steal, perfect for princess dresses or a hair accessory. 

It wasn’t until she went to get her engagement appraised that Thea realized that she had won the proverbial lottery. While she was casually perusing the contents of her jewelry box, the pretty brooch caught the jeweler’s attention and it wasn’t long before her diamond tester was out. You see, diamonds have a very high thermal conductivity which can be measured by a small probe. Just a quick touch and the probe tells you whether or not the stone is a diamond or a cheap simulant. To Thea’s shock and amazement, all 27 stones in the halo were diamonds, but the stone in the center couldn’t be real. “I’ll put money on it being glass”, said the jeweler. “It’s not the right color to be a real gem and it’s far too clean. A real stone would have some flaws.” Well as we’ve learned from previous blog entries, never, say never. Thea took a chance and sent a photo to Bonhams auction house. Without even seeing the stone they immediately replied with a value of 1 to 2 thousand pounds, 100 times what she had paid for it. She brought the stone in for a more thorough evaluation and couldn’t believe what she learned next. 

Photo : Thea Jourdan

It turns out that the humble piece was an exceptional example of early 19^th century design. That ‘glass’ stone? Well it was a nearly flawless topaz weighing in at 20 carats and the most desirable color known as Imperial. The orangey-pink hue was once exclusively preserved for Russian Royalty. It is possible that the brooch might have at one time graced the neck of a Russian Czarina. This provenance gave the brooch its final estimate of£3,000 to £4,000, although if recent comps apply it could fetch far more. At this point I would be frantically calling my insurance company, followed by every person in my phonebook. 

The craziest thing about this whole fairytale though, is how easily it could have never happened. Thea remembers the moment that she found the piece. It was coated in dust in a box filled with cheap beaded bracelets and silver bangles. On a whim, hey it was only 20 bucks; she bought the brooch and tucked it away in her jewelry box. As a busy mom, she soon forgot about the pretty stone until her daughter was invited to a dress-up party. “It seemed just the thing to brighten up a hand-me-down dress”. So she pinned it on and it quickly became a favorite plaything. Thea recalls occasions where Imogen insisted on wearing the bauble, to the post office, at the school play, “she could have easily lost it countless times”. “Worse, I probably wouldn’t have noticed”. Let’s just take a moment to absorb that shall we? I mean, this is along the lines of looking over to see your four-year old dangling your Rolex over the toilet. You’d have a heart attack wouldn’t you? I mean, I’m freaking out over here and I don’t even know this woman. 

Photo : Imogen holding the brooch : Thea Jourdan

But apparently this sort of thing happens all the time. “People don’t realize they have a treasure among their possessions”, says Antiques Roadshow veteran John Benjamin. “But somewhere in a drawer is a trinket they inherited that may be worth a fortune.” Some people have all the luck, because, unless dusty old rifles and figurines made out of seashells suddenly become en vogue, I’m pretty sure I’m out of luck on this one. But there may be hope for me from other avenues. 

So if you all will excuse me, I’m going to run out and raid my local junk shops in search of treasure; although I have a feeling that what I will return with will actually be just junk. But hey, you never know, and that’s half the fun right? Just promise me that if you find any hidden treasures that you let us know so that we can live vicariously through you. And don’t forget the pictures!