Antiques Roadshow ‘nervous’ expert holds guest’s hand as he gives unexpected news

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.

An Antiques Roadshow expert admitted a guest was making him feel “nervous” as he gave a top value of some of her family’s most prized possessions. The BBC daytime series saw expert Geoffrey Munn on hand to appraise a number of beautiful items, including a pair of cufflinks, which had belonged to a woman’s ancestors.

The Antiques Roadshow guest explained: “Well they were given to my great-grandfather who was chef to Edward VII and Queen Victoria at the end of her reign by the crown heads of Europe. And some of these are Russian pieces.” Believing they were presented to her great-grandfather as a “gift”, she said he was presented with such pieces from aristocracy such as Manuel of Portugal, Wilhelm II, and various other visitors at Sandringham Estate and Buckingham Palace.

“These are Russian ones and a pair of gold cufflinks with alternating rubies and diamonds in a nugget effect”, Munn remarked. "And there’s the most marvellous word in Russia used to describe this which is called samorodok which means a nugget and it’s a very very Russian technique favoured by Faberge.

“In fact, these are not by Faberge and the lid satin rather conveniently tells us that they’re made by somebody called Ivanov working in St Petersburg. It’s certain they are a gift from the Imperial family because the Imperial family cipher appears above.”

When asked about her great-grandfather, she commented: “Well he was a Frenchman to start with and I understand he had been chef to people like the Rothschilds and had been to Saltram in Devon. Edward VII heard of him and wanted him to be his chef and I think he may have poached him.”

She then brought out a photograph of the man himself as well as her grandmother and her aunt.

Munn said: “Oh that’s very touching, isn’t it? My goodness…he’s a brilliant chap, I must say.”

When it was time to take a closer look at the other items, the guest elaborated: “I have been told they were cufflinks but they have little rings on which you can see just there.

“I really don’t know. I imagine because they were given to my great-grandfather, they must have been cufflinks I feel and because he only had daughters, possibly the daughters had them made into brooches or pendants.”

But this wasn’t good news for Munn as the adaptation meant that the maker’s mark had been removed, although they were “very characteristic of Faberge’s work”.

He added: “In every way they positively reek of Faberge but in stamp collecting terms I can’t be absolutely certain.”

On the other hand, a brooch which had been presented as a gift by Tsar Nicholas was a “full blown Faberge brooch”, which Munn had “absolutely no doubt of” thanks to its workmaster August Holming’s initials.

With a smile, the guest said: “Wonderful. Because I wondered and half hoped it would be and that’s marvellous.”

Munn continued: “Now as for value, the cufflinks are impressive. They’re very Russian, Russian technique.

“In the manner of Faberge but a rose by any other name smells as sweet but it certainly isn’t as valuable.

“I think with an Imperial provenance, nonetheless, they are very desirable, very wearable, and a very precise provenance.”

The expert then shared that he believed the cufflinks were worth around £8,000 much to the delight of the audience and the guest.

She remarked with a smile: “Really? My goodness gracious me.”

He then said they could go “a bit mad again” for the cufflinks-turned-brooches and valued then at around £9,000.

Munn held onto the surprised guest’s hands as he asked: “You feeling calm? This is very, very good isn’t it? Making me nervous.”

She admitted: “I don’t really want to sell these. I want to keep them because they’re family pieces”, to which he replied: “I think in a way they should be kept together as a collection.”

The guest said this is what she wanted to do before Munn queried if she could take a guess at how much the Imperial brooch would be worth.

“Well if these are that price, that must be £10,000?” she said.

Munn teased: “Well it is £10,000 and it’s more than £10,000. It’s £15,000.”

The audience cooed and applauded as the guest beamed: “My dear chap. Gosh.

“That’s amazing. I never realised it would be as much as that, I must confess.”

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.