A woman named Flora Steel recently discovered that her brooch, which she bought for around $35 in the 1980s, was designed by Victorian Gothic Revival designer and architect William Burges and is worth more than $19,000.
As the story goes, Steel saw a brooch at an antique market and found it beautiful, so she decided to buy it. It stayed in her jewelry collection until recently, when she watched a clip from a 2011 episode of BBC’s show Antiques Roadshow that featured a Burges-designed brooch similar to hers.
After inspecting the brooch closely and realizing it could be worth a lot more than she paid for it, Steel took it to action house Gildings Auctioneers, who confirmed it was the work of Burges.
Steel ended up appearing on a 2023 Christmas special of Antiques Roadshow, where she shared the story.
“The brooch originally caught my eye for its strong design, strange lettering, and unusual stones,” Steel shared. “I always loved it and thought that it was so particular in its design that sooner or later I would discover who had designed it.”
The brooch is now headed to auction in the spring, where it is estimated to fetch a bid of up to $19,000.