A British woman sold a brooch she bought at a fair for $35 for $12,000

Photo: Gildings Auctioneers

At a British auction, Gildings Auctioneers sold a silver brooch bought at a fair more than three decades ago for $12,000. The owner, who once paid $35 for the ornament, had no idea of ​​its value.

However, 36 years later, art historian Flora Steele accidentally learned that she had “won the jackpot”. writes The New York Times.

Flora Steele purchased the item at an antique fair in the British Midlands in 1988. It is made of silver, lapis lazuli, malachite and pink coral.

“The brooch caught my attention with its incredible design – a successful combination of stones”, – said the woman.

For several years, she wore the brooch on the lapel of one of her favorite coats, but then put it away in a closet, where it remained for more than two decades.

But last year, the woman saw a television show on YouTube where the host showed sketches of brooches designed by Victorian-era artist William Burgess.

“I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s mine!’ – remembers Flora Steele.

The presenter said that he dreamed of finding brooches designed by this artist and called them “almost the holy grail of 19th century Victorian design”.

On March 19, 2024, Flora Steele sold her brooch to a private collector for about $12,000.

She became the third person to sell a William Burgess brooch at auction. Two more owners of such brooches realized their value after watching the same TV show. One of the products was sold in 2011 for about 50 thousand dollars.

Earlier we wrote that there is a woman in the USA purchased used a vase for $4 and resold it for over $100,000.