Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Celebrity Antiques Roadshow: what is the most expensive item ever found on the show?

How stunning is this gorgeous item?


antiques roadshow
Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
September 14, 2020
Share this:

There's nothing more comforting to watch on television than Antiques Roadshow, right? Monday night's celebrity-version of the popular series will see Grace Dent and Amol Rajan join the show's experts to find some of the lost treasures on the show. But what is the priciest item that the show has ever seen? Find out here... 

MORE: Inside Garden Rescue's The Rich Brothers family photo album

In 2017, two British soldiers had a Fabergé flower valued on the show, which belonged to the British army regiment, and discovered it was worth £1million. 

faberge

The item was brought to the show by custodians of the piece

Speaking of the incredible discovery at the time, the show's jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn said his "pulse was racing", adding: "To make a judgment of that enormity is a tricky thing to do so I'm not going to pretend it wasn't pressurised. This was a sensation beyond our wildest dreams really - this is a towering masterpiece from Faberge.

"It's what we call an 'object of fantasy' because it has absolutely no function whatsoever except to be a source of pleasure - and it is the rarest, most poetic manifestation of Faberge's work that one could ever hope to see."

one million flower

Would you have guessed how much this item was worth?

The flower features a sprig of blossoms in a vase with ‘QOWH South Africa 1900’ engraved on the base. According to the Daily Mail, it was one of 80 surviving pieces. A spokesperson for Fabergé said: "Only about 80 of Fabergé’s botanical studies are known to have survived. They are among the most beautiful objects produced by the company. We can reveal more about the piece taken to the Antiques Roadshow.

Magical Faberge flower valued at £1 million - Antiques Roadshow - BBC One

WATCH: The crystal flower is valued on Antiques Roadshow

"Its engraved gold stem is placed in a rock crystal vase, carved so it appears to be half full of water. The six flowers of blossom are gold with white enamel and shades of pale pink. Their stamens are oxidised silver with a diamond at the centre, while the leaves are carved nephrite." 

READ: David Attenborough then vs now: take a look back at his early career

Speaking about the discovery, Colonel Stamford Cartwright, who took the object to the show, said: "Because you grew up with it you tend to treat it as part of the furniture. The regiment has got some huge silver pieces, which absolutely tower over this little thing." 

Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to Off Camera for all the gossip and goings-on from the wonderful world of TV and film

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More TV and Film

See more