Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest refuses to sell her family heirloom even if it was ‘worth a million’ (marketrealist.com)
A stunning diamond brooch, a family heirloom with a poignant history, recently made its appearance on “Antiques Roadshow.” While appraiser John Benjamin deemed the 19th-century piece worth £1,000-£1,500 (approximately $1,300-$2,000), its sentimental value proved immeasurable for its owner. The brooch, bearing the number 56, hinting at a Soviet Russia connection, became a symbol of resilience and survival during World War II.
The owner recounted her grandmother’s harrowing journey after Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Caught between invading forces, her family was arrested by the Russian army, falsely accused of espionage, and sentenced to five years of hard labor in Siberia. Amidst the chaos and separation from loved ones, the grandmother ingeniously hid the brooch in her cardigan, preserving it as the sole remaining memento of their pre-war life in Poland.
Despite Benjamin’s appraisal, the owner declared that even a million-pound offer wouldn’t sway her decision to keep the heirloom. The brooch, she affirmed, will remain within the family, passed down to her daughter as a testament to her grandmother’s strength and a tangible link to their family history. Benjamin acknowledged the true value of the piece, recognizing that its historical significance transcended any monetary worth.