‘Paste’ ruby heirloom is a £1,000 gem
A DIAMOND and ruby ring mistaken for costume jewellery sold for £1,000.
The 200-year-old ring was in a box of cheap jewellery its owner had taken for a free valuation.
She believed the diamond was paste and that the whole box would make £50 at auction.
But experts valued the ring alone, which had a ruby surrounded by diamonds, at £300-£500. It was sold for £1,000 by Hansons Auctioneers.
Hansons’ Chris Kirkham said of the Georgian gem, taken for valuation in Teddington, South West London: “That’s what we’re here for.
“Time and time again valuable items like this are found lost in collections of old costume jewellery. They are often inherited.”