'Lost' brooch which appeared on Antiques Roadshow to go under the hammer in Harborough

A brooch which appeared on the Antiques Roadshow on Christmas Eve is set to go under the hammer in Harborough.

The silver, coral, lapis lazuli and malachite brooch was designed by the great Victorian Gothic Revival designer and architect William Burges, who is best known for designing Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch in South Wales.

It was bought at an antiques market in the Midlands in 1988 for £20 by jewellery enthusiast Flora Steel.

But it is set to be sold at Harborough-based Gildings Auctioneers with a guide price of £10,000 to £15,000.

It was the third such brooch to be featured on the show, after jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn said he was looking for three designs by Burges, which featured on a sheet of sketches in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s archive.

The brooches had significance as rare personal commissions as bridesmaids gifts.

The first discovery was made in 2011 when Market Harborough-based pensioner Jill Cousins recognised she owned one of the pieces of jewellery – which she had planned to sell at Harborough Indoor Market.

She contacted Gildings Auctioneers who said the brooch was probably made for the wedding of his friend and fellow architect John Pollard Seddon in 1864.

It appeared later that year on Antiques Roadshow, where Mr Munn described the find as his 'Tutankhamen experience', estimating it could make £10,000 at auction. It went on to triple this figure when it sold at Gildings for £31,000 in 2011.

Later that year, while watching the TV show, another viewer realised they had the same brooch. This owner also contacted Gildings, who arranged a private sale to the V&A, where it is now displayed in the jewellery galleries.

And Ms Steel discovered the significance of her jewellery when watching a clip of Antiques Roadshow ‘Most Wanted Finds’. This led to her own appearance on this year’s Christmas special.

Ms Steel said: “The brooch originally caught my eye for its strong design, strange lettering and unusual stones.

“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.

“I've always adored the Antiques Roadshow, so when the clip popped up on my phone, I said to myself, ‘that reminds me of the brooch I found 35 years ago’. So, I decided to have a better look at the V&A drawing and lo and behold there was my brooch! I practically fell off my chair!”

Following in the footsteps of the two owners in 2011, Ms Steel contacted Gildings, who were again able to confirm this brooch as another of the designs by Burges, this time for the wedding of an unknown individual named Gibson.

Gildings director Will Gilding said: “It was clear this was another one of the designs on the page of sketches.

“So, now a Burges brooch has again been discovered via a chance sighting via the Antiques Roadshow. Whether this brooch reaches the heights of the first one we auctioned or indeed results in any more examples being unearthed remains to be seen. However, as a fascinating piece with an even more intriguing backstory, we’re honoured to be playing a part in its continued history as we present it to the open market next year.”