A WOMAN has been left stunned by the evaluation of her turkey brooch after she was re-gifted it.
After suspecting there was something special about the rare item, she took it to be evaluated by Antiques Roadshow.
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“It came into our family through a wealthy couple,” the owner explained to appraiser Lourdes Winnick during a recent episode of the beloved PBS Series.
As the story goes, the wealthy Jennings couple lived on a ranch just outside of Tampa, Florida, and encountered a surprisingly tame wild turkey.
It would come around in the backyard of their house and seem unintimidated by them or the animals around it.
Mrs. Jennings decided to name the turkey “Napoleon” due to the way it strutted everywhere with ease.
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After some time, Napoleon disappeared, according to the brooch’s owner.
The couple suspected a bobcat had gotten to it, leaving Mrs. Jennings upset, so Mr. Jennings commissioned the turkey brooch out of New York City for her to wear in remembrance of the fallen bird.
PASSED ON
Years later, the brooch was passed to the owner’s cousin, Carolyn.
Carolyn suspected it was gold but re-gifted it to the woman and current owner one year anyway because she “wears more jewelry.”
The woman doubted it was gold, noting it felt “more like heavy pot metal.”
Winnick quickly explained that the heavy feel wasn’t surprising as the turkey brooch was enameled, adding to the weight.
“It’s actually a vitreous enamel — it’s very elaborate and very lifelike, and it’s very difficult to get the colors the way they are,” the appraiser noted, admiring the brooch.
Some of the enameling was also only done so the brooch would continue to appear three-dimensional over time.
She added that there were no indicating markers as to who made the piece, but they could verify it was crafted around the 1940s or 50s.
Winnick also verified that the turkey brooch was, in fact, made of 18-karat gold.
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WHAT’S IT WORTH?
“This would’ve been a very expensive gift for him to have made for her,” the appraiser told the owner.
Considering everything, the turkey brooch was evaluated by Winnick to be worth anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000.
“No! Really?” the owner asked excitedly.
“Oh gosh, cousin Carolyn may want it back. That’s amazing!”
Winnick joked that the woman should wear the brooch to her next Thanksgiving gathering.
It wouldn’t be the first time Antiques Roadshow told the owners of items they previously thought mundane and relatively valueless that they were worth thousands of dollars.
A woman who paid just $40 for a glass bird at an auction several years ago was brought to tears when appraisers told her it was worth $9,000 thanks to its designer.
After holding onto an $80 piece of art from their late husband for decades, a man was also left emotional after Antiques Roadshow evaluated it for $20,000.
