Antiques Roadshow expert Judith Miller on how to unearth hidden gems

Judith Miller says it's become harder to find hidden gems, but there are still some out there.

ALMOST everyone is an antiques buff these days thanks to the proliferation and popularity of TV series such as Bargain Hunt, Cash In The Attic and the very best of them all, Antiques Roadshow. So the chances of finding old treasure for next to nothing are slimmer than ever.

“You have to kiss a lot of frogs and sort through a lot of tat if you are looking in car boot sales and charity shops, but it is still possible,” says antiques doyenne and Roadshow expert Judith Miller.

“I remember Eric Knowles valuing a vase with a plant in it for a woman and she’d only bought it because she liked the plant. It turned out that the vase was Lalique and worth £24,000.”

She also cites a recent Roadshow in Glasgow where she valued a brooch at £800. The owner had paid £5 for it from a car boot sale as she wanted something orange to match her Hallowe’en outfit. She didn’t realise it was by Dior.

Costume jewellery is one of Judith’s passions and it has proved a shrewd investment as prices for “paste” have risen considerably in recent years. A Joseff of Hollywood pin she bought for £80 ten years ago is now worth £1,000.

It takes a trained eye to tell quality from the cheap and cheerful, but there are some obvious pointers.

“Brands are the best indication of quality so names like Joseff of Hollywood, Miriam Haskell, Trifari, Dior and Chanel are ones to look out for,” says Judith, whose knowledge extends far beyond jewellery. “But there are a lot of unsigned pieces and then what you check for is the quality of the manufacture. So you look for prong set stones and not glued because prong setting takes longer.”