BBC Antiques Roadshow guest repeats three-word response to value of aunt's 'rare' necklace

served up a real gem as an unsuspecting guest was left stunned by the value of a family heirloom.

The show saw Londonderry play host to numerous visitors eager to discover secrets and values of their precious items.

While speaking to a guest, expert Joanna Hardy noted: "Jewellery always catches my attention but there will be different reasons why it catches my attention.

"And this is because of its age and rarity. How did you get this?"

To which the guest disclosed: "Well it's been in the family since the 1950s. I believe my aunt bought it in Dublin," adding that the purchase happened in an antiques store.

Curious about the original buyer's knowledge, Hardy queried: "And did she know what she had?"

The owner revealed: "Not really, no. She just liked the piece I think, and she just thought it was quite unusual and that took her eye."

Hardy then delved into the history of the necklace, explaining: "This is a very long chain and this is Georgian period, so we're talking late 1820s. So it's nearly 200-years-old.

"It's a belcher link chain or we call it a muff chain and a muff chain is literally when they would have a gold chain and at the end, they would attach it to a muff.

"And you can see this beautiful decoration work, it's very light in weight.

"The Californian Gold Rush was in 1848 so prior to that, the gold pieces were very light, because there wasn't much gold around.

"It hasn't been chopped up into bracelets.

"And so often long chains will have been divided up amongst the family over time."

The expert then made an intriguing connection to a Netflix hit drama: "There's also a TV series called Bridgerton which has really made Georgian jewellery really popular.

"So, of course, you know it's 200-years-old, so there has to be some wear and tear.

"And if I look in between the links, you can see the wear which is natural wear over the ages because it's been loved."

Wrapping up her evaluation, Hardy revealed: "So, at auction, because these items are so popular, you'd be looking at about £5,000."

The owner responded with surprise, uttering: "Wow, that's a shock!"

Taking a moment to process the valuation, she added, "That's a big shock. A big shock. A nice shock but a big shock."

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.