Sign In / Register
Jeweller Greg Winegar with the brooch, which was encased in black as a sign of mourning.
A diamond brooch, which dates back to the 1820s, has been valued at $28,000 by Warkworth jeweller Greg Winegar.Mr Winegar, from Kowhai Coast Jewellers, has worked in the jewellery and diamond grading business across Europe and America for over a decade. He says he was shocked when a local resident brought in the piece for valuation.
“I knew straight away it was very special. It certainly wasn’t something I expected to see in a little jewellery shop in Warkworth,” Mr Winegar says.
The owner of the brooch wants to remain anonymous, but says she kept it uninsured in the ceiling of her rental home in Warkworth.
“The tenants moved out so I thought I would retrieve it and take it into Greg.”
Mr Winegar says the brooch was probably made around 1824, contains 6.4 carats of diamonds and is unusual because the high quality stones survived intact.
“Most are recut because early 19th century techniques were not as exact as today’s laser cut stones, which now have perfect symmetry,” Mr Winegar says.
The current owner says her great-great aunt posted the brooch to her from Scotland in 1985, along with a brief history. A family member who was born in 1820 first owned the brooch. She had it encased in black as a sign of mourning when her husband died in 1869.
“I knew it was quite valuable and that it had been in the family for a very long time. Tiny specs of black can still be seen on the reverse side from the time of mourning.”
Mr Winegar says the brooch was most probably made in London or Paris and would have been specially commissioned.
“Beethoven was still alive when this piece was made and it’s the type of jewellery that could very well have been at a concerto by one of the greats.”
The owner has reluctantly decided to put the brooch up for sale.
“I’m not really into material possessions and find more value in sailing and enjoying the natural beauty of the coastline, rather than diamonds.”
