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I found old ring in charity shop but thought ‘there’s no way that’s real’ – I found out it’s worth THOUSANDS
She found the ring among 'odds and ends' in a charity shop
ONE lucky woman has found on old ring in a charity shop worth thousands that she initially didn't think was real.
The 58-year-old was perusing a Bromley charity shop when she found a ring she thought was too good to be true in a "junk jewellery box".
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She then paid £5.50 for what turned out to be a 2.3-carat diamond.
The ring is now expected to fetch between £7,000 and £8,000 when it goes under the hammer at Derbyshire’s Hansons Auctioneers.
The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, said: “I wanted to have an opal pendant valued and only decided to take the ring at the last minute. I didn’t think it could possibly be real."
“I just assumed someone would have picked up on the fact if it was. The stone was so big, I thought no one could miss it if it was an actual diamond.
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“My dad looked at it a couple of times and said ‘I’m not sure if that’s real’ but decided it wasn’t because, like me, he thought the stone was too big.
“I saw the ring around Christmas in a charity shop in the Bromley area. I love sparkly things, a bit of bling, and it really caught my eye.
"I found it in a plastic tub with lots of other jewellery. The box was marked ‘junk jewellery’. I paid £5.50 for it last December.”
Sonia Jackson, valuer for Hansons Auctioneers, spotted its worth at a free valuation event.
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Sonia said: “I told her it was a real diamond and she was amazed. She’d had the ring for months and thought it was costume jewellery with a fake stone.
“I was delighted for her and brought the ring back to Hansons’ headquarters in Etwall, near Derby, to have it valued by our consultant jewellery specialist David Byrne. When I rang her to tell her the valuation I said, ‘I think you may need to sit down’.
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The anonymous buyer said: “This is the best stroke of luck I’ve ever had. I’m over the moon. You hear about things like this happening to other people but never think it will happen to you.
“I only wore the ring a couple of times. Now I know what’s it’s worth I couldn’t wear it anyway because I’d be too worried about losing it.
“I’ve only got a couple of rings and neither of them are any good. I bought a diamond ring in 1983 for about £10 but it was only diamond chip.
“I hope the ring does well at auction as I’d like to put the money it makes towards the cost of my daughter’s Masters degree. I won’t be spending it on myself, I’ve got everything I need.”
The ring will go to auction on June 28.
Ways to make money off charity shops
WHILE many people love to thrift shop at charity stores, only a few know how to turn it into a profitable side hustle.
Charity shops usually sell items that are donated by other people - sometimes very rich ones who give away expensive stuff.
And they can be treasure troves when it comes to picking up high-quality items at affordable prices.
People thrift shopping at such stores can resell the items to make a profit for themselves.
One of the best platforms to sell goods bought from charity stores is eBay, where one can easily make a few hundred pounds by putting in some part-time hours.
Luke Hadley says he makes an extra £500 each month by reselling stuff from charity shops.
He turned his hand to reselling last April when millions of households felt the pinch of rising bills from energy to food.
The dad-of-one scours his local charity shops for womenswear from posh high street shops and sells them for a profit on eBay.
Hadley from the West Midlands, says it's worth it as he's been able to give his 14-month-old son Harrison and partner Catherine Saunders, 25 a Christmas to remember.
He also took the family away on a week-long holiday to Butlins and has started to build up his savings and a separate emergency fund.
Meanwhile, a charity shop guru has shared his top three tips that could help you make a fortune.
According to the expert, people should scout for footwear from brands such as Nike and Adidas, as they sell quickly and give out the highest turnovers.
The second tip to make good profits is to buy seasonal clothes from charity shops as they are always in demand.
And lastly, people should always check for vintage and antique items as they might turn out to be really rare or valuable.
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