BBC Antiques Roadshow guest breaks down in tears as hidden message found in item

Things took an emotional turn on as a guest broke down in tears.

A recent episode of the programme saw expert Susan Rumfitt travel to Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh where she was greeted with a woman who brought in her late grandmother’s brooch.

The guest explained how the brooch had been handed from her grandmother to her mother, who later passed it onto her.

Her grandmother, who served in the German air force in World War II, fell pregnant and was stationed in Norway.

However, she refused to reveal the identity of the guest’s grandfather as it was believed he broke her heart.

“She never wanted to talk about the war and she never mentioned to my mum who her dad was,” the guest explained.

Brooch on Antiques Roadshoq

The brooch was traditionally worn by Norwegian women on their wedding day (Image: BBC)

Looking at the item, Susan explained that it was a Solje brooch.

Solje means shiny in traditional Norwegian. Explaining more about the precious item, Susan said: “It’s a lovely example of their traditional jewellery that went with their traditional costume so it’s a very important symbol in that respect.

“The traditional way that it has been constructed goes back to that lovely Viking jewellery of the ancient world and it just really has this fun aspect to it as well.”

Susan then revealed why Norwegian women used to wear brooches as part of their wedding jewellery, saying: “The discs that are around it are known as spoons and the tradition of these brooches was that they were sometimes given to young girls, babies for protection against evil spirits.”

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BBC Antiques Roadshow

The guest broke down in tears as she discovered the hidden meaning behind her grandma’s brooch (Image: BBC)

Susan continued: “But the main reason for women wearing them was as a piece of bridal jewellery.”

The guest was stunned as she gasped: “You’re joking.”

Questioning her grandmother’s heartbreak, the guest added: “I wonder who broke whose heart here because my grandma could have said no.”

Things took an emotional turn as the guest began to cry. She apologised to the expert, who quipped: “Yes, it is emotional, isn’t it?”

The expert placed an £100 price tag on the item, but revealed it held much more emotional value.

As the guest wiped away her tears, Susan said: “For what appears to be a very straightforward piece of jewellery, there is so much history behind it and so much emotion as well.”

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