There’s always plenty of surprise on , from huge profits at auction to unexpected discoveries.
During one instalment of the hit One show, expert Paul Laidlaw headed to an antiques store and was quickly distracted by a small, gold brooch displayed in a cabinet.
The Scottish auctioneer, 57, who has also appeared on Bargain Hunt and For What It’s Worth, was clearly impressed by his find, explaining to TV viewers: “So this little brooch, it’s not interesting because it’s precious, but the workmanship.”
Paul went on to point out the intricate design on the brooch, before revealing: “It has a name, this little brooch, this is a Balance Cock. A Balance Cock is a watch part, specifically the cover for the balance wheel for a pocket watch.”
It was confirmed that a the brooch featured a real diamond (Image: BBC)
He went on to explain that the brooch was likely from either the 18th century or the first quarter of the 19th century.
Distracted by the stone in the brooch, Paul then asked shop owner Stefan to use a diamond detector to check if it was a real diamond.
As it was confirmed that the Victorian brooch featured a real diamond, Paul excitedly got ready to take it to auction after purchasing it.
The brooch was put up for auction at a starting price of £5. It eventually sold for £20, making Paul an impressive £15 profit.
“I wish it cost £50, with that mark up!” he told his Antiques Road Trip co-star as the auctioneer closed the auction for good.
Paul and his co-star headed to an auction (Image: BBC)
Paul holds the record for the biggest profit made on an item on Antiques Road Trip, following an episode which aired in 2017.
He purchased a Chambre Automatique De Bertsch sub-miniature camera for £60 on the show, and it went on to sell for £20,000 to a private collector in Switzerland. All of the money was donated to Children in Need, as is all profits on the show.
Antiques Road Trip airs on weekdays on One at 3.45pm