I bought a jewellery box from a charity shop for £5 and hit the jackpot with the contents
An avid thrift shopper shared the mysterious accessory find she found in a jewelry box she purchased.
The charity shopping professional said one of the items was even worth over £100.
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In her viral videoTikTok user Francesca Ramsden (@francescacharityshop) unpacked her loot for her followers.
“I found a random jewellery box in a charity shop for £5 and when I looked inside it was full of all sorts of treasures,” she explains.
She held up the pink velvet ornament with an embroidered design on the lid.
For her first item, Francesca showed her audience a chunky wooden necklace that she said she would “never wear.”
Next, she picked up a ‘gold-plated metal heart’ necklace and a white beaded bracelet with a rose detail.
She found a “cute” silver brooch in the mix, but when she looked closer she saw that it was broken.
Francesca also wore a larger statement ring that she liked, but it was the second ring that caught her attention.
“I’m going to take it to a jeweler and see what he says,” she said after examining the markings on the inside of the band.
In a second clampShe said that a professional examination had shown that the stone was Topaz.
Francesca was also told that the ring was made of nine carat gold.
“If I bought it new it would cost me about £200. If I sold it for gold it would cost about £50 to £80,” she said.
“I’m keeping him, he’s beautiful,” the TikToker wrote in the comments.
Francesca concluded that her budget-friendly purchase wasn’t “that bad” after all.
Her followers shared their thoughts on the jewelry purchase in the comments.
“It’s beautiful either way,” one viewer said of the Topaz ring.
Top tips for thrift stores to score bargains
Ross Dutton has been Crisis’ charity shop manager for four years and currently runs the charity’s Finsbury Park store in London.
Choose your area – Generally speaking, the more upscale the neighborhood, the better the quality of the donated clothing.
Don’t get stuck – If you see something you like, buy it because it will probably be sold out when you come back
Beware of cut labels – Some of your favourite high street shops have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that doesn’t sell in their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they have to cut the labels off the clothes.
Stay home – While some charities have their own site, such as Oxfam and Crisis. Many also sell through specialist eBay stores, such as the British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won’t get the range of bargains you would in a physical store, but if you’re looking for something specific it might be worth looking online.
“It’s a very beautiful Topaz, great find!” wrote another TikTok user.
“Beautiful ring! Really beautiful Topaz! I hope you keep it,”
“The most I find in a thrift store handbag is an old handkerchief with chewing gum stuck to it.”
“Definitely save it. Gold prices are sky high right now and will only go up, you’ve got a great nest egg for a rainy day!” one viewer commented.
“Still a picture. Send it to me if you don’t like it,” joked another TikTok user.
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