We knew she had inherited some jewellery some decades previously from an old family friend but we had no idea as to the extent. She never told us and it was only by chance we found it all. Antique Edwardian 18ct Gold NATURAL Diamond CEYLON SAPPHIRE ROMANTIC Ring HM1918 £265.00 £7.25 postage or Best Offer Stunning & Rare Vintage 6CT White Sapphire ring on 18ct white gold & platinum £4,250.00 or Best Offer BEST EVER Antique 18ct Gold Natural DIAMOND & ROYAL BLUE SAPPHIRE Ring £259.00 £7. Sue, of Mickleover, Derbyshire., a former exam paper coordinator at the University of Derby, said: 'We didn’t know mum had got all this jewellery. Margaret's daughter Sue Bird, 66, and son Jonathan Hood, 56, a company director, said clearing out their mum's house was like a real-life treasure hunt. The rest of Margaret's secret haul will be sold by Richard Winterton Auctioneers in Lichfield, Staffs., on March 27.

Some of the great-gran's incredible collection has already fetched £5,410 at auction and it is expected to make £20,000 in its entirety.

One precious sapphire ring was tightly wrapped up in a Sainsbury's supermarket carrier bag, swathed in socks and left hanging on a porch hook by the door.Īnd as they searched the house further, they went on to find a cache of jewellery so valuable it has now been dubbed ‘The Littleover Hoard’.

Margaret Hood kept the haul of antique items hidden away from relatives and carers who had no idea they existed until she died last October aged 90.įamily members clearing out her house in Littleover, Derby were stunned to discover a lifetime of possessions squirelled away all over the property. A sapphire ring found wrapped in old socks alongside a treasure trove of jewellery at a late gran's house could fetch thousands at auction - after nearly being binned.

Real sapphire ring