BBC Antiques Roadshow record broken as gobsmacked expert reveals huge valuation

An Antiques Roadshow record was broken as an astonished expert exclaimed, "I'm so made up". During a previous episode of the beloved BBC programme, glass specialist Andy McConnell was on hand to assess treasures at Woodhorn Museum in Ashington, Northumberland. Andy quickly encountered a Newcastle resident who harboured a love for glass, and possessed two 18th century Masonic glasses.

"Occasionally on the Roadshow, we get a glimpse into the secretive world of freemasonry - an organisation made up of hundreds of groups or lodges, each with their own traditions incorporating mysterious symbols and objects," presenter Fiona Bruce explained. "Items like these 18th century glasses offer both an insight into Masonic rituals and the craftsmen who made them," reports the Liverpool Echo.

Following his inspection of the glasses, an enthusiastic Andy said: "These glasses are absolutely the cream! And, of course, they're firing glasses... for toasting. So, how on earth do you end up owning these wonderful little gems?"

The guest confessed that he became "a bit lucky" after spotting them at an auction. He added: "They were just a general lot. They were valued at, I think, £50 to £70. And I pretty much knew what I thought they were. Sadly, they had been spotted by somebody else, so they did go for value, but managed to win the lot [for] just under £6,000."

Revealing why he invested so heavily in the glasses, the guest continued: "They're local glasses. I just like collecting things that come from Newcastle. It's beautiful stuff. It's just a passion."

Andy then said: "What you recognised them as was the work of the Beilby family, William Beilby, who were in Newcastle. 1768, it's exactly what it says on the tin, and they were Britain's leading enamellers, the greatest enamellers, working exclusively on glass."

The expert elaborated that the glass would have been crushed into a fine powder, before William Beilby would have applied oil to a paintbrush to carefully layer each colour individually.

Andy continued: "Then using these fine brushes, [he would have] painted on these details. So, here we have the Masonic compasses and the square on the other side with this Rococo style white, floral banding around the top. And they are a well-known set.

"The first one that came up that we know about was bought by the British Museum in about 2009 for £12,000. Then one sold for £8,000 and another sold for £6,000. But yours, I know, today, would fetch at auction - you'd get somewhere like £16,000 for the pair."

The gobsmacked guest could only utter "wow" upon discovering the remarkable value of the glasses, prompting an elated Andy to exclaim: "So look, I mean what a pleasure!"

The expert rounded off by saying: "These are by far the most expensive glasses that I've ever had in 16 years on the Roadshow. I'm so made up with these. So, cheers to you and William Beilby!" as the crowd burst into rapturous applause.

Antiques Roadshow is available to stream on BBC iPlayer