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Incredible ancient relic cross sold

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BaldFriede View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 23 2019 at 10:03
Jean and I love watching "Bares für Rares" (literally "Cash for Rarities"; a more catchy translation would be "Cash for Trash"), a show in which antiques, rarities and curiosities are being sold; it runs five times a week at 3pm. Yesterday evening at 8:15 pm an XXL version of the program was shown (that happens every few months, on average twice per year). And in that show the biggest deal ever happened. This cross was sold for the highest price ever:



Not only do the diamonds in this cross have a total of 40 carats, it is also over 300 years old. The quartz cross in the middle has three wooden splinters inside. On the back of the cross is a socket with a golden lid that can be swung open. Beneath the lid is an unbroken papal seal of Pope Clement IX, who was pope from 1667-1669. This seal testifies that the splinters inside are from the cross of Jesus Christ.

Jewelry expert and art historian Heide Rezepa-Zabel estimated the worth of the cross as somewhere between €60,000 and €80,000 (the diamonds alone have a worth of €15,000 to €17,000); it was finally sold for €42,000. Susanne Steiger, the antique dealer who bought it, broke into tears of joy afterwards and stated that "this is the needle in the haystack every antique dealer is looking for, and I found it. I am incredibly happy now".

This was absolutely fascinating to watch. Jean, who has a degree in history herself, was as excited as the expert and the seven dealers in the auction room.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 10:39
Wow. I would be awed to have something like that in my home. We have a few family religious items from the 1890s-1910s, but nothing like this.  Thanks for sharing. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Atavachron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 12:37
Fascinating.  Too bad the splinters aren't accessible for analysis.

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaldJean Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 12:46
yes, to analyze the splinters you would have to break the seal, and that would seriously devaluate this artifact


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 13:53
If I owned it, and there was time-testing I could afford, I would probably do it just out of curiosity.  Reducing the monetary value wouldn't bother me, because I would never sell it anyway.

Would be a great conversation piece in any case. 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaldJean Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 15:56
for those of you who understand German: here is a video of the expertise and the sale. the guy with the mustache is Horst Lichter, the moderator of the show; the expert is art historian Heide Rezepa-Zabel:




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Atavachron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 16:22
Is the value more based on the religious history or the jewelry ?

Horst licked her?  That must've been uncomfortable to watch.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaldJean Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 16:32
the jewelry was estimated at a value of €15,000-€17,000; the rest is historical value. there is gold in the cross too, but it can be disregarded for finding the worth; the value of the jewels by far overshadows the gold value


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaldJean Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 16:53
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

Is the value more based on the religious history or the jewelry ?

Horst licked her?  That must've been uncomfortable to watch.

it is pronounced a bit differently:

https://www.howtopronounce.com/german/lichter/


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Atavachron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2019 at 17:31
Oh, he leashed her... well that's even worse.

Alright enough bad puns, I don't know why your threads always attract my dumb college humor.


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