0:00:04 > 0:00:06I want to share some of the knowledge we have picked up
0:00:06 > 0:00:08over the last 11 years of filming "Flog It!".
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'That's hundreds of programmes under our belt and many
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'thousands of your antiques and collectibles
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'sold under the hammer.'
0:00:16 > 0:00:18I don't believe it.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Hammer's gone down. Well done!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24- That was pure quality. - I can't believe it.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28There's a whole world of trade secrets out there, for you to know.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Often on the show, we encounter items that are intriguing
0:00:59 > 0:01:00because of their size.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02'And size DOES matter.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06'So on today's programme, we're going to be looking at the small,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09'but perfectly-formed objects, that you've brought us.'
0:01:11 > 0:01:13'Coming up on Trade Secrets:
0:01:13 > 0:01:16'Mark has a few tiny words of advice...'
0:01:17 > 0:01:19There's always people who like fun -
0:01:19 > 0:01:24cats dressed as burglars, dogs dressed as policeman.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26That all adds value.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30'Small treasures provoke a huge reaction...'
0:01:30 > 0:01:33They're just ugly, horrible little devils.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35'..and Anita has a little joke...'
0:01:35 > 0:01:39- Take a guess. I do it all the time. - About £200.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41- You're not bad at this! - SHE LAUGHS
0:01:41 > 0:01:43'..and a big result!'
0:01:43 > 0:01:45£450. Thank you.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49That's unbelievable, isn't it?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55It's sometimes easy to overlook small things.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Not just jewels and gems, but tiny works that show off exquisite
0:01:59 > 0:02:03craftsmanship, like these wonderful chess pieces in front of me.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07We see it time and time again at our "Flog It!" valuation days.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11These small objects require a second look, a closer study.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16They frequently pack a punch when we sell them in the auction room.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Here's our experts' advice on what tiny objects
0:02:19 > 0:02:21punch well above their weight.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27In this business, what you don't want is ordinary.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31You either want things very, very big or very, very small.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Miniature is always good and, in a way, miniature is probably
0:02:34 > 0:02:38better than very big, because more people can house miniature things.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Simple, isn't it? You can put small things in small houses.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Things like miniature globes and pocket items,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47scientific instruments, such as sun dials,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50are very rare and sought after.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54You can get a Moorcroft dawn vase that size that'll make £2,000.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Then you can get a rare miniature that'll make the same.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03Large items have the wow factor, but miniature items
0:03:03 > 0:03:06have the "Aww" factor.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Maybe they bring out the maternal instinct in us.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16I'll let YOU decide if Philip's maternal instincts kicked in
0:03:16 > 0:03:19when he came across a pair of sporty little treasures,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22brought in by John to our valuation day in Hartlepool.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25A friend bought them from a charity shop
0:03:25 > 0:03:27and they've been in their cupboard for a while.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- How much did they pay for those? - 20p.- 20p?! Each or for the two?
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- For the two.- Do you want to double your money?- Yeah.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- 40p. - HE LAUGHS
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Sports memorabilia is hugely sought after.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43If you're a racing nut, you collect horse racing memorabilia,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45football nut - footballing memorabilia.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49'But there are loads of cricket nuts who collect cricketing memorabilia.'
0:03:49 > 0:03:53I think these are great, actually, cos this is the 1956 Ashes series.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56When you were a 12-year-old boy,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59your dad would have hoiked you off to Lord's, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02or The Oval and you would have had a day out watching the cricket.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03As part of that day out,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05he would have taken you to the little shop and you would
0:04:05 > 0:04:09have bought a miniature bat with facsimile signatures on it. And that's all those were.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13This is the Crusader Five-Star Extra Special.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16This is the Keith Miller autograph bat.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19We talk about Freddy Flintoff and the Ashes winning side,
0:04:19 > 0:04:20but here we've got
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Peter May, Trevor Bailey, Godfrey Evans, Colin Cowdrey, Tom Graveney.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30They were the great names of our era, names that my generation
0:04:30 > 0:04:32grew up with hero-worshipping,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35so there's going to always be a demand for those.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38We'll estimate them at £15-£30 the two.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41We'll fix a reserve at £10 the two.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Now, that doesn't seem a great deal of profit, really,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47but if you work out percentage terms on 20p, it'd do, wouldn't it?
0:04:47 > 0:04:48Oh, yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- Your friend going to be pleased? - She'll be pleased, yeah.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54So, were the bidders bowled over on auction day?
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I've got two commissioned bids...
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- Oooh!- Oooh! - ..and I must start it at £28.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- Get in there. - Yes, sporting memorabilia.
0:05:03 > 0:05:0655, 60...
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- 65, 70...- I didn't expect this.
0:05:09 > 0:05:1280... £80 on the stairs.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- Anybody else?- Hit for six.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Are we all done at 80?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Oh, £80.- How much did you give for those?- 20p.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Get in there, eh?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25They made £80 with just facsimile signatures on them.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Imagine what they would have made
0:05:27 > 0:05:30if they had the real signatures on them?
0:05:30 > 0:05:32You really would have been cooking on gas, then.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36It just goes to show that the tiniest souvenir
0:05:36 > 0:05:38has a sporting chance at auction.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43Memorabilia with a signature can be a real winner.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45James was in triumphant mood
0:05:45 > 0:05:48when he came across an item that was a little out of the ordinary
0:05:48 > 0:05:51at a "Flog It!" valuation day in Northampton.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56Tiny things do hit above their weight.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Diana's little needle case was a super example
0:05:59 > 0:06:01of something that was beautifully carved.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06- Diana, what a sweet lot. Are you a dog lover?- Yes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07Great little thing.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12'The dog is one of many animals that is sought after. There are cat'
0:06:12 > 0:06:14collectors, owl collectors, monkey collectors,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18horse collectors. Anything equestrian - again, very good.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21That very sweet little thing comes into two sections.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25I don't know if you know, but it's a needle case or a pin case.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30This was made around 1850 or 1860, I should think. Something like that.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31It's made in ivory.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34'The person that carved that would probably have been
0:06:34 > 0:06:36'trained by a specialist ivory carver.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:38They would have spent their entire life
0:06:38 > 0:06:41trained to carve that material.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43The eyes at each end are made in glass.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45You've got a greyhound's head at that end
0:06:45 > 0:06:48and probably a spaniel, or working dog of some form, at that end.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51But just look at that expression. Isn't he brilliant?
0:06:51 > 0:06:53It really is a fun thing.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57I always say to people, "Buy the best you can afford."
0:06:57 > 0:07:03It is much better to buy one object that is the VERY best,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06than buy ten also-rans.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11- It's only a little thing and ivory isn't really that PC...- I know.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14..but it's been around a long time and the elephant is long gone.
0:07:14 > 0:07:21- I think that's going to make £50-60. - Really? Oh, right!
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Did that tiny piece of precise
0:07:23 > 0:07:27craftsmanship make a big impression when it went under the hammer?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30I have four commissioned bids,
0:07:30 > 0:07:35and I can start at £110.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37140 on my left, 150 on the right.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40160, 170, 180,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45190, 200, 210? No.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Exactly 200, on the left. At £200. All done?
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Yes! 200 quid!
0:07:52 > 0:07:56- That's fantastic. - That's feelgood factor, wasn't it?
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Thank you.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02That little needle case was a classic example of something
0:08:02 > 0:08:04that appealed to more than one market.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06You had the obvious sewing collector,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10but you also had the dog collector, as well.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14And don't forget, there is always a market for miniatures.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18As always, quality is key, so look out for items that display
0:08:18 > 0:08:23the level of exquisite craftsmanship we saw with the needle case.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28When Rob brought this next lot to our valuation day at
0:08:28 > 0:08:33Folkestone, Mark discovered that the smallest thing can rock your world.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38Oh, this little pocket globe was a real beautiful object.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Catherine Southon would have loved to have done this item.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44What a nice little globe you've brought in to show us today.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Basically, this is a pocket-sized globe.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Globes are popular, whether they're miniature or full-sized.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55There's just something about that scientific element to it.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56We all want to know.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00And if you think, we were in the beginnings of understanding
0:09:00 > 0:09:03continents we didn't know existed.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Looking round it, we've got all the countries that we recognise now,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08but the fascinating thing about these old globes is that
0:09:08 > 0:09:10a lot of the countries have changed names.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13One key thing to me said it was 18th century -
0:09:13 > 0:09:17the fact that Australia was called New Holland.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20I think this is probably towards the end of the 18th century,
0:09:20 > 0:09:25just before it became a British protectorate, if you like.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- Yes...- These are now very collectable.- Are they?
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Who would have had something like that?
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- I immediately think of a seaman or something like that...- Oh, no, no.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39I think this would have been a part of the middle classes.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43I could just imagine the person who owned it, who would have been
0:09:43 > 0:09:47so proud to get it out and say,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50"Look, I've got the latest map of the planet."
0:09:50 > 0:09:53The only shame about it is, I've looked
0:09:53 > 0:09:57and I can't find a maker's name, which is a bit of a shame,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01cos sometimes the makers' names can make a big difference
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- to the value of these things. - Of course.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08It would have had either a little, hard leather case or a little
0:10:08 > 0:10:12shagreen case, sharkskin case, original.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Sadly, this particular globe wasn't complete.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20It didn't have its little outer case and there was no maker's name.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24That could have added another £400 or £500 to the price.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26It's very important.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29I would probably advise you to put...
0:10:29 > 0:10:33How shall we say this? ..a come-and-get-me estimate...
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- Right, yes, I know what you mean. - So, put a tempting estimate on it.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- I would probably put 200-300 on it. - Good heavens.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- Blimey.- Really?
0:10:42 > 0:10:44- Yeah.- Does that please you? - That's amazing, yeah.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It really is, yeah. I'd never have thought that.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Rob was in for an even bigger surprise at auction.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54500.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56520...
0:10:56 > 0:10:57- Good heavens...- 540...
0:10:57 > 0:10:59560...
0:11:00 > 0:11:02580... 600...
0:11:02 > 0:11:06I can't believe the grandchildren rolled it around the lounge floor.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- Back in at 600.- Yes.- 620.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10- Oh, it's up again.- Fresh legs.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11No?
0:11:11 > 0:11:14£620, then, it is, in the room.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- Are we all done?- This is great.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Heavens.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Yes!
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- That's more like it. - Thank you very much.- Not bad.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Brilliant. It found its right level.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29That little globe's size didn't prevent it from hitting the big time
0:11:29 > 0:11:34at auction, but it does underline the importance of the maker's name.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39If the globe had one, Rob's profits could have gone sky-high.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Would Anita see rich pickings in an assortment of petite porcelain?
0:11:44 > 0:11:49Sue, what a lovely little collection of miniatures here.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53People like miniatures, because they are charmed,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55they can be astonished by the scale.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58It's an interesting collection.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Whoever bought them in the first place was interested in quality.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04People love collecting.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07If you collect large items, you're not going to have very much room
0:12:07 > 0:12:12but to collect small items, put them all together, it looks lovely.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17They can be in a little cabinet, you can pick them up and play with them.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20People are always charmed and drawn to small items.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24These two here are little Worcester miniature cups.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27We have this one here, Blush Ivory.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31They're both dating from round about the beginning,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33or the turn, of the century.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37This one, perhaps, a little earlier, but Worcester, isn't it beautiful?
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Lovely silky feel of Worcester.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43There's a softness about it, which is delicious
0:12:43 > 0:12:47and I just love handling Worcester. It's such a pleasure.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Here we have two little Doulton ones.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Three Dutch guys eyeing up a Dutch bird.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00There is something terribly appealing about things in miniature.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05My mum used to say, "Good things come in wee bundles."
0:13:05 > 0:13:07She was quite a small woman, just like me.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11The collectors will love this little, double-handled cup.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I reckon that's maybe one of the best pieces here.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Again, the little jug is similar in pattern to this one.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Again, this little double-handled cup, a little bit earlier.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Pricewise, what do you think? Take a guess, I do it all the time.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Well, about £200.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31You're not bad at this!
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I think, probably, I think you're probably right.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37I would estimate it between £200 and £300.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Let's see if the titchy tea things brewed up a profit
0:13:42 > 0:13:44when they went up for sale.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45At 320...
0:13:45 > 0:13:49350, 380, 400, and 20.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52My bid at 420.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53Lost the room, my bid at 420,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55are you all done?
0:13:55 > 0:13:5750 if you wish. 450, back in.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59480, sir?
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The lady's bid at £450.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- A last look around the saleroom at 450.- Thank you
0:14:05 > 0:14:09- Wow!- Unbelievable, isn't it?
0:14:09 > 0:14:14When everything is distilled down into that miniature,
0:14:14 > 0:14:16we see the best of work.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19So examine it closely.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Get out your magnifying glass, if you want.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26Examine it closely, look at the detail and fall in love with it.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Never underestimate the draw of miniature items.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34They're instantly appealing because the skill and craftsmanship
0:14:34 > 0:14:37of their construction is all the more impressive.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45Skilful craftsmanship can produce the quirky, as well as the cute,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50as Mark discovered with a devilishly-tantalising collection.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Cold-painted bronze items are always collectable,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55but the devils stole the show for me.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I love these, though I know you don't like them, Anna.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01They are just ugly, horrible, little devils.
0:15:01 > 0:15:08- Where have they come from?- My mother chose them from her uncle's estate.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11She always... They always fascinated her as a child, I think.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13They are actually little bronze figures.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17They are what we call cold-painted bronze.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20They are largely made in Austria.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Generally, when we refer to cold-painted bronze,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25we're talking about the end of the 19th century.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29The bronze has already been cast and, as it says,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31decorated while it's cold.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33I find them really fascinating.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37You know, this lovely one, you know, washing the other one in a tin bath.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Then this one riding a pig.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42I think they're absolutely wonderful.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Collectors are looking for quality and, above all, quirkiness.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50We all like that word, "quirkiness". Those devils were very quirky.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54I think we should put them in at £300-£400, as a little group.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59- Would you be happy for us to do that?- I am!
0:15:59 > 0:16:02You're quite determined, Anna, aren't you? Absolutely.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04I shall be sad when they go!
0:16:04 > 0:16:07My estimate took into account the fact there was a little
0:16:07 > 0:16:09bit of damage here and there
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and also the fact that some of the figures were rare,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15but I also wanted to reflect a private nature of the lot,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19to get those bidders raising their hands.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22360, 380, 400.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26420. Put another 10p in. 420.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28I'll come back. 440. 460.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31480, 500, will you? And 50, I'll take.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34600. 650.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36700?
0:16:36 > 0:16:38700, will you?
0:16:38 > 0:16:43As the price rose and rose, everyone wanted to join in.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45We're clear at £900? And 50, anyone like?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47DOG BARKS LAUGHTER
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Was that a bid?!
0:16:52 > 0:16:55At 950 from the dog. 1,000 will you say?
0:16:55 > 0:16:58No, at £900 and I sell at £900.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Oh, wait a minute, the telephone's come back in again.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03950.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06At £950, on the telephone we go.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12- Anna, £950.- I can't... I can't believe. I love them to bits!
0:17:12 > 0:17:15What do you mean, you love them to bits? You hated them a minute ago.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19- No, I'd love to be rid of them. - Someone else will enjoy them.- Yes.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21There's always people who like fun
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and that's what they were, mainly - fun.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Look out for cold-painted bronze
0:17:26 > 0:17:28which represent animals in human form.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33You know, cats dressed as burglars, dogs dressed as policeman.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35That all adds value.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Anna was clearly thrilled to say goodbye to that quirky, little lot
0:17:40 > 0:17:42and hello to a hefty stash of cash.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Maybe the ugly, little devil wasn't your cup of tea
0:17:47 > 0:17:50but it does prove that something intriguing, different
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and slightly odd will appeal to the right buyer,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56especially if the craftsmanship is as fine as that.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01What else do you need to know if you're searching out
0:18:01 > 0:18:02a little beauty?
0:18:03 > 0:18:08Try to find items that appeal to more than one group of collectors.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12That way, you instantly increase the interest your piece can attract.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Spend your money on one high-quality item,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19rather than several at a lower value.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And, as with collectibles of any size,
0:18:22 > 0:18:27a maker's name on smaller items can add to their value at auction.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29At 450... Thank you.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30THEY GASP
0:18:34 > 0:18:39No-one really knows for sure why miniature furniture was made.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42We see it from time to time on the show.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Now whether they were made as apprentice pieces,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49or examples for travelling salesman to show the client on the road,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53or maybe it was just a cabinet maker showing off his skills.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Whatever, I think they are absolutely charming
0:18:56 > 0:18:58and Caroline Hawley agrees with me.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02This is a miniature child's Windsor chair,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05dating from between 1840 and 1880.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09It's made of yew wood, ash and elm
0:19:09 > 0:19:11and it belonged to my great-great grandfather
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and each generation of my family has sat in it
0:19:14 > 0:19:18and I have proof here of my brother, Mark, and myself, in it
0:19:18 > 0:19:20when I was very much younger than I am now.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I absolutely love it and it's been with me all my life.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27It lives, at the moment, in my mother's home and we all love it.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34It doesn't get much smaller than the beautifully-crafted pieces
0:19:34 > 0:19:37of jewellery that turn up at our valuation days,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39which often end up in the hands of expert
0:19:39 > 0:19:44Christina Trevanion, who, by her own admission, loves a sparkly trinket.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50So she leapt at the chance to visit Hatton Garden in London,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52an area that has been at the centre
0:19:52 > 0:19:54of Britain's diamond trade for centuries.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59To say I love my jewellery is a complete understatement.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I'm in my spiritual home, here in the centre
0:20:01 > 0:20:03of London's jewellery industry.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06I'm really excited, because I've come to meet Rachel Lichtenstein,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09who is a historian and has written about the history of Hatton Garden
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and why we associate it so much with the jewellery industry.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26So when did Hatton Garden emerge as a hub for the jewellery industry?
0:20:26 > 0:20:30There was one very important business that arrived in 1822
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and that was Johnson and Matthey.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38They were metal assayers and refiners of gold and platinum.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42It wasn't really until diamonds arrived in the area,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45in the 1870s, that Hatton Garden
0:20:45 > 0:20:49really became the centre of the diamond and jewellery quarter,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51not just of London, but of the world.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54So, in the 1870s, diamonds were discovered in South Africa,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56at the Kimberley Mines.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59There had never been so many diamonds discovered.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02There were two Brits - Cecil Rhodes
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and an East London Jew, called Barney Barnato,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09and together, they formed the De Beers mining company
0:21:09 > 0:21:14and in 1893, De Beers sold their entire production
0:21:14 > 0:21:18of rough diamonds to the London Diamond Syndicate.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21From that point onwards, you can really track the development
0:21:21 > 0:21:26of Hatton Garden becoming the centre of the diamond trade internationally.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30By 1910, there were over 200 separate companies
0:21:30 > 0:21:33in the street of Hatton Garden alone.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36So you've had these 200 companies in Hatton Garden.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40What would it have felt like? What would I have seen or heard when I was here?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42It was very much a Jewish trade, at that time,
0:21:42 > 0:21:43an international trade,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and what you'll find today, deals are still done in that really
0:21:46 > 0:21:50old-fashioned way, with a handshake and the Yiddish words,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53"Mazl" and "brokhe", which means luck and blessing.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58If you go back on a deal, then you're finished in Hatton Garden.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Trust is everything and everyone knows each other.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03That's the way it still operates today.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I'm off to have an explore, so thank you so much for talking to me.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- I'm really looking forward to it now.- Enjoy.- Thank you. I will!
0:22:18 > 0:22:21So many of these businesses around us today have been set up
0:22:21 > 0:22:24by European refugees at the turn of the 20th century.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28I'm really looking forward to meeting Robert Holt, who, I hear,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32at the tender age of 90, is still running his own family business.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41So Robert Holt, you came here as a refugee in the 1940s, is that right?
0:22:41 > 0:22:45- 1939.- 1939.- Just before the world war started, yes.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I understand that your business got going because somebody gave you
0:22:48 > 0:22:51a large consignment of gemstones which you could then sell?
0:22:51 > 0:22:56What happened was, a man came to see me from Brazil.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00He said, "I've got a big problem. The problem is that I have a huge
0:23:00 > 0:23:05"consignment of stones that I exported officially to this country.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08"There is a vast quantity available. Could I store it with you?
0:23:08 > 0:23:10"And would you try and sell it?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13"If you do sell it, would you send me the money?"
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I felt I had to learn something more about it.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21I took a course in gemology and geology and I was quite successful.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25From nothing, you've built up this wonderful business
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and now, it's still in the family?
0:23:28 > 0:23:31It is, yes, and I'm very proud that it is.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36The bedrock of Hatton Garden's colourful past is lapidary -
0:23:36 > 0:23:39the incredibly specialised art of cutting,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42polishing and engraving precious stones.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Christina caught up with Robert's son, Jason Holt, to find out more.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52I would say lapidary is about unlocking the true beauty of a stone.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Take this stone, for example.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57If you saw this on your drive, you wouldn't think twice about it.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01It's a piece of nothing, it's a stone. But this is a garnet.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03This, you would not think is red.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Once you start polishing and cutting it,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10you can create that true colour that's within it.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13How do you decide which cut to create from this?
0:24:13 > 0:24:17You would take something like this, you would see where the colour is,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20where the greatest clarity... Clarity comes into it.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22There are lots of inclusions, lots of cracks inside.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25You want to avoid that and have as clean a stone as possible.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- The cleaner the stone, the more sparkly it will be.- The better?
0:24:28 > 0:24:32You'd want to start what we called "pre-forming".
0:24:32 > 0:24:36You'd want to take the stone and decide what shape do you want it.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40The next stage is then to take it to the grinder, where you really
0:24:40 > 0:24:44go to the next stage of getting much closer to the end shape.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Then the final is adding the facets.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53The art of the lapidary creates the brilliance, creates the lustre,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56creates that, "Wow, that looks alive!"
0:25:01 > 0:25:03# I put a spell on you... #
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Faceting is the technique of cutting different faces,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08or facets, into a stone.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09# Cos you're mine! #
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Improvements in technology have propelled
0:25:12 > 0:25:15the art of faceting to ever-more sophisticated heights,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19producing stones of increasing brilliance along the way.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23We've got an array of antique items on the table here.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27How would it be different for a lapidary who cut these stones
0:25:27 > 0:25:30to a lapidary who cut modern items like this?
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- If we take these, what we call, rose cuts.- Mmm.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37There are far fewer facets and if you look at the facets,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40they're not, I would say, perfectly in line.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41They are slightly asymmetrical.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45How would they have cut these, would it have been by hand, or by machine?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47It would have been by hand. It wouldn't have been a motor,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- it would have been a wheel turned through a pedal.- Mmm.
0:25:51 > 0:25:57As we move along to this beautiful Art Deco brooch, 1930s,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59where you see the sapphires and the diamonds,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02each sapphire would have been meticulously cut
0:26:02 > 0:26:03to fit into that design.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06That's incredibly minute. What if you got it wrong?
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Well, you would have to start again.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11It has to be said, many of the techniques that would have
0:26:11 > 0:26:14made that beautiful brooch are used today for the very best stones.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18You want to be using your eye. You want to be using your head.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21When do you start seeing the introduction of computers
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and lasers and it being much more of a mass-produced industry?
0:26:25 > 0:26:27I would say in the '80s and '90s.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30You'll see these are black diamonds.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- All perfectly set. - All very, very uniform.- All uniform.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Same size, same cut.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39This, I would imagine, would have been cut by laser
0:26:39 > 0:26:40and by computer, by machine.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44So it's become an incredibly sophisticated industry, hasn't it?
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Very sophisticated, very exciting
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and so, what we are now finding is that they can create
0:26:49 > 0:26:55looks of gems that they couldn't in the 1900s and the Victorian times.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58As we go along, the precision of stones is far greater.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02If you see a square-cut stone, or lots and lots of facets,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06it's usually indicative that it's made in recent times.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15My top tip for buying jewellery, and especially buying antique jewellery,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17is get yourself one of these.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19This is a jeweller's loop and ten times magnification
0:27:19 > 0:27:21and get used to using it, as well.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25The more you handle, the more you look through, the more you'll learn.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Secondly, using your jeweller's loop, or sometimes your eye,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31antique jewellery, by its very nature, shows signs of wear,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33which is great for identifying antique pieces,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36but also, there's a fine balance between spotting an antique piece
0:27:36 > 0:27:40and having too much wear, where it becomes devalued.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43If you look at the stones within a piece of jewellery
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and they're totally 100% symmetrical, I would suggest
0:27:46 > 0:27:51that you're looking at a relatively modern cut, computer cut, stone.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Fundamentally, I would say
0:27:53 > 0:27:55if you're looking for a piece of jewellery to wear yourself,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58the rulebook goes out of the window and buy with your heart.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03'As Christina showed us,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'if you want to buy or sell miniature objects,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11'look carefully for finely-fashioned quality workmanship,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'like those beautiful gems.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15'You could be sitting on a winner.'
0:28:15 > 0:28:18- Yes, that's more like it.- Well done! Thank you very much.- £620...
0:28:18 > 0:28:22And please, join me again soon for more Trade Secrets.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd