SHE’S no stranger to finding an epic deal or two in the charity shop.
But even Francesca was left stunned by what she discovered in a jewellery box she’d picked up in her local for just a fiver.
She took to TikTok to document herself going through the box, as she said: “I found a random jewellery box in the charity shop for £5.
“I had a little look inside and it’s just full of different treasure, so I thought, how cool would that be if we had a proper look at it in a video?”
Things got off to a rocky start with a wooden necklace Francesca said she’d “never wear”, followed by a tarnished heart necklace and a rose bracelet.
She then found a cute stone ring, which she really loved, as well as a bow brooch that was broken.
She then picked up another necklace, attached to which was something that caught her eye.
“A ring?” she exclaimed.
“I think I’ve just found a diamond ring!
“It’s got markings on it but I can’t really see.
“It’s stamped inside – I’m going to have to take this to a jewellers.
“But have I just found a gold, diamond ring? Oh my God!”
“OK, so if this is the real deal…what a find!!” Francesca captioned her video.
“We definitely need a update, good luck!” one person commented on the video.
“I’m hoping it’s the real deal! Will be taking it to a jeweller this week,” Francesca replied.
“That would be really cool if it’s a real diamond ring!” another added.
Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain
Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis's charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity's Finsbury Park shop in London.
Choose your area– As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated.
Don’t hang around– If you see something you like, buy it, as it’ll likely be gone when you come back
Look out for cut-off labels– Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn’t sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes.
Stay at home– While some charities have their own site, like Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell from dedicated eBay stores, such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won’t get the range of bargains that you would get in a physical store, but if you’re looking for something specific it may be worth checking online too.
“I’m hoping it is! I also found a Wedgewood style brooch in there as well…so not sure if that’s real,” she responded.
“Most charity shops I have worked in take all the jewellery out and have it appraised for exactly that reason,” someone else pointed out.
But Francesca replied: “I’ve also found Chanel and Celine trousers for 50p- that re-sell for £800!”
“Oooh how exciting!” another commented.
“I know!! even if it’s not real gold/diamond…it’s still beautiful!” Francesca said.
