“I knew it was something special as soon as I saw it”
A rare item found in a Manchester charity shop has sold for three-figures(Image: Alamy/PA)
A rare vintage “treasure”, found at a Manchester charity shop, has sold for three-figures after being uncovered among a tub of donations.
Joanne Maylott, who has worked at the Oxfam store in Chorlton for almost 30 years, discovered the silver bracelet while rooting through a selection of donated jewellery. After noticing some distinct markings on the piece, she suggested researching the maker of the piece.
It was identified to be a 1976 piece by the highly sought-after Finnish designer Matti J. Hyvarinen, with a value of £400. The charity has since sold the item for the three-figure sum, with proceeds going towards helping those affected by the recent floods in Nepal.
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On finding the bracelet, Joanne said: “I knew it was something special as soon as I saw it. Modernist jewellery is so unusual, so it was a really exciting find. To see it sell for £400 was fantastic, especially knowing that the money will help support Oxfam’s work.”
This however is not the first time Joanne has found a highly sought-after gem, with the charity shop worker previously finding an original Geoffrey Key painting among donations, which sold for £2,000 at auction.
The silver bracelet by Finnish designer Matti J. Hyvarinen(Image: Oxfam)
She said: “You just never know what treasures are going to be in a donation. We quite often find expensive and interesting items mixed in with bags of clothes or homewares.
“I do wonder who donates beautiful jewellery like this and what its story might be.”
Rachel Cosgrove-Pearce, Retail Director at Oxfam, added: “This is a brilliant example of the treasures hiding in our 500-strong shop network. One person’s unwanted bracelet has became another person’s gem – and in the process raised £400 for Oxfam’s work. That’s the magic of second hand.”
The find comes as Oxfam has launched its Second Hand September initiative, which looks to encourage people to donate unwanted items and shop second-hand during the month. On this, Rachel said: “This Second Hand September, we’re encouraging people to have a rummage in their local charity shop, and to donate the things they no longer want, rather than leaving them to unworn or sending them to waste. You never know what someone else might treasure.”