I’ve always loved flea markets, relishing the thrill of finding hidden treasures among discarded items. This passion started at eleven, spending summers with my grandmother, who called our finds “preloved jewels.” Even now, as a mother and grandmother, I get excited sifting through odds and ends, despite my husband Sam’s skepticism. He affectionately refers to my finds as “hoarder junk,” but I refuse to give up my hobby.
Recently, I visited a local street fair and found a modest enameled egg for $10 after some haggling. When I showed it to Sam, he laughed, unimpressed by the “Made in Hong Kong” stamp. But when he shook the egg and opened it, we discovered a tiny bundle containing stunning earrings. Initially thinking they were costume jewelry, we learned they were genuine diamonds set in white gold, valued at around three million dollars at auction.