A thrifty shopper who bought a necklace at a charity shop was stunned to discover the true value of the piece.
The customer picked up the golden pendant at a local thrift store for just $1 (75p), intrigued by the design of a diving whale’s tail and its heavy weight.
They later had it tested and weighed, where they found it weighs 6.3grams and is 14 carat gold.
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The lucky shopper said, “It felt too heavy to be $1.
“I put it on a silver chain, wore it some, and didn’t think much about it.
“The other day, I was selling other thrifted items and asked to test this piece.
The guy immediately – and excitedly – offered me $240 (£179.90) after acid testing it and weighing it.”
The pendant was purchased at a thrift store in Skagway, Alaska, as reported by What’s The Jam.
While the customer was offered the hefty lump sum in exchange for the pendant, they decided against selling it, concerned that the buyer would melt it down.
They added: “It’s too beautiful, and I’d rather it go to a collector if sold.”
The owner took to social media to try and find out more about the original and history of the gold pendant, where users identified it as a piece by Alaskan artist Ralph Gorichanaz.
Upon further testing, they discovered the incredible worth – with 6g of 14k gold worth roughly £260 ($346), according to current online estimates.
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