A METAL detectorist who uncovered a cache of gold and silver jewellery has sold his find – for £12,000.
David Upton, from Staple Hill, discovered the jewellery buried in a field at Hambrook in September, in two silver-plated pots.
Some of the jewellery appeared to be recent and the Voice contacted Avon & Somerset police on Mr Upton’s behalf, sending pictures of the jewellery so that an officer investigating a recent burglary in the area could check them with the victims.
He was not informed of any link to the crime and has now sold the buried items to a jeweller, who paid him £12,000.
Mr Upton searches local fields with permission from landowners. Often the items he finds do not have a great value but he shares the money from any that are sold equally with the landowner.
He found the jewellery around 18 inches underground, at a spot that was overgrown with grass and did not appear to have been recently disturbed.
The two pots contained around 50 items in total, including rings, pendants, bracelets, necklaces and an antique brooch with a lock of hair.
They were divided into gold and silver items, including three 18 carat gold link chain necklaces, 13 women’s gold rings, a 14ct gold pendant with yellow and white diamonds and a gold signet ring with a cross design.