A lucky shopper has discovered a sterling silver locket engraved with Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 for just £9 at the Birmingham Hospice boutique in Bournville, later finding similar pieces listed online for nearly £100 more.
Kirsty Bosley, a features writer, made the discovery during a walk through Bournville to show friends the village's 48-bell carillon. Spotting the charity shop in the heart of the village, opposite the green and near Kafenion coffee shop, she decided to look inside.
Unexpected Treasure at the Jewellery Counter
While browsing, Bosley noticed the silver locket at the jewellery counter. Its floral etchings caught her eye, and the price tag read £9. Assuming it was costume jewellery, she turned it over and found an excerpt from Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 engraved on the back—a fitting find, as she was about to visit the Library of Birmingham's Shakespeare collection.
Closer inspection revealed hallmarks on both the locket and chain, confirming it as 925 sterling silver. Bosley wore it immediately, taking it to the village green and later to the city centre library.
Online Prices Reveal the Bargain's True Value
Curiosity led Bosley to search online for similar lockets. An Etsy shop selling vintage jewellery, an antique merchant, and eBay all showed comparable pieces listed for nearly £100 more than she paid—around £105.
The find follows a string of recent luck for Bosley, who previously purchased a £25 handbag in Harborne that turned out to be worth significantly more. That earlier stroke of luck began after a mystery donor gave a first edition copy of The Hobbit to Oxfam Harborne, which later sold for £38,400.
Karma and Future Charity Shop Visits
Bosley had pledged to donate her Vinted pile to Birmingham Hospice after the handbag purchase, partly to balance the good fortune and partly in hope of good karma. She believes that donation habit has paid off.
With a new Birmingham Hospice charity shop now open in the Bullring, Bosley plans to visit more regularly and donate items she no longer loves. She says she will never part with the locket, which already holds precious memories of a day spent with friends at the library.
