£1 million Fabergé flower belongs to Midlands Army regiment, expert says

The delicate flower was given the sky-high valuation when the BBC filmed at Dudley's Black Country Living Museum in June.

Simon Shaw, the show’s executive producer, described it as 'one of the most significant jewellery finds' in Roadshow history.

And a Fabergé expert has confirmed the stunning five-inch high flower belongs to a local Army regiment.

Tatiana Fabergé, the great-granddaughter of Peter Fabergé, said: "In the book Fabergé Flowers there is the exact same flower which is in the Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry Charitable Trust."

The crystal vase has 'QOWH South Africa 1900' engraved on it.

It was presented to the Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars by the Countess of Dudley in the early 1990s to mark their service in the Boer War.

The Hussars joined with the Warwickshire Yeomanry in 1956 to form the Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry.

A spokesman for Fabergé said: "Only about 80 of Fabergé’s botanical studies are known to have survived.

"They are among the most beautiful objects produced by the company.

"Georgina, Countess of Dudley presented the study to The Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars, QOWH, in the early 1900s as a regimental trophy.

"It is 13.3cm in height. In the form of pear blossom in a vase, its chased and engraved gold stem is placed in in a rock crystal vase carved so it appears to be half full of water.

"The six flowers of blossom are also gold which have been enamelled white with shades of pale pink.

"Their stamens are oxidised silver with a diamond at the centre.

"Three pears feature on the county’s arms, hence the choice of pear blossom."

The spokesman said the Countess, Georgina Ward, was a close friend of Edward VII's wife Queen Alexandra.

Her late husband had been the regiment’s commanding officer, and she was known for handing out sprigs of pear blossom to soldiers for good luck.

The episode filmed at the museum is due to air later this year.