A woman in Liverpool has discovered that a decorative flower ornament, kept hidden in a shoebox for years and linked to the Russian imperial family, could be an authentic Fabergé piece worth up to £250,000. The item, examined as part of the BBC's Fake Fortune, is being investigated to establish whether it is a genuine artefact from the House of Fabergé, jeweller to the Romanov tsars, or a skilled imitation dubbed "Fauxbergé". If authenticated, the object would represent a remarkable find given its unassuming storage and the family's apparent lack of awareness of its potential value.

Fabergé pieces, particularly those with ties to the Russian royal family, are highly prized by collectors and can fetch enormous sums at auction due to their rarity, craftsmanship and historical provenance. Experts assessing the flower are weighing its materials, construction and documented history against known hallmarks of genuine Fabergé workshops to reach a verdict, with the potential valuation of £250,000 underscoring the stakes of their determination.