A BAG containing matching gold jewellery worth more than £1,000 has been left outside a charity shop.

A gold bracelet, and a gold collar-styled necklace were left anonymously in a donation bag outside the British Heart Foundation on Northallerton’s High Street, earlier this month.

The pieces of nine carat jewellery have since been put up for sale at scrap value in order to raise funds for the charity.

Lisa Rowntree, who has been manager of the store for three years, said: “It’s quite a find. It was really nice of somebody to donate – a few people have looked at it already.”

The items were valued by Susan Edge, owner of Cobweb Antiques in Northallerton, who concluded the jewellery was worth more than what charity staff first thought.

Ms Rowntree said: “I didn’t think it was anything, that’s why I got Susan – she rang me once she’d looked at it and said I had found a good gem.”

The gold bracelet weighs in at about 48g, while the collar-style necklace weighs about 54g. Both have been put up for sale to encourage a quick sale, and a guaranteed donation.

She added: “We’ve priced the necklace at £540 and the bracelet at £480. If they’re bought together, we can knock £20 off the total price.”

Ms Edge said: “If you had to buy it in the high street retail shop, you would have to pay over £900 on one item – there is no wear or tear on them.”

“That gold is being sold in the shop at scrap value - You are virtually buying it for scrap price, it is a good buy as gold like that never goes down.

“Gold sometimes dips a bit but I have never had it dip to the extreme – it’s an investment that is non-taxable.”

Ms Edge urged anyone who had missed out on a gift in time for Christmas, to pick up either item ahead of Valentine’s Day on February 14.

She added: “It warms my heart to think I found that. I don’t think anybody would have recognised its value.”

Often high value donations are sent to the charity’s head office, but Ms Rowntree said her bosses have encouraged its sale in the store.

She said: “Head Office have said how amazing it is, that people give good stuff to us. If we don’t sell it in the shop, we will try and sell it online on eBay - but that money still goes to our shop.”