#c 1500

In December 2019, Charlie Clarke was metal detecting on a farmer’s field in north Warwickshire, working the edge of a dried-up pond, when his detector hit hard. He expected old scrap, but when the mud crumbled away he saw gold: a heart-shaped Tudor pendant, still with part of its chain and bright enamel details.

Now known as the “Tudor Heart,” it’s a rare early-1500s jewel linked to the court of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, and it’s been officially valued at £3.5 million through the Treasure process.

The British Museum has launched an appeal to raise that amount by April 2026 to keep it in a public collection, with the campaign kick-started by a £500,000 grant from the Julia Rausing Trust.