A SOMERSET woman's obsession with jewellery saw her amass 40,000 pieces over her lifetime.

The items are now being sold by Charterhouse Auctioneers in Sherborne on Thursday, February 3.

Richard Bromell, from Chartherhouse, said: "I have had the pleasure to see, handle, value and auction some fantastic collections over the years, but nothing quite on this scale.

“Usually jewellery fits easily into a bag, box or car for moving but there was so much we had to send one of our vans to pick up the collection.”

The owner starting collecting jewellery in the 1950s.

She would buy from wherever she could and was a well known character at jumble sales, charity shops, car boot sales, antique centres, fairs and auctions.

While she never paid a great deal of money for any single item, overall the collection is estimated to sell for up to £20,000.

There are vast quantities of gold jewellery, bead and other necklaces, earrings, bracelets, bangles, chains, rings, pendants, costume and other jewellery.

The collection, being sold in over 200 lots at the Charterhouse sale, is being offered without reserve with estimates from just £30 up to £200.

Viewing, at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne, is from Monday, January 31 to the sale date or you can see the hundreds of lots on www.charterhouse-auction where live internet bidding is also available.