Incredible ancient relic cross sold

Jean and I love watching "Bares für Rares" (literally "Cash for Rarities"; a more catchy translation would be "Cash for Trash"), a show in which antiques, rarities and curiosities are being sold; it runs five times a week at 3pm. Yesterday evening at 8:15 pm an XXL version of the program was shown (that happens every few months, on average twice per year). And in that show the biggest deal ever happened. This cross was sold for the highest price ever:

Not only do the diamonds in this cross have a total of 40 carats, it is also over 300 years old. The quartz cross in the middle has three wooden splinters inside. On the back of the cross is a socket with a golden lid that can be swung open. Beneath the lid is an unbroken papal seal of Pope Clement IX, who was pope from 1667-1669. This seal testifies that the splinters inside are from the cross of Jesus Christ.

Jewelry expert and art historian Heide Rezepa-Zabel estimated the worth of the cross as somewhere between €60,000 and €80,000 (the diamonds alone have a worth of €15,000 to €17,000); it was finally sold for €42,000. Susanne Steiger, the antique dealer who bought it, broke into tears of joy afterwards and stated that "this is the needle in the haystack every antique dealer is looking for, and I found it. I am incredibly happy now".

This was absolutely fascinating to watch. Jean, who has a degree in history herself, was as excited as the expert and the seven dealers in the auction room.

Fascinating.  Too bad the splinters aren't accessible for analysis.

If I owned it, and there was time-testing I could afford, I would probably do it just out of curiosity.  Reducing the monetary value wouldn't bother me, because I would never sell it anyway.

Would be a great conversation piece in any case. 

Is the value more based on the religious history or the jewelry ?

Horst licked her?  That must've been uncomfortable to watch.