A Death Pile Find…Maybe!

Most of the remaining things in my death pile are my “difficult” items. Things that have defied my initial research attempts making it impossible for me to know how to accurately describe and price them.

Many of you know how that is. It’s equal parts challenging (like a delicious mystery) and frustrating.

This ring was one such item. It came in a box that read “Rhapsody Fine Diamonds,” but were they…diamonds that is?

I’m pretty sure this box was in a group of items I purchased from a nun’s estate (2016-2017). It was assumed that it was a costume piece and I know I didn’t pay much for it.

But I just wasn’t sure, so from time to time I would go over it looking for marks, say 14k, but the band was totally devoid of any marks…which was strange and not very reassuring. Perhaps it was just a costume piece.

Well today I pulled it out again and looked it over for the tenth time. After all these years I know I just need to get it listed. But today, with my jeweler’s loupe I found marks under the stone–750 (another designation for 18kt gold) and a maker’s mark, which I have yet to identify. Not sure how I missed that before! I guess I wasn’t expecting it here.

Holy smokes! This could be the real deal!

Well, I’ve decided I need to take this to a jeweler and pay to get it appraised. It is way (way, way) out of my wheelhouse.

And of course now I’m happy I’ve been so reluctant (aka stubborn) to list it. Can you imagine if I had listed it as a costume ring for $30 or so and it turned out to be a $700 to $1400 ring? Geez Louise!

I’ll keep you posted. I realize it still may be a fraud. Still I’m a bit more hopeful now.

In the meantime today I’m wearing it on my pointer finger, which is the only finger it fits. Though it’s a pretty thing, it is not my style and I won’t be tempted to keep it…whatever the result!

Happy hunting (and digging through those death piles!),

Karen