What Is My Ring Made Of, Anyway?

[ohshelly]

Sweetguy and I have been wanting to get away for a weekend, but like everybody else these days, funds are tight.

I had to go into the (big) city so I decided to take my gold wedding band and sell it.

The jeweler looked at it and said 'He never put a diamond into it for you?' I said 'no'.

He cocked his eyebrow at me like 'what a putz'. I said 'It is my ex'. he laughed and started to test for its karat.

This is an impressive looking 8 mm band. I'm thinking, 'Madison, here we come!!'

I'm already in the garden tub with my guy, soaping his balls with my toes.

Back to reality. The jeweler says 'This is plated, but I don't know with what, and I can't even tell you what is under it'.

HUH?? I knew he was cheap with everybody except himself, but..............I put this man through college not once but twice

in our 28 year marriage and I have a ring plated with mystery metal??

Makes me all the more happy he is in my past!!

[ladylove]

Sweetguy and I have been wanting to get away for a weekend, but like everybody else these days, funds are tight.

I had to go into the (big) city so I decided to take my gold wedding band and sell it.

The jeweler looked at it and said 'He never put a diamond into it for you?' I said 'no'.

He cocked his eyebrow at me like 'what a putz'. I said 'It is my ex'. he laughed and started to test for its karat.

This is an impressive looking 8 mm band. I'm thinking, 'Madison, here we come!!'

I'm already in the garden tub with my guy, soaping his balls with my toes.

Back to reality. The jeweler says 'This is plated, but I don't know with what, and I can't even tell you what is under it'.

HUH?? I knew he was cheap with everybody except himself, but..............I put this man through college not once but twice

in our 28 year marriage and I have a ring plated with mystery metal??

Makes me all the more happy he is in my past!!

There are all kinds of test to be able to tell what kind of metals were used. If you didn't get an answer from one jeweler he simply may not have an updated test for it. Also, in order to identify the metal core (correctly) they my have to scrape off the gold surface. Who knows may be it's silver????? Still valuable but not as much as gold.

[Tyger]

This is where people really get confused. These foolish commercials for like Cash4Gold.com and whatnot, telling people gold is at "an all time high in decades". Do you know that EVERYTHING is at "an all time high in decades"?? That's because EVERYTHING has gone up due to rising prices, transportation, and so on. Gold is weighed and then the price is calculated. And it depends on the karat of the gold, 10K isn't as valuable, because it doesn't have as much gold as 14K, which is softer. Most bridal sets, wedding bands, and so on, are 10K. They are cheaper, and more sturdy and less likely to scratch as much.

Even if it WAS a gold band, the chances are, getting over $50 would be a longshot. When you purchase jewelry, you're not only paying for the stones, and metals, but also the craftsmanship of the piece you're buying. Once you try to resell it, you're only going to get the value of the wieght of the gold, usually not even getting credit for the stones, unless you go to a pawn shop, and even then, they don't give a heck of a lot of credit for those either.

However, if your jeweler can't even tell you what it's plated with, this is either because you got a cheap ring, but usually the metal turns colors, wear off, or the codes on the inside of the band have worn away due to time & wear. Your jewelery could do a test, but, the cost probably wouldn't be worth it at all.

Plated means, basically, coated. Usually, the metal underneath is sterling silver, which will be coded 925 (which is the code for sterling silver) stamped on the band.

Hope that helps.

[mystofpric]

Honey I know how you feel. My mom always makes a big stink out of what her rings are made of, has to be high quality gold and real stones. So a few years ago I was in a jam finacially and I went to sell my jewelery, turns out 90% of what she bought me is cheap gold and imitation stones. Chin up, the ex is an ex for a reason and you clearly found WAY better!

[ohshelly]

You might wanna get it tested to see if there are any harmful metals in it, or if it is radio-active!

Now there is a thought, Iha!! Do you think he has been s`l`o`w`l`y trying to kill me??

It would have been cheaper then a divorce!!

[ohshelly]

This is where people really get confused. These foolish commercials for like Cash4Gold.com and whatnot, telling people gold is at "an all time high in decades". Do you know that EVERYTHING is at "an all time high in decades"?? That's because EVERYTHING has gone up due to rising prices, transportation, and so on. Gold is weighed and then the price is calculated. And it depends on the karat of the gold, 10K isn't as valuable, because it doesn't have as much gold as 14K, which is softer. Most bridal sets, wedding bands, and so on, are 10K. They are cheaper, and more sturdy and less likely to scratch as much.

Even if it WAS a gold band, the chances are, getting over $50 would be a longshot. When you purchase jewelry, you're not only paying for the stones, and metals, but also the craftsmanship of the piece you're buying. Once you try to resell it, you're only going to get the value of the wieght of the gold, usually not even getting credit for the stones, unless you go to a pawn shop, and even then, they don't give a heck of a lot of credit for those either.

However, if your jeweler can't even tell you what it's plated with, this is either because you got a cheap ring, but usually the metal turns colors, wear off, or the codes on the inside of the band have worn away due to time & wear. Your jewelery could do a test, but, the cost probably wouldn't be worth it at all.

Plated means, basically, coated. Usually, the metal underneath is sterling silver, which will be coded 925 (which is the code for sterling silver) stamped on the band.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, Tyger, it does help. I was hoping to get rid of it and have a fun weekend. Oh well.

Do you know what I have been doing with it?

I keep it in the ashtray of my car for going to town.

I call it my 'bachelor farmer repellent'.

Any woman under the age of 60 who comes into town without a wedding ring is fair game.

I get hit on in the grocery store and the post office more then I ever did when I was young!!

It is funny, I am a 47 year old grandmother of six and I can't go into town without getting invited

out for coffee or a meal.

I think I 'll stick with my guy, though!