Eleven years ago I went with three friends to Paris for four days. Four friends from primary school spending four days in Paris to celebrate our 40th birthdays.
We had come from all over - Jerusalem, Los Angeles, London, and Brighton. So on the last day we all split up at different times to go our various ways. I was rushing back to the hotel where I had booked a taxi to take me to the airport. I was rushing and collecting conkers along the way (it was September) when an old tramp stopped me.
He asked for money and started waving a ring about, showing me the hallmark and miming about how heavy the gold was. I was seriously in a hurry by this time, I didn't care about the ring - I wasn't sure what he was going to do with it anyway. I certainly wasn't going to buy it from him. I opened my purse. I had a 50 Euro note for the taxi and 3 Euros in coins. I gave him the 3 Euros - it was a sort of 'Thank you Paris' for showing us a good time as well as a small act of charity but mostly it was just the quickest way to shake him off and move on. The tramp dropped the ring into my hand and left. He didn't seem at all bothered about the fact that I'd only given him 3 Euros for it.
I kept the ring. It was a large man's wedding band. Far too big for even my thumb. About three years later I had an insurance assessor come to value my house contents and I threw the ring in with some other jewellery. The insurance man valued it at 3,000 shekels (500 GBP)!
I never told anyone this story as I'd felt a bit guilty about taking a gold ring from a poor tramp. Now that I knew it was worth 3,000 shekels I was even more uneasy about it. Not so uneasy as to cash it in and give the money to charity though.
A few weeks ago a friend told me about a shop in Jerusalem where they buy gold. So this week, after my mega decluttering efforts, I took the ring downtown to sell it. I was already thinking about next month's mortgage being taken care of as I handed over my heavy band of gold to the jeweller.
He was instantly confused. What colour gold is that? He examined it, hallmark and all, and declared it to be brass. And it's worth nothing.
Now I'm wondering what to do with my big brass ring. Here are the options:
1. Make it into a doorknob. (Too small)
2. A napkin holder for elves. (We don't know any elves.)
3. Wear it on a chain around my neck as a reminder of some deep and meaningful significance that this whole episode has taught me. (Not my style)
4. Hang it on the wall and polish it occasionally. (Isn't that what people do with brass?)
5. Take some thin paper and some charcoal and do a brass rubbing. (Or can you only do that in ancient churches?)
Any ideas?
We had come from all over - Jerusalem, Los Angeles, London, and Brighton. So on the last day we all split up at different times to go our various ways. I was rushing back to the hotel where I had booked a taxi to take me to the airport. I was rushing and collecting conkers along the way (it was September) when an old tramp stopped me.
I kept the ring. It was a large man's wedding band. Far too big for even my thumb. About three years later I had an insurance assessor come to value my house contents and I threw the ring in with some other jewellery. The insurance man valued it at 3,000 shekels (500 GBP)!
I never told anyone this story as I'd felt a bit guilty about taking a gold ring from a poor tramp. Now that I knew it was worth 3,000 shekels I was even more uneasy about it. Not so uneasy as to cash it in and give the money to charity though.
A few weeks ago a friend told me about a shop in Jerusalem where they buy gold. So this week, after my mega decluttering efforts, I took the ring downtown to sell it. I was already thinking about next month's mortgage being taken care of as I handed over my heavy band of gold to the jeweller.He was instantly confused. What colour gold is that? He examined it, hallmark and all, and declared it to be brass. And it's worth nothing.
Now I'm wondering what to do with my big brass ring. Here are the options:
1. Make it into a doorknob. (Too small)
2. A napkin holder for elves. (We don't know any elves.)
3. Wear it on a chain around my neck as a reminder of some deep and meaningful significance that this whole episode has taught me. (Not my style)
4. Hang it on the wall and polish it occasionally. (Isn't that what people do with brass?)
5. Take some thin paper and some charcoal and do a brass rubbing. (Or can you only do that in ancient churches?)
Any ideas?
Reminds me of a story of my own. I lost the diamond from my engagement ring, which was particularly upsetting as it had been my mum's. My dad wanted to help me out, so he gave me the diamond from my great-aunt's ring to have set into my ring. He took it with my ring to a jeweler, who examined the diamond and declared it fake! The sad thing is that my grandfather (my aunt;s brother) was a jeweler and he had organized buying the diamond when his sister got engaged, so it isn't possible that it was a fake. This means that at some point my aunt had probably had the ring reset and the jeweler must have switched it, taking advantage of an elderly widow. At least she never knew about it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if that happened or maybe she sold the diamond and had a cheap fake put in it's place because she wanted the money for something. You will probably never know for sure.
DeleteWhen I had to have my ring reset, the jeweler made me stay in the store while he did it. I think it's standard practice in the US, so you can't claim the stone was switched.
DeleteI had to have it reset after 19 years because I wore it 24/7, washing dishes, scrubbing stove tops, you name it. Probably not smart and I don't do that anymore.
I once saw a documentary where jewellers took the stome to be apprased into the back room and returned a fake to the owner. I would be wary about handing over a standard diamond but a ring is more distinctive and you can recognise it.
DeleteThat did occur to us, but my father was pretty sure that wasn't the case since he was very involved in her life and he would have known if she was in financial straits. His aunt married late and never had children so her nieces and nephews looked after her after her husband died.
DeleteMy scenario was a long shot. So sad.
DeleteMade me think whether the tramp knew though? I hope he though it was real at least! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he knew - why would he be ok with 3 Euro for a 400 Euro ring?
DeleteIf it were worth anything he could have sold it to a jeweller himself and would not have needed to beg. I an certain he thought he'd trick someone into paying a reasonable amount for it becasue they thought they'd got a bargain. He may even have had a stock of these rings.
DeleteWhat bothers me is the insurance company assessment that it was gold. Did they charge you more for your insurance to insure a brass ring as gold? You should ask to re-evaluate your insurance package in light of the fact that the ring isn't what they said it was...
DeleteIt was only on my insurance for a few years and the value of the ring was not enough to go cross to the next cost bracket. The assessor is not a jeweller. He looks at the hallmark and weighs the ring. Likewise, he cannot say if a diamond is fake or not - it's up to you if you want to insure it as a diamond or as a worthless bit of zircona or glass set in gold.
DeleteGet a third opinion.....
ReplyDeleteEven I can see that it's brass now. If there were any doubt the jeweller would have wanted to keep it, get a second opinion himself or pay me less for it.
Delete....yes, maybe get another opinion (or two) to be sure. Rings are very interesting and carry a multitude of stories. A crown for a mouse? X
ReplyDeleteOK, I'll get a second opinion but I'm not hopeful.
DeleteOh gosh the guilt for all those years! I hope, for your sake, it's worthless! I know what you mean about the mixed feelings though and the disappointment. I went to sell a jewellery set I was given and it turned out to be costume! Was most affronted ;)
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the short story "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant.
DeleteMy first instinct also was that you should get another opinion (at least one!). Please report back too - love your stories.
ReplyDeleteThanks, maybe I will but I'm pretty sure it's brass.
DeleteThanks, maybe I will but I'm pretty sure it's brass.
DeleteI'd try and work out what the deep meaningful significance of it is before deciding what to do with it (and maybe get the valuation checked again - bizarre that it dropped from £1000 to 0). I have a little box tucked away that I keep random things from my life that I go and look at from time to time, perhaps you need something like that?
ReplyDeleteYes I like the idea of a random items box. I think the deep meaningful significance of this is that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Or maybe clothes don't make the man (as the tramp outmaneuvred me in my best Paris outfit).
Delete