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My Mom (against my wishes, as I've never been been a "jewelry" nor "watch" person) bought me a 10K (large) high school class ring for $34 in 1974.

yeah...only 10K, but limited-run, (again) large, and (well) typical high school class ring price gouging was surely a factor.

The primary school color was maroon, so it had a garnet in it.

bloke "I warned her - after I discovered that she had ordered it - that I would lose it, and - likely - after she passed away (as she was 40 when I was born, thus 58 when I finished high school), which would make me feel bad. yeah...I lost it (though Mrs. bloke says I have not, but cannot produce it), and I feel bad about it."

Story time (though admittedly not relevant to anything at all):

I paid $110 for my college ring (an Aggie ring—a big deal) in 1978 or so, when I had met the necessary qualifications. Also 10K gold. A year later, it had doubled, but gold was spiking.

Time passes. When I moved to Virginia, the ring was stolen by one of the movers. I’d lost so much weight at that time it was falling off my finger, so I had put it in “a safe place”. That was 1998.

In 2005 or 6, I think, my mother decided it was necessary for me to have a replacement, and bought one to give me for Christmas. She paid around $695.

Around 2010ish, I got a phone call, “Is this the Richard Denney who graduated from Texas A&M?” It was a retired colonel and A&M former student who lived in Fort Worth. A worker on his swimming pool project had seen his Aggie ring and offered to sell him one just like it. Well, nobody sells their Aggie ring. He asked to see it, saw my name engraved in it, looked me up, and called me. I had to buy it from the likely thief. $200. At that time, they were retailing at $995.

At this moment, they are $1283.

In that time, gold has increased only half as much as the ring. Go figure.

The first one is on my finger. The second one is in “a safe place”. Safer this time.

Rick “add 50% for 18k” Denney