How much do you think my Mum's wedding and engagement rings, bought in 1950, would be worth?

[Fauve]

I'm asking because we have to get them insured. The wedding ring is a very thin (by today's standards) plain gold ring, while the engagement ring is thin gold with, IIRC, five or six small diamonds. Nothing fancy. Just a ballpark figure plucked out of someone's head would help me!

Take them to a jewlery shop.
You'll get a very quick and far more acurate estimate than you'll get from MN without even a photo.

why would they need to be insured?
they are presumabley irreplaceable?
otherwise wouldnt it be market value

Errr, don't want to go into details, sorry, you know, public forum and all that. But taking them to a jewellery shop is a great idea, RuthChan, sorry I didn't think of that . I've looked on Ebay but it's kind of how long is a piece of string.

All depends on gold carat, gem quality etc. etc., def. take them to a valuers as they will give you the certificate to insure them.

A certificate would also have the advantage of proving you owned them in the unhappy event that you did have to make a claim.

Bastard insurance company refused to pay out on an emerald ring I inherited from my great-grandmother because I didn't have the receipt. It was bought on the other side of the world more than 100 years previously.

Thanks, you guys are so helpful

What happened to the emerald ring, Ninedragons? Was it stolen?

House was burgled.

Ouch, that is bad luck.

Jewellery shops charge 1% of the value for an insurance estimate, so if you have a nice surprise, it could be an expensive nice surprise if you see what I mean...

Oh, thanks for that, Riponite, I didn't know.

My mum got married in 1956,her wedding ring is a simple thin gold band.They bought it for £20.00, and she had it valued in 1986,and it was worth £200.

My Nans engagement ring cost her about £50 in 1950. I had it remodelled with saphires around the diamond,and it was valued at
£2,500.

£200! In 1986! That's cheered me up! Dh is pointing out that gold is worth a lot atm. As opposed to our houses, I suppose. I don't think Dad would've had more than £20 to spend on either, but I might be wrong. Thanks for that, Sawyer.

You are welcome Fauve. but remember that 20 quid in those days was alot of money.

I think I remember my Dad saying once that his mortgage was £7 a month in 1961.

Yes, it may not have been as much as £20 but at least that does give me some idea. I know, and houses only cost a couple of thousand!