Yet another reason to be a minimalist. Good story.

As they say in the antique market an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Diamonds never were a girl's best friend. I've said it for years, a girl's best friend is Tupperware.

Thank you for your story...I have several diamond rings and were told the only value is the precious metal, gold or platinum and sometimes silver..the jeweler opened a drawer filled will all sorts of diamonds, some rather large...almost throw aways, he said...

I am sad that all of that money was spent by the people before me, but there is no getting it back, so I will have it melted down, take the cash, and give it to my nieces and nephews in memory of their grandmother who loved her rings!

I spent quite a bit on my ex wife's engagement ring. When we divorced, I got the ring back. I took it to the same jewelry store I purchased it at, and they offered to buy it back for pennies on the dollar.

Unfortunately, diamonds have 4 values, based on my experience with inherited diamonds.

1. What they sell for at retail list.
2. What you can actually buy them for at “wholesale” (generally 50% of retail list).
3. What you can sell them for, for resale by a dealer. Maybe as low as 25% of retail list.
4. What you can insure them for (somewhere between wholesale and retail, depending upon the appraiser.)

Nice pearls. They are a nice look for an attractive lady.

At my father's funeral, my mother gave me my paternal grandmom's diamond ring. She told me not to tell my siblings i had it. Sadly i lost it weraing it daily on my thumb as her fingers were larger than mine.

At my maternal grandmother's funeral, my mother gave me her copper and diamond ring. I wear it frequently. It fits much better although it turns my finger green.

I am glad i did not have to share either with my siblings. I may place too much value on sentimental things.

It's sad that the computer cut garbage is valued more than the craftmanship needed in the before time. Hang onto to those pearls if you can!

Interesting. I would think heirloom jewelry would be in fashion.

As an Asperger's syndrome Person, I am a person driven by logic and I view people (as in most non-Asperger's "normal" people), as illogical. Watching a documentary on the production of man-made diamonds where they were using peanut butter and stated, that they could use any carbonatious material, it immediately came to me that instead of peanut butter they could have used feces. Considering the illogical nature of normal people, I wondered what reaction a women would have if she found out that the man-made engagement ring diamond had been made from feces. To me, it would be irrelevant, but to a starry-eyed, emotional bride to be? Come on girl...a diamond is a diamond.

The jewelry industry has a %400 markup not a good investment

Jewelry is not an investment. I still love it.

technology can ruin things that were always valued.

I'm sorry to hear such a sad sad repetitive story of consumer deception, rampant in the US and more and more in the whole world. I take it you've never heard of de beers marketing campaign. De beers in the early to mid 20th century had made huge investments in consolidating and monopolizing the diamond market but no one was buying and they were going broke. They hired a marketing firm and the guy who took the account went on to make marketing history which is still taught in business schools. He invented the myth of the diamond. Both that it's valuable and that it's expected to spend so and so paychecks and the de facto symbol of marriage.

[theatlantic.com]

It's a nice family post. How did your Dad find the money for that ring back in the 70s? It would take me over 2 years to make $51,000.

Ouch, I hate that feeling of losing out on a huge investment. While working at a music store before college, I bought a $3,500 Martin HD28-LSV acoustic guitar, worth more than most of my cars to this day. It should have been a great investment. Famous among bluegrass musicians, the D-28 is the most iconic acoustic guitar ever created, and this was a signature model with an extra large sound hole modeled after the one played by Clarence White of the Byrds. His cigarette had burned away part of the soundhole so he had it routed out to conceal the damage, creating a new, voluminous sound.

With the wholesale discount from working at the store I paid 2,700; I made payments while working over a couple years, and my dad paid off the last 600 dollars as a graduation present. It was really hard to play, but it was the loudest stringed acoustic instrument possible with the boomiest bass and crispiest high end you’ve ever heard. I fell on hard times paying my rent a couple years ago, and brought it to a music store. As it turns out, my years of chain smoking and not keeping a hygrometer in the case had dried it out, causing the neck to bow away from the body in such a way that I didn’t notice, because the action (string height) was always very high to begin with. It wasn’t made of the endangered woods I was told either; supposedly Indian Sitka Spruce and Brazilian rosewood, now illegal to harvest.

I know just enough about instruments to know they were telling the truth, and it would need serious repairs, but still a great instrument. I took 1600 for it and it still hurts to think about. I definitely don’t want to know what they sold it for after repairs.

Classy girls, wear pearls

Looking good.

I’m glad you got the pearls! They are gorgeous.

Such a very Beautiful picture of you,,look at that smile ..I had bought some diamonds in the past as an investment ,but was very hard to try and sell ,but got lucky and traded them at full market value to pay a debt off,,was quite happy and the receiver had them made into a ring for his wife,winners all around

Sorry for your loss. That is Huge!

A recent article I came across
[nytimes.com]
Hopefully some things in this world are becoming passe' .

Stick with the pearls LH, they are one of the few things as fine as you are

Commodity prices are strictly supply and demand. And markets are volatile. Timing markets is a short term thing, and only works if you know what you're doing. On the plus side, the pearls look good on you, LH.

The thing with the diamond ring is a sad statement, but at least you have the pearls, and yes I understand they can be seeded, they can also be natural the memories however cannot be replaced. They look lovely on you.

Buy high, sell low....sounds like my kind of luck...

I am always amazed at what most jewelery is worth when watching Antiques Road Show - especially when you see what an old wooden chair can go for. Art and jewelry are only worth whatever somebody is willing to pay - it is all marketing and artists like Picasso and Andy Warhol and jewelers like Tiffany's understood this concept very well.