Comments for Webster Inside Ring - Question from Western Australia Prospector

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starstarstarstarstar 		Don't Melt
by: Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre

Maharba,

Thanks for reaching out. So happy you found us!

John, put the melting pot down right now.


Yes it's Antique, very likely 1890s - 1910s Victorian/Edwardian.


John, the "shield" / "gypsy" style setting was HUGE in the Australian goldfields. Miners/prospectors had rings made from their own dug gold.
The "Webster" stamp" is for Webster & Co who were watch/jewelry makers in Melbourne and Sydney in the late 1800s. They often stamped just their name instead of full hallmarks, especially for colonial pieces. In Australia, during the Victorian and Edwardian gold rushes, local jewelers and merchant companies often stamped their names on custom-made pieces and imported gold goods.

Wow! Found 1ft down in old creek bed near diggings! That provenance screams gold rush era. 1ft down means it’s been there 100+ years.


Colonial 9ct/10ct gold in Australia used 9ct a lot back then. Hallmarking wasn’t strict. A lot of "goldfields jewelry" was made locally and only stamped with maker.

Another reason you may not find a hallmark is due to wear. Imagine 100 years in a creek plus on a hand will rub tiny marks clean off.

Gold-filled or lower karat will not be hallmarked so then we look at the weight. The weight is the clue here 5.35g and "heavy for size" means real gold, not brass. But most probably 9ct-10ct, not 18ct.

The fact it’s "very small" and "won’t fit little finger" also fits. Men’s pinky rings from that era were tiny.

John, DO NOT MELT.
The "melt value" if it’s 9ct, maybe $200-$250 AUD in gold.

The "collector value" with "found in Victorian creek, Webster stamp, goldfields provenance" could realise between $600-$1500+ to the right collector/dealer.

The story is worth more than the metal.

John , if you want to be certain of the metal purity, get the ring XRF tested at a pawn/jewelry shop. That’ll tell karat without damaging it.

Don’t polish it aggressively. That creek patina is part of the value.

And keep the story with it. "Found near old timers diggings" is gold for collectors.

This is exactly the kind of piece museums and goldfields collectors fight over.

With Care
Yvonne
The Vaulted Shelf

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