Jewelry Appraisal CenterOld silver/opal/sapphire ring Question: I have an old ring with a large opal in the center with 16 sapphires staggered and surrounding a single opal.
Price: $40.00
Everything is discolored, dull silver while the only markings inside of the ring are the numbers 325 with a stamp of a crown?
What kind of metal is this...
and what do the markings mean?
Answer: G'day Jacque and many thanks for your query.
I'm not quite sure if you mean the METAL is dull or the OPAL is dull?
If it's the gemstone, then there is little to be done.
If the Opal is simple badly scratched then re-polishing it may cure the lifeless 'Play-of-Color' from within the gem, but if the surface appears okay then the gem has simply dried out (the opal color was created by water).
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On the other hand if it's the METAL you are concerned about, then the good news is your local FRIENDLY jeweler will be able to fix it.
I don't know where you live or where the ring came from, but the hallmarks (although incomplete) suggest UK British Hallmarks as the crown is part of their system.
The 325 COULD be 375 (easily mistaken) and is the decimal hallmark for 9 carat gold. Remember even 9ct gold CAN be WHITE depending on the mixture in the alloy. More Nickel produces white gold etc...
On the other hand - while making mistakes - the 325 COULD be 925 - which is the hallmark for Sterling Silver. This would account for the dull appearance as silver tarnishes easily.
However do NOT use a cleaning liquid yourself as the Opal will get damaged. Take it to your jeweler and they will polish it for you. No Ultrasonic Tank needed as that would kill the color in the opal too.
You might also like to add this query to my blog at http://how2valuejewelry.com/ as other may have had a similar problem. Can't hurt anyway and who knows what answers you may get.
Hope this helps. It is interesting to note that our sister website has successfully instigated an Opal Valuation system and our own Jewelry Appraisals Online program should be implementing the same calcuation by the end of the year - Hooray for databases and calculators eh? 
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