✅ SOLVED Silver ring MAYBE Any help would be appreciated.

bonepicker

Bronze Member
Jan 5, 2012
1,349
3,054
MS, Lynchberg
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
So I just received my new machine and decided to take it to the beach and try to get familiar with it and the tones.
Normally I only find bottle tops, pull tabs, beer cans, clad, and the random beach trash.
Seems like people with money do not come to the beaches in Mississippi.
To my surprise I found a nice silver ring that had been smashed.
It was fairly deep deep and had the blackish patina, along with some blue-ish oxidation.
The blue-ish oxidation is typical in this area when I find silver jewelry that has been in the ground for quite some time.
I cleaned the ring up a bit, and it got bright and shiny just like silver does.
I took some photos and zoomed in and noticed a strange color around some of the blue oxidation.
My first thoughts was that this ring is silver, however, there are no markings on it.
Then I thought maybe its antique, and that it was made before jewelers were required to stamp .925 or sterling on the rings, or that the marking had worn off.
Unfortunately the ring had been smashed and the stone was cracked.
Was wondering if anyone had any ideas if the ring might be silver, what kind of stone is in the setting, and when was the law passed that required jewelers to mark silver.?
Was really hopeing this ring was silver, because it would be my first silver find with the XP DEUS, but now im kinda iffy.
I was 99% sure it was, until I zoomed in and noticed a strange color around the blue oxidation.
It sure looks like silver, but was wondering what you more experienced treasure hunters could tell me about this.
Thanks
 

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Turquoise is the stone.New Mexico silver ring probably.
 

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Turquoise is the stone.New Mexico silver ring probably.
Thank you for responding. The stone is green. I always thought all turquoise was blue.
The thing that puzzled me most was after I cleaned it, and removed some of the blue oxidation crystals. There was a reddish brown color underneath the blue crystals. Maybe I need to clean it more to see if that reddish brown comes off. Was just wondering if anyone else had ever seen that.
 

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I agree wIth the above assessment, and think it may be just the solder that was used is oxidized. When enlarged I think I see what may be a makers mark beneath the larger of the two oxidized areas on the back. Anyway, the color seems ok, given that it isn't in a polished state, similar to these (mostly Navojo) examples: turquoise silver ring "rope border" - Google Search
 

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nhbenz is right on, as usual.

PR718-turq-712-2.jpg
Old, but not super old ring.
 

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Cool, I didn't think about the solder being inferior, and possibly causing the strange reddish oxidation.
Also I guess I always just assumed all turquoise was blue, but after looking at the link you provided, I see how some turquoise can have a greenish hue.
Thanks guys for the help.
 

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Nice find.
Yeah turquoise specimen set in silver with some leaching at the lower silver content solder joints. I have a friend that is a silver smith or white metal smith both the same. He makes jewellery out of a trailer in his backyard, not a business. He uses silverware and lost wax process and only marks items by request. He does gold too but it cost too much to keep that around let lone security. I find more unmarked gold than I do silver, this is my first unmarked 14k gold:

CAM00768.jpg
 

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I post most of my replies like the one above before a I read what others have posted.
 

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I think that solder is definitely the right answer - I facet and make different things - my first major mistake was not using silver solder. Though, honestly, silver solder will turn colors, too - just like the silver on the ring will tarnish.

Turquoise, depending on where it comes from, and what the quality is, can very from a deep rich blue, (robin's egg blue) to all shades of green, with or without inclusions - and sometimes (a lot of times) it can be doctored to change a poorer turquoise (or malachite) different colors. They can (and do) sometimes take tiny pieces of different turquoise, and meld them together to look like one piece. There is even almost white turquoise (not too desirable).

Neat find!!!!!!!!

Mrs.O
 

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