Identifying a 14K Gold Ring: Markings and Age

Question
I have a beautiful gold, floral ring that I am trying to figure out where it came from and how old it is.  It says that it is 14-K and it has a mark on the inside that can best be described as a capital "C" with a sideways 8 on the inside of that "C". There is also another mark on the inside that is much harder to read but it looks like a diamond shape with something on the inside.  Thank you.

Answer
Hello Sarah and thank you for your inquiry.  It is difficult to trace the history of a jewelry item unless there is enough information or a hallmark to start from. The only way would be to get a good visual of all of the marks on the inside of the ring. Sometimes you can do that with a digital camera using the zoom or close up lens. The other way is if you know who gave it to you or any other information from your ring source such as - possibly foreign ? is it an heirloom from a relative ? You might also take it to an estate jewelry appraiser. Get a referral from your local museum or antique shop.  There are also mark books and sites online that you can compare your mark with - one site you might check out is listed below:

http://www.tace.com/vendors/bjarrett/OJBMAIN.htm

Juat click on it or copy and paste into your browser address field.  

Tracing jewelry is not always easy but can be very rewarding if you are successful.  Good luck and enjoy your ring.

Sally
jarrettsjade.com