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Hi Kay and Old Crone Thank you very much for your answers I have learned so much from them. I wouldn't say the diamonds were very big but it looks like a high quality piece of jewellery and even though so old the setting still looks good. Thanks once again Regards Jill

Jill Just for reference: I have a Victorian 5 diamond ring set on a high galleried shoulder, similar to yours I would think - it was my 2 x GGMs engagement ring. It is not hallmarked. I have it insured for £3,500. I trade in second hand Victorian and antique jewellery and I can assure you that yours is probably worth the same (insurance wise) Were you to offer it to me I would probably give you between £400-£800, depending on the size and quality of the diamonds, and I would certainly make a profit when I resold it. Insure it separately in your contents! OC

Hi Jill, English Victorian jewellery and into the 1930's were also marked with the carat content,,,,,ie 18ct and platt, or 18ct and pla, and no regional essay marks are included,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,this is the shank of 18ct and setting in Platt,,,,,,,,,,,,the numbers are often a model numbers from a manufactuers range, Us even now mark as 14K,18k,,,they never use CT,,nor do any other country,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and imported silver or gold usually carries an import mark,but not much gold carreis this its usually silver pieces , Prior to 1975 lots of English gold just carries the carat ,after 1975 18ct is denoted as -750, I would at guess say its ins value is around £275 to £350.......auction value about £90 -100.,,depending on stone weight,and clarity,,and cut,

Thank you Reggie and Old Crone As soon as I read the hallmark or not as the case may be I knew it wasn't English. It is priceless to me the value is meaningless. I obviously will never know the date of it now but never mind what I have found out is very interesting. I am looking into my Grandfathers military history and hopefully will get his Army History maybe that will give me a clue where he bought the ring. By the way it is beautiful it has five diamonds with filigree either side holding them in. Thanks again Jill

Jill Your ring is continental gold. The P you can see is not a date letter, it is the manufacturer's mark. As the ring is not hall-marked, in the unlikely event that you would wish to sell it, you cannot legally describe it as gold - you have to call it 'yellow metal'. This does not detract from its intrinsic value however - any dealer would recognise it as gold and pay you accordingly. And you do of course have it insured? Please do not be tempted to have it assayed as this will detract from the value it has as an antique - assaying will give you today's hallmark, not yesterday's. OC

Hi Reggie and Kay The hallmark says and I have read it with great difficulty glasses, magnifing glass and held under a strong light. A or RP 18ct Po one side 890A other side Maybe it's not English, my Grandfather was in the Army, I thought our symbols were Lion etc?????? They met and married in Devon. Thank you for your help does this mean anything??? Regards Jill

Hi Jill, if you can see the full hallmarks,put them up ,I have full hallmark gold/silver book to hand and will look, P detones the year made,,,,,,,, Lion /.Anchor/lLeoperds head,are english but the sequence of them and how the letter is put can give a def year, kay,

Try here: http://www.bhi.*co.uk/hints/hmarks.htm Rose

Thank you all for your help I think I will take it into a jewellers and see what they have to say. I did try the web site recommended but I couldn't find anything to help me. It might help if I could read the hallmarks they are there are distinct but not easy to read as they are so small. Thanks again Regards Jill

Or I might try a flea market thank you Old Crone. Regards Jill

Go into your nearest Flea Market and ask a jewellery dealer in there to tell you when the ring was made. They will not charge you for this.(If they try to, tell them Olde Crone sent you, lol) Bear in mind, the ring may not have been a new one when it was given as an engagement ring. Jewellery marks go in cycles, and the letter P has been used many times, so you need to read the rest of the mark, and take into account the style of script for the letter, before it can be accurately dated. OC

Just read something that said it stands for year date.The only prob was that when they got to the end of the alphabet they had to start again but this time in itallics and then more probs when jewellers moved from one area to another and took their equipment for hallmarking with them.Google and loads of sites come up.Wanda.x

If you google 'hallmarks' and 'gold' there are lots of links that come up. It looks to me as if different assay offices used different letters for different dates so I imagine it would depend on what other hallmarks/symbols are on the ring. Apparently a hallmark can have upto six seperate punch marks. Sam x

Yes, the P is probably the year date for a British Assay Office, but you need to know which one in order to work out the year. Take a look at 925-1000, its a website that has all the hallmarks listed Denis

Yes, a jeweller can tell from the hallmark (if it hasn't worn away) what date the ring was made. Kath. x

I am not 100% sure about this, but I think the letter means different years depending upon the assay office, I think you need to take into account everything else in the Hallmarks.. A good jeweller would be able to tell you plus value for insurance purposes, but they may charge a fee. Gail

I own my Grandmothers engagement ring she wasn't allowed to marry until she was 21 which she did. I would like to know how long before her marriage she was engaged to my Grandfather. My Husband says the letter P inside is the year does anyone know what year this is? It would be sometime before 1920. Thank you.