[quote cwilk]
I have one or two unmarked rings I need to have somebody look at. Sometimes I think possibly silver, or gold in one case, sometimes I think they're costume for sure. I'm 90 percent certain they're junk, but as you are fond of saying, "A ring is a ring."
Chris[/quote]I have done a lot of buying lots of jewelry and selling. My wife is pretty knowledgeable of jewelry also (imagine that). almost all modern jewelry that is "good" has a mark on it to tell you what type of metal it is, I.E., gold, silver, platinum or plated. It will usually have a makers mark. Most costume jewelry (what I call junk) might have a makers mark (Avon, Coro etc.) but usually no metal mark. Thats because it is plated with gold tone or silver tone but is not real gold or silver plated. Finding a junker has made many a "nitro moment" for all of us MDers.
Now just because a piece is unmarked doesn't mean that it isn't any good. You have to look at the location it came from. Vintage or antique jewelry might not have any marks. Hope this helps in determining what to look for on jewelry.