Prices in 1900

[ajo4y4]

I am writing an article about a local jewelry store. The store opened in 1896 and I''m trying to get an idea of what a "typical" wedding ring for a female would have sold for back then. This jewelry store is in the mid-west and probably would have been frequented by local farmers and small-businessmen who would have purchased relatively modest wedding rings for their wives. Can anyone help me out on how much they would have cost?

Thanks a million in advance!

 

[Mara]

Wow I have no idea but a very interesting question. I would estimate something like $50? Though I doubt if they were farmers that they bought diamonds though, so maybe simple gold bands for something like $10?

 

[DiamondExpert]

In 1900 the price of an oz. of gold was about $19 - the gov't regulated the price (until 1972)... $=gm in ringxkwt/24 + manufacture cost + jeweler's profit...or some such thing...

 

[Al Gilbertson]

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[Mara]

I think Al got confused and PM'd me this instead of posting it here....so here is his response on the pricing in 1900's. Hope he doesn't mind me posting.




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Are you talking about a plain wedding band? What karat gold? At the time, 10Kt was the most common wedding band sold. A woman's wedding band might weigh 2 to 8 pennyweight, depending upon her finger size and how wide of a wedding band she wore. The high-end wedding bands (Such as the seamless ones from J. R. Wood & Co) retailed from $2.50 to $4 per pennyweight. Sears had a 1902 catalog that you can frequently find paperback reprints of at used book stores that would show what a general merchandising store might sell the same item for.

Al Gilbertson

 

[pricescope]

Welcome to the forum, Al