1915 Wedding Band - 14 KE

Hello, I recently purchased this ring. It is inscribed with 2 initials and a date in 1915, but the stamp is 14 KE. Does this mean it is plated? It sure looks and feels like gold, with no brass showing through. A 1915 wedding band being plated seems unusual. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

Electroplated I think.

 

in 1915...like today....not everyone could afford gold..

 

I'm curious what would happen if you polished it gently with a polishing cloth. Would it shine up like gold? Seems unusual to me to see plated things engraved like that? Gold fill yes, but I don't think I have ever seen an elctroplated thing personalized?

 

I have. You can usually see the color difference under a loupe.

 

Gold fill does, which is great for a budget that wants a pretty Victorian bangle but can't afford the solid stuff!

 

it's marked with the K E......no deception here..

 

I was going by memory,a tricky proposition at best !

 

Might suggest having it XRF tested - personally, can't recall seeing the 'KE' for gold electroplate on pieces this old, and don't believe I've seen it in advertising of the period either. Suspect it may have been produced by large Newark manufacturer W.C. Edge Jewelry Co., they were known for 14 karat jewelry and used an 'E' mark - despite the dates noted on the Lang page, the firm dated back to the 1880s, in business at least into the mid 20th century:

https://www.langantiques.com/university/mark/edge-jewelry-co-w-c/

~Cheryl

 

Thank you all for replies! I accept that is is probably plated, but I will try to get it tested. The fact that a wedding band would be high-wear makes me think gold or gold-filled would have been a more likely option than plated as well.

 

r the other marks inside , just initials ?

 

Just the initials, the date, and 14 KE. For what it's worth I'm in the Buffalo, NY area. I've found a different ring in the past with a slightly different KE as a maker's mark, but it said 14k KE.

 

it seems testing is the only way to know 4 sure......

 

I doubt it is plated
I'd go with Cheryl on this

 

Electroplate in gold for that era is very unlikely, but the Victorians did love their gold-filled jewelry. Getting it tested is a good idea. Even taking a loupe to the engraving in a good light ought to give the game away. The line between the gold and the brass in an engraved piece is very sharp and easily seen with a loupe. Or ought to be.