'Forgotten' 14k Gold Ring Found in Vent of 1890s Home Intrigues Internet

A woman found what looks like an engagement ring in her 1890s home's bathroom vent, and now online commenters can't get over it.

The woman shared a picture of the ring in a Reddit post, under the username u/SligPants. She said that in the last 20 years four or more families have lived in the home, which was previously owned by the same people during that period.

"Prior to that it was apartments for some amount of time in the mid-1900s so who knows how many people lived here then," she wrote.

The picture was first shared on the r/mildlyinteresting subreddit on Wednesday and has received over 20,400 upvotes and 670 comments. Its caption reads: "I found forgotten treasure in my 1890s home's bathroom vent."

The poster said that she thinks the ring is made of 14 karat gold and that it has an incision inside that says 1/2. She said she hopes that means half a carat (the weight measurement for gemstones), which would increase the chances that the ring's stone is precious.

According to a study by The Knot, the average diamond engagement ring size is 1.5 carats. Roughly half of all engagement rings fall between one and two carats, with just 25 percent of rings sizing above two carats.

But visually, carat size is not the same for all gemstones and cuts. Because different gemstones have different densities, a 1-carat diamond and a 1-carat sapphire are not going to look the same size, but on a scale they'll weigh the same.

The most popular shape, according to The Knot, is a round-cut diamond, with 41 percent of all engagement rings falling into this category. About 45 percent of rings are made with white gold, while yellow gold comes in as the second most popular, at 20 percent.

The average cost of an engagement ring is around $6,000. The price varies from region to region. The average spent in the Mid-Atlantic region is $7,900, while the Midwest averages $5,200.

One user, twohedwlf, commented: "You're rich!" Another, Halogen12, said: "I imagine someone was sick with dread when that went missing."

Another user, xkikue, said: "I dropped a diamond ring in a vent a few years ago. I never got it back. My heart still sinks every time the memory pops into my head."

Valdimarsdottir3 pointed out: "Maybe it's cursed." And MundanePlantain1 wrote: "Careful, might be cursed like that damn witch-skin hat."

"Looks precious," said nair_balloons. And macho_grandma joked: "The IRS wants to know your location."

Newsweek reached out to u/SligPants for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.