A Man Bought a Ring for $5 and Found Out It Was Worth Hundreds of Times More (3 photos)
A UK resident became a lucky man after purchasing a piece of jewelry at a thrift store for just $5. It later turned out to be a 15-gram, 9-karat gold opal ring. 
The author of the post, u/Odd_Payment4219, shared on the popular Reddit forum that he stopped by the thrift store after work and spotted the ring among other jewelry.
The piece immediately caught his eye, and he decided to buy it.
Some time later, the owner took the purchase for inspection after a stranger tried to buy the ring from him right there in the store. Experts confirmed that it was not costume jewelry, but a valuable piece of gold jewelry.
The ring had an unusual design: two people holding a round opal in their hands. 
A post about the find in the Thrift Store Hauls community garnered nearly 3,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
"You're so lucky, it's a beautiful ring."
"It looks like a one-of-a-kind cast model. I love these figurines."
"Wow, how beautiful! Congratulations, seriously. This is one of the most stunning and unique rings I've ever seen, a true treasure."
Some commenters began to debate the possible price of the find. Estimates ranged from $1,000 to $2,000. Meanwhile, online retailers are selling similar opal rings in 9-karat gold for between $335 and $9,666.
According to the Gem Society, opals are known for their "play of color"—light refracts to create iridescent rainbow patterns. However, this stone is softer than most gemstones, making it easily scratched and requiring careful handling. 
