In all fairness, I truely hope you find the owner of the ring but I also believe due compesation for your time and efforts are in order. IMO, the norm regarding such finds should be "Anything I find which is personally identifiable will be "offered" to you for your consideration and "possible" return to your possession". This statement includes the provision that you "will be afforded the
opportunity" to reclaim something YOU'VE lost and I'VE found. It doesn't state that ethics or morality overrides a need to include a monetary gratuity to reimburse loss of the monetary value of the target by surrendering it free gratis
. In this case I think a offer to return the ring to it's owner, who, after all, lost possession through their own negligence, for a finders fee equal to 50% of its melt value plus any expenses incurred during the search/location of the owner and postage/insurance fees associated with its return is more than fair. Feeling good is absolutely great
but nonsense and common sense are incompatible neighbors
when considering the thousands of hours and amount of money you may spend before you find another ring of this value, and it still may be taken to the jewelers and sold for melt value, just not by you
.
ATP/GPP/Fiskars Diggers/BH Outback/CT hand held