I cared about my college class ring too, and wore it daily for 6 years. I got it 19 years ago for $450 and it was 18K gold. I lost it over 12 years ago and with the way the value of gold has skyrocketed since then, I’ll likely never see it again.
Ah well, congrats on the luck in getting yours back after all that time… Does it still fit? 
Mine was stolen in boot camp in 1967. I’m sure by now it’s been melted down for the minimal gold content.
When I was in high school we couldn’t afford class rings, so I was the weirdo who didn’t have one. 
Now i make good money and the bills are paid, so I treated myself last week to a replica Dracula ring. 
What a cool story! My friend lost her ring somewhere in her own home in the first few months after getting it - every once in a while she searches the house but has never found it.
I still have my high school class ring, in a jewelery box in the bedroom. I never really noticed if my university (ies, actualy…!) had any, but I have one of thesenow, which means so much more to me!
Did she never tell you the name of the people’s estate she bought the bag of jewelry at? Maybe it was someone you knew!
I lost my ring somewhere in my house when my kids were young…I’m sure my daughter was playing with it and it just got tossed in a jumble of things that got packed up for a move. That’s one of the reasons I have a hard time tossing out stuff I have in storage…I know there is a lot of my jewelry (none valuable, but sentimental) and other stuff I’d like to have back stuffed in those boxes. Oddly enough, I have my ex-husband’s class ring. But he knows about that, so if he ever wants it back, he’ll have to break down and talk to one of us!
The iron rings are very cool! I know a lawyer who used to be an engineer - still wears his iron ring.
I am apparently part of the small percentage of “abnormal” and a little bit strange folks! I didn’t go to college, so my HS class ring was important to me. I purchased it in 1968 from Balfour for $29.95. It’s 10k yellow gold and I always refer to it as the “green glass special” because for that price, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing “precious” about the stone, even in 1968/69. But I have worn it continuously since I got it in 1969 during my junior year. I haven’t lost it because I never take it off. It’s like it is a part of me, I guess. But I was beginning to think maybe it was really bizarre for anyone to wear their HS ring for 42 years, so that’s how I found this site; I Googled the question. I love Bicker’s story - very cool!!
I just got a bottle-opener ring, too cool!