Valuing a Lao Feng Xiang 18K Ring: 2.56g, 0.16 ct and VVS/K–L

By huanggs

Taken literally, the 18K notation describes white-gold alloy, not platinum. The other details help identify what needs to be valued, but they do not establish a current selling price. In Chinese jewellery wording, “18K white gold” usually means white-coloured karat gold. It should not be translated as Pt unless the item is actually marked Pt, Plat or platinum.

What the marks probably mean

  • ZG18K or 18K: an 18K gold alloy. The FTC precious-metal jewelry guide explains 18K as 18 parts gold out of 24, with the remaining parts being other metals.
  • Material mass 2.56g: confirm whether the original label means the gold-alloy weight or the complete finished ring weight; do not silently interpret those as the same measurement.
  • Diamond 1/0.16: likely one diamond weighing 0.16 ct. The GIA diamond carat-weight guide explains the carat and point system.
  • VVS/K-L: appears to combine very, very slightly included clarity and a K–L colour range on the D–Z scale. The text does not specify VVS1 versus VVS2 or establish the issuing laboratory, grading conditions or natural/laboratory-grown origin. It is not itself a grading report or a price.

The Lao Fengxiang official website and Lao Fengxiang after-sales page can help identify official service channels, but they do not price this old ring from a title line.

Metal value and the diamond are separate questions

For metal-only resale, if the buyer quotes a pure-gold price per gram, use the actual 18K alloy weight after excluding stones and non-gold parts, then multiply by 0.75. If the buyer quotes an 18K-gold rate per gram, do not multiply by 0.75 again. For diamond value, the GIA diamond grading report guide shows why carat, color, clarity, cut and treatment/report details matter. For a 0.16 ct diamond, confirm whether the buyer offers a separate amount at all and the basis for that offer.

So the useful answer is: this is an 18K white-gold, small-diamond ring with identifiable mark clues; the amount depends on the verified report, condition, actual gold weight and written offer, not on the brand name alone.

What can be calculated from 2.56 grams?

If 2.56g is confirmed as the weight of genuine 18K alloy alone, its nominal fine-gold equivalent is 2.56 × 0.75 = 1.92g. That is a metal-content calculation, not a ring valuation. If 2.56g includes the diamond, a confirmed 0.16 ct stone weighs 0.032g because one carat equals 0.2g. In the simplified case where everything else is 18K alloy, the corresponding calculation would be (2.56 − 0.032) × 0.75 = 1.896g. Other stones or non-gold components would require further separation.

Use the calculation only after resolving the label’s weight basis. A buyer quoting per gram of 18K material uses the alloy weight directly; a pure-gold reference price uses the fine-gold equivalent. Applying 0.75 to an already discounted per-gram 18K quote would count the purity adjustment twice.

Ask for the diamond and metal offers separately

For a resale quote, ask whether the buyer is purchasing the whole ring or only the metal, whether any amount is offered for the 0.16 ct diamond, and what happens to the stone if the setting is dismantled. A metal-only quote tells you little about what the complete ring might sell for through a jewellery dealer. Request the deductions and final amount in writing before authorising work that changes the item.