Pawn shop find is one of over 100 missing 2009 women's Rings

On Facebook or other social media, you might have recently seen this 2009 Aggie Ring pictured at a San Antonio pawn shop. On Saturday, Dr. Clifford Dorn ’81 bought the Ring to get it off the marketplace, and although the name inside had been scratched off, still hopes to return it to its original owner.

Dorn brought the Aggie Ring on Monday to The Association of Former Students’ Ring Office, where the search will continue.

Several Aggies have already called in to say it could be theirs, but it may be impossible to determine who was the original owner of this particular band of gold. There is no partial lettering that remains or other identifying mark on the Ring. If you are a possible former owner of this Aggie Ring, please fill out a “Lost Ring” report at AggieNetwork.com/ring/lostandfound.aspx.

More than 60 Rings a month are reported lost or stolen to The Association. About five Rings per month are reported found, most of which are successfully returned to their owners. Two key steps: Report the Ring at The Association’s lost and found page, and if yours is missing, make sure The Association has up-to-date contact information for you at AggieNetwork.com/profile.

Unfortunately, the name being scratched off makes it much less likely that the original owner can be found and verified. According to Association records:

• There are 119 current reports of women’s Class of 2009 Aggie Rings missing.
• More than 4,400 women’s 2009 Aggie Rings have been manufactured. About 83 percent of those were ordered with natural (non-antiqued) finish, like this Ring.
• More than 200 of those 4,400 Rings were made in the same size as this Ring.

The Ring Office has original order information for most Aggie Rings from the 1960s onwards. In 1969, Texas A&M President Earl Rudder ’32 transferred the Aggie Ring program from Texas A&M to The Association, which ever since has had the honor and responsibility of protecting the integrity of this important Aggie symbol and upholding the standards required to order it, which were established in 1933. 

If you see an Aggie Ring at a shop or online sales site, you can notify The Association, which will try to identify the original owner. (Reach the Ring Office at AggieRing@AggieNetwork.com or 979-845-1050.)

But an Aggie Ring turning up for sale doesn’t necessarily mean something illegitimate has taken place. The original owner or an heir can legally sell it or pawn it; it can pass on through an estate sale; and so on.

Recently, an 1890 Aggie Ring wound up for sale in an Etsy vintage jewelry shop. It’s now the oldest Aggie Ring displayed on campus, thanks to Ross ’08 and Lindsay ’08 Durr, who have permanently loaned it to The Association. Read the story here.

The Association encourages Aggie Ring owners to insure against loss. Some policies may cover the cost of replacement, and The Association can provide proof of purchase and replacement value.

If yours has been stolen, be sure your police report includes the name engraved on it, for the pawn shops’ information.

By far, the most common type of lost Ring report involves large bodies of water: Aggie Rings that slipped off in a lake, ocean or river.

So secure your valuables over spring break, and if your Ring is fitting a little loose, get it resized! Resizing is free in many cases, and even completely remaking a damaged Ring normally costs between $44 and $87. Learn more here: AggieNetwork.com/ring/warranty-and-service.