A wife is furious after claiming she was sold "fool's gold" by Argos when her 18ct gold wedding ring was found to be a fake made of brass.
The fuming 55-year-old had been wearing the ring, oblivious to its true nature, for 14 years before she took it to the jewellers to have it resized in June.
But the £99 ring snapped during the process, so the jeweller tested it and shockingly found it to be made of brass.
He emailed the couple to tell them about his worrying discovery. But the wife was unconvinced and went to another jeweller to get a second opinion.
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The second jeweller unfortunately confirmed their fears, saying to the couple: "The item has been tested and in my opinion the metal is no better than 9ct yellow gold.
"It has been incorrectly stamped or the marks are false."
The outraged woman said: "I really feel this is Argos selling fool's gold, because that's how I feel - a bit of a fool.
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"When they said the ring was brass I laughed - I thought they must have made a mistake.
"People might say 'it's a cheap ring, what do you expect?' but I expect it to be what it says it is.
"It's a reputable company. No matter how much you pay or where you bought it from, if it's got a UK hallmark you expect it to be what it said."
She says Argos immediately traced the credit card details and the receipt for the payment of the ring and offered a full refund plus a handwritten apology.
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But the furious wife and mother was having none of it and said the company was "taking the mick" with its offer, not taking into account the sentimental value of the ring.
She added: "My ring is worthless, beyond repair and not wearable. It's fool's gold, it's just a lie. It feels like I am missing a part of me - it's about the blessing of the ring and the significance. That ring would have been left to my daughter."
It's not the first time Argos has been caught out by fake gold. In 2001, the chain recalled one of their products over fears that a gold hallmark had been faked.
The couple said the matter should be taken more seriously as it is a crime to put the wrong stamp of quality on gold or silver and pointed out that there are probably other couples walking around with fake rings on.
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The wife said: "This is not the first time - for it to happen again is really concerning. They don't appear to be making any effort. I think they should really think about recalling the batch of jewellery."
A spokesperson for Argos said: "We are investigating this with the customer."
Featured Image Credit: SWNS