Scissors . . . wire cutters . . . file . . . saw . . . drill. You tryin' to bust outta jail, boy? Throw that silver strike into a beaker of mercury. The mercury will promptly dissolve the silver. Throw the brass ring out (or into your scrap metal bucket). Now carefully heat the mercury amalgam in a retort, making sure you cool the mercury vapor (and don't breathe any). The vapor will return to liquid mercury, flakes of silver will remain in the retort. Take the silver flakes to your assay office and cash in! It helps if you drop little hints about finding this pure silver in an old Paiute diggin' somewhere near the Comstock Lode.

Exciting answers to tricky questions always freely given.