I don't think Masonic rings are the price they are today because they are Masonic; I'm pretty sure it's because gold is $1,200 an ounce.
When I got my ring in 1994, I went down to one of the local jewelry stores (not a Zales or Jarred or whatever but a true local store) and picked it out from a wide in-stock selection. I think I paid $100-$120* for it. It's solid 10K gold with a full back, the whole nine yards. I know I didn't pay any more than that, and it might have been less.
Now, the price of gold has gone through the roof, there aren't too many local jewelry stores, and stores seldom stock Masonic jewelry. That, in my opinion, is a snapshot and microcosm of the deterioration of society.
*inflation calculator says $120 is 1994 is equivalent to $196 today