Are my mom's personal belongings, like clothes, furniture, wedding ring, things that Medicaid will consider assets?

The VALUE of the furniture and jewelry could be called assets by the state. When I completed applications for my mother, the instructions indicated that I should include any valuable antiques, art or jewelry. They would not force the sale of such items when she was living but after her death, they could be sold as part of an estate liquidation and those funds could be due to the state. The state is as concerned about recovering funds as they are with making sure here funds are exhausted.

According to the website elderlaw answers these are not counted as assets for California Medicaid:

"All assets are counted against these limits unless the assets fall within the short list of "noncountable" assets. These include the following: Personal possessions, such as clothing, furniture, and jewelry..."

Usually these rules are similar in most states but you will have to check for your state