Another newbie needing alot of help....

[aquamarine lover]

Hi all, I am new to the forum and I need some practical advice. I am in love with the Tiffany aquamarine legacy ring but unfortunately am unable to pay the price tag. I was wondering if you can direct me to a quality ring that looks very similar to this. Also, I love the color of the aquamarine that I have seen in pictures and was wondering how to shop for a quality aquamarine stone which will have color similar to the aqua in that particular ring. I don''t want a "washed out" aquamarine. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance for your time!

 

[Gailey]

Welcome to Pricescope Aquamarine Lover.

What will help us to help you a little more is to know what kind of budget you have in mind. Most folk here tend to "build" their jewellery projects by buying the stone first. Then depending upon how much you want to spend, we can either direct you to a custom jeweller or suggest a less expensive ring setting that you could purchase and take to a local jeweller to be set with your new stone.

Lots of possibilities.

 

[jstarfireb]

Ebay sellers jewelryhoo and lord_of_gem_rings both make great Legacy replicas for reasonable prices. This would be for the setting only, not the stone. You can "upgrade" the diamonds if you like, I think from SI to VS clarity if I remember correctly?

 

[aquamarine lover]

I''d like to stay around 4k if possible. I saw the price at Tiffany''s for 6k-7k so I am hoping that I can stay around 4k. Does that seem realistic?

 

[aquamarine lover]

Thank you! I will check them as well.

 

[T L]

Date: 3/24/2010 11:14:31 PM
Author: aquamarine lover
I'd like to stay around 4k if possible. I saw the price at Tiffany's for 6k-7k so I am hoping that I can stay around 4k. Does that seem realistic?

The Tiffany Legacy aqua ring is so marked up, that I think $4K is too high. The aqua in their ring is around 1 to 3 carats depending on the size of the particular Legacy (they come in different sizes) and should not cost more than $100/ct. I've seen them in person, and they are not top quality aquamarines. The ring itself, if custom made in platinum could be had for around $2K I would think. If you want a beer budget version, ebay seller Lord of the Gem Rings sells a replica of the Legacy for around $300, and you can upgrade the diamonds, gold to make it around $500.

Here is their replica

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cushion-7X7mm-Pave-Diamond-14k-Gold-Semi-Mount-Ring_W0QQitemZ370350962738QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDiamond_Solitaire_with_Accents?hash=item563aa33832

It can also be sized for various size cushions for an extra charge. If you do a search on LOGR Legacy in this forum, you will find many examples of people that own this ring. I own a few of them myself.

 

[aquamarine lover]

Wow, thank you! What about finding a rich colored aquamarine...any ideas where to start or which jewelers to begin with?

 

[T L]

The hard part won't be finding the color, but getting a cushion. The precision facetors that are commonly mentioned here may have deeply colored rough material, so you can ask, and you need to specify that you want a medium blue (the kind that Tiffany carry). Deeper blue color will be more expensive.

Some of these precision facetors are

gemshoppe.com
precisiongem.com
acstones.com
gemlineinc.com
artcutgems.com
finewatergems.com
whitesgems.com
mastercutgems.com
gemsmartservices.com

You probably only need a 7x7 stone, and it shouldn't be more than 2 carats. Aquas are not dense stones, so a small carat weight still faces up rather large.

 

[aquamarine lover]

Great! Then a silly question...if I find a stone, then do I buy the setting and the stone and then have a local jeweler set them? Also, as I search I would like to post information here to receive some feedback. You have been very, very helpful! Thank you!

 

[T L]

Date: 3/25/2010 12:31:28 AM
Author: aquamarine lover
Great! Then a silly question...if I find a stone, then do I buy the setting and the stone and then have a local jeweler set them? Also, as I search I would like to post information here to receive some feedback. You have been very, very helpful! Thank you!

You''re welcome. I would buy the stone first, then you can have a setting made to fit the size. Once you have both, then yes, you would need a skilled jeweler to set it. If you''re planning on a bezel, that jeweler better be very skilled since bezels are difficult to do. Please post feedback on your search.

 

[portia]

BrianGavinDiamonds.com has a really nice Legacy-style setting for around 2-3k. I''ve seen it with both a round and a cushion and both look gorgeous. Tiffany is way overpriced.

 

[Gailey]

First things first, let's see if we can find you a stone. I will scout through the sites (got about 100 in my favourites) and see what's available.

ACS Princess 2.8cts, 8.9mm square ACS (Barry Bridgestock) is a trusted PS vendor and has supplied many stones to Pricescopers.

Precision Gem square cut brilliant 3.25cts, 8.68 cts Same comments as above.

Peter Torraca asscher cut, 2.09cts, 7.47mm square Same comments as above.

John Dyer square brilliant 2,27cts, 7.30mm square. Multi-award winning lapidarist. May only be available through a jeweller, but if the stone appeals to you, contact him and he will put you in touch with a jeweller in your area and give you a ball park on the cost. Very, very nice young man.

AJS rectangular cushion 2.75cts, 9.37mm x 7.74 mm Not the square you are looking for, but a very nice stone worth a look. Thai based seller, sold to quite a few Pricescopers.

Africa Gems square cushion 3.21cts, 8.78 x 8.75mm. Reputable & respected vendor within industry. Not sold to too many Pricescopers as far as I know.


That's a first pass, but I am sure I can find more.

 

[Gailey]

Multi coloured square(ish) cusion 2.83cts, 8.70mm square Good budget option stone from reputable Thai seller. Sold a number of stones to Pricescopers.

Paraiba Int. square cushion 3.12cts, 9.50mm square Maybe a bit large, but worth a look. Reputable seller.

Bespoke Gems square cusion 1.9cts, 7mm square Although not an aquamarine, natural blue topaz is a viable alternative. Harder and has a higher refractive index than aquamarine so will sparkle more. Reputable seller who has sold to a number of us.

Concave Gems just off square antique cusion 3.76cts, 9.1 x 8.8mm Award winning lapidarist, sold to many Pricescopers.

Gemfix square princess 3.62cts, 10mm square Maybe a little large, but worth a look. Award winning lapidarist, recently sold to Pricescopers.


Each of the stones I have selected comes from a vendor that is either known to us or comes with industry respect. Take a look and see what you think. If none of them appeal, then the next step is to provide you with a list of custom lapidarists (all known and trusted by us) that you can approach with a view to sourcing and cutting you a stone to your own specifications.

Once you have a stone selected, then you can think about a setting. If there is enough money left in your budget then I would suggest going with a custom jeweller such as Brian Gavin Diamonds who has made legacy lookalikes before.

Let us know your thoughts.

 

[aquamarine lover]

Wow! Thank you! I am a bit overwhelmed. The prices vary so much, how do you know which stone is best? Is the cheaper $358 dollar stone the same quality and color as a 1k stone? The stone will be the "pop" in the ring and I definitely want to get the color right. The gemfix looks great. The Paraiba says it is deep blue but I can''t completely tell in the video. I really like the Africa gems is great too, but the highest priced. What do you think?

 

[Gailey]

A couple of things will affect the price of aquamarine. I''m not an expert here, so maybe someone with more experience will also chime in.

It is common for aquamarines to be heated to drive off any greenish colour (which I like!). So the deeper the blue of the stone without any green or grey under tone, the better the quality. If a stone is un-treated in any way and the colour is a good blue and entirely natural then that will command a premium in price.

Not all vendors are created equal and some are more expensive than others. Generally stones that come from a precision lapidarist will be more expensive than stones that are cut on older style machines, sometimes in the country of origin and often in large cutting centres such as Thailand.

If a vendor is well known and is known for winning cutting awards, his stones may also command a premium.

If you are considering a stone that costs in excess of $1,000 you would be wise to ask the vendor for a certificate from a reputable lab such as AGL or an appraisal from a qualified gemologist (in some cases both would be appropriate). They will be able to confirm what treatments have been done to the stone. There are other labs around the world if you pick a stone from a supplier outside of the US.

Again, if you are in the US Richard Sherwood is a highly respected appraiser. You ought to be able to have the stone shipped directly to a reputable appraiser from the vendor and make your sale conditional upon the appraisal. Expect to pay for the appraisal yourself, that way he is working for you and not the vendor and has your interests at heart.

If I was in your shoes today, I would contact Richard privately, or someone equally as qualified and ask him to help you evaluate what would be a good choice and then to appraise the stone.

But before you do that, let''s wait and see what other people have to say. Like I said - I''m no expert.

 

[Harriet]

Origin can also affect pricing. Santa Maria, Brazil, is one such famous locality. That said, I''d take colour over origin anytime.

 

[Indylady]

+1. I''d take color over origin as well. There''s a quote of a gemologist that I read somewhere along the lines of.."the best Kashmir sapphire I ever saw was from Madagascar".

 

[chrono]

Firstly, do you want a rectangular or a square stone?
Secondly, how deep of a blue do you prefer? Not everyone necessarily likes the best quality for the gemstone type.