Ebay for vintage jewelry/diamonds?

[Upgradable]

Ohhhhmaaammmmaaaammmmaaaaahhhhhh..................

That bracelet is gorgeous!!!! But I have an unexplicable distaste for Shiraz...... for some reason they seem shady. I have no personal or even second hand reason for that. It''s just gut.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Wow, some of you have gotten some amazing deals on ebay! I really am focusing on looking there in the coming year. It is certainly a fun hobby!

 

[oldmancoyote]

Date: 12/31/2008 10:06:38 PM
Author: tradergirl
Here''s another item on my lust list. It says make an offer but their price is so goofy I wouldn''t know where to start.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200275123578&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010#ebayphotohosting

A few months ago they had a "clearance sale" on Krypell items - marked them down 50% (they didn''t sell; are now back to original price). That could be a starting point.

By the way - I visited their stall on 47th street (it''s one of those "many shops in a store" things) - they have some nice items, but they also have stuff that is most likely fake (at least the signatures/marks are). Tread carefully.

 

[Rhea]

Date: 12/31/2008 11:16:28 PM
Author: Upgradable
Ohhhhmaaammmmaaaammmmaaaaahhhhhh..................


That bracelet is gorgeous!!!! But I have an unexplicable distaste for Shiraz...... for some reason they seem shady. I have no personal or even second hand reason for that. It''s just gut.

I feel the same way, but can''t describe why. I''m glad to know that I''m not the only one.

I''ve bought a couple of ebay pieces, mostly small diamond rings, like half eternity bands with engraving.

 

[coatimundi_org]

Date: 12/31/2008 11:16:28 PM
Author: Upgradable
Ohhhhmaaammmmaaaammmmaaaaahhhhhh..................


That bracelet is gorgeous!!!! But I have an unexplicable distaste for Shiraz...... for some reason they seem shady. I have no personal or even second hand reason for that. It''s just gut.

Ditto on Shiraz. I skip their listings--they are ridiculous.

 

[coatimundi_org]

Date: 12/31/2008 8:22:15 PM
Author: tradergirl
I've been really really struggling with this one over the past few months. I really love it but think it's overpriced. Would any of you care to comment on what a reasonable offer might be?


http://cgi.ebay.com/MAGNIFICENT-FRENCH-ART-DECO-DIAMOND-RING_W0QQitemZ160115339350QQihZ006QQcategoryZ52574QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


I also think Melony is very overpriced. Dover not so much.

I'd try 4k(it's not even plat)--they'll probably take it--has it been sitting there for ages? Some prices on ebay are so stupid.

 

[ms_claudia]

Date: 12/30/2008 12:44:02 PM
Author: Upgradable
I love Melony''s pieces, but they always seem extraordinarily overpriced!

Ditto! She is ridiculously overpriced...
One of her listings is a ring which is worth, at most, half of what she has it listed as... She also originally left out the diamond specs of the ring (Basics such as carat weight, color, clarity)... When I messaged her and asked the specs, (I also told her the ring was overpriced but I''d make an offer if she''d lower the price) she didn''t respond but promptly updated the listing to include specs... which I suspect were inaccurate...

eBay buying is fun, theres a huge selection and some deals... You just have to really search...
I haven''t bought anything vintage or antique so I can''t recommend any sellers... But as far as new jewelry goes there are some great diamond district jewelers who sell on ebay for a fraction of their retail prices. I bought the most gorgeous flower ring that was 3.38 carats of G-H VS2-SI1 in 14k white gold for $1700 which I thought was a good deal...

My advice is

-always check feedback (look at the number of positive feedbacks received and how recent it is)
-check return/refund policy
-ask specific questions
-always ask for additional pictures
-if possible speak to the seller over the phone
-try to buy from powersellers and ebay stores, they''re more reputable and established than individual sellers (although the better deals usually come from individual sellers... I bought a 3 carat tennis bracelet for $999 from someone who was looking to size down her jewelry collection)

With that said, I haven''t had any problems so far (I''ve bought 4 rings and a tennis bracelet).

Happy hunting!

 

[VRBeauty]

Date: 12/29/2008 8:25:06 PM
Author:Upgradable
How many of you vintage lovers see ebay as a reasonable venue for nice pieces?

Me! Me! Me! Add me to the list of Ebay vintage treasure hunters!

I took up the hunt fairly recently and so far have only bought a pair of OMC studs: old diamonds set in new scroll-style baskets. I wasn't blown away by the stones -- they have less fire than I was hoping for -- but they were more than acceptable for the price, and they'll do until I find the perfect old cut diamond earrings. I am looking now looking for a white gold or platinum RHR, and a loose (or underutilized

) diamond that can be set in a pendant.

BTW I am luchy enough to own an heirloom set with several OMC diamonds that made me aware of these older cut stones. It's a pendant made from a pin that belonged to my grandmother, and needless to say it's very dear to me. However, although the diamonds in the pendant are lovely and unique, they don't have a lot of fire. My current obsession for older diamonds was actually sparked by a lovely little victorian era OMC ring I bought from another site to compliment my pendant. The three stones in this sweet little ring have lots of fire, and really opened my eyes to the possibilities of older diamonds.

I bought that little ring from a vendor who goes by the name of "Upgradable." Just a coincidence, I'm sure! (

)

 

[arjunajane]

I have also been bitten by the ebay vintage jewellery bug this past year, and love hearing about other PS'ers deals and tips!

I agree 100% about Melony, she's off her head!

I would love to try my hand at buying some coloured stones, but feel a bit overwhelmed by the challenge..

My recent transitional diamond was one I was very happy with - as Glitterata says, I find buying from individuals works out better for deals, but there's also a number of stores/sellers that I check on constantly, lol..

After finding my vintage Art Carved band, I have also decided to start a collection of vintage wedding bands..so far I've bought another four bands, all 14k and between $30 - $100..watch this space

0.47 G VS2, $420 - maybe not the deal of the century, but was about half what I would've paid elsewhere, and it did turn out to be a lovely stone!

 

[Upgradable]

Date: 1/2/2009 12:09:17 AM
Author: VRBeauty

Date: 12/29/2008 8:25:06 PM
Author:Upgradable
How many of you vintage lovers see ebay as a reasonable venue for nice pieces?

Me! Me! Me! Add me to the list of Ebay vintage treasure hunters!

I took up the hunt fairly recently and so far have only bought a pair of OMC studs: old diamonds set in new scroll-style baskets. I wasn''t blown away by the stones -- they have less fire than I was hoping for -- but they were more than acceptable for the price, and they''ll do until I find the perfect old cut diamond earrings. I am looking now looking for a white gold or platinum RHR, and a loose (or underutilized

) diamond that can be set in a pendant.

BTW I am luchy enough to own an heirloom set with several OMC diamonds that made me aware of these older cut stones. It''s a pendant made from a pin that belonged to my grandmother, and needless to say it''s very dear to me. However, although the diamonds in the pendant are lovely and unique, they don''t have a lot of fire. My current obsession for older diamonds was actually sparked by a lovely little victorian era OMC ring I bought from another site to compliment my pendant. The three stones in this sweet little ring have lots of fire, and really opened my eyes to the possibilities of older diamonds.

I bought that little ring from a vendor who goes by the name of ''Upgradable.'' Just a coincidence, I''m sure! (

)

And we''d LOOOOVE to see a picture of that pretty!!! I''m glad you love it. It was such a unique little beauty!

 

[Upgradable]

Date: 1/2/2009 10:42:52 AM
Author: Upgradable

Date: 1/2/2009 12:09:17 AM
Author: VRBeauty

Date: 12/29/2008 8:25:06 PM
Author:Upgradable
How many of you vintage lovers see ebay as a reasonable venue for nice pieces?

Me! Me! Me! Add me to the list of Ebay vintage treasure hunters!

I took up the hunt fairly recently and so far have only bought a pair of OMC studs: old diamonds set in new scroll-style baskets. I wasn''t blown away by the stones -- they have less fire than I was hoping for -- but they were more than acceptable for the price, and they''ll do until I find the perfect old cut diamond earrings. I am looking now looking for a white gold or platinum RHR, and a loose (or underutilized

) diamond that can be set in a pendant.

BTW I am luchy enough to own an heirloom set with several OMC diamonds that made me aware of these older cut stones. It''s a pendant made from a pin that belonged to my grandmother, and needless to say it''s very dear to me. However, although the diamonds in the pendant are lovely and unique, they don''t have a lot of fire. My current obsession for older diamonds was actually sparked by a lovely little victorian era OMC ring I bought from another site to compliment my pendant. The three stones in this sweet little ring have lots of fire, and really opened my eyes to the possibilities of older diamonds.

I bought that little ring from a vendor who goes by the name of ''Upgradable.'' Just a coincidence, I''m sure! (

)

And we''d LOOOOVE to see a picture of that pretty!!! I''m glad you love it. It was such a unique little beauty!

Just to clarify, I''m by no means a vendor. Just a hoarder who occassionally has to off-load pieces when I''ve gone over my quota!!

 

[Upgradable]

Here''s my newest find.

 

[Rhea]

Are you going to tell us about it?

 

[Miscka]

Upgradeable, I saw your thread on that. Gorgeous! It would make a lovely ering as well. Mind sharing if you got a good deal?

 

[glitterata]

Ha! I was watching that! I''''m glad I didn''t bid, because I would probably have quit before you and it would have bumped your cost up. Super pretty!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 1/5/2009 5:32:56 PM
Author: glitterata
Ha! I was watching that! I''m glad I didn''t bid, because I would probably have quit before you and it would have bumped your cost up. Super pretty!

Ditto, lol..good find Upgradeable, the stone looks like a real winner

 

[Liane]

Has anyone dealt with rozentalantiques on eBay? This dealer has a lot of antique jewelry listed, including a nice pair of art deco earrings I''ve been eyeing... but I''ve never bought anything seriously expensive off eBay, so I''m a little hesitant to take the plunge. Mostly I''ve just bought costume jewelry where I didn''t care if it was fake and generally assumed it was.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 1/10/2009 8:02:22 PM
Author: Liane
Has anyone dealt with rozentalantiques on eBay? This dealer has a lot of antique jewelry listed, including a nice pair of art deco earrings I''ve been eyeing... but I''ve never bought anything seriously expensive off eBay, so I''m a little hesitant to take the plunge. Mostly I''ve just bought costume jewelry where I didn''t care if it was fake and generally assumed it was.

Hi Liane, here is the detailed f/b from this seller from toolhaus - that is one of the first places I look when deciding whether to buy from an ebayer.
http://toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs?User=rozentalantiques&Dirn=Received+by&ref=home

Its not that bad, but I think the way they deal with negs/neutrals says alot, yanno?
They also have a no returns policy, which is usually a big negative for me. If someone has confidence in the items they''re selling, they should be able to accept returns.

Also the BIN prices seem pretty high, but they do have make an offer on everything, which is good.
Altogether, if you''re really keen on something and its not heaps of money I may give it a bash - but only if I really loved the item.

 

[glitterata]

I've never bought from Rozentalantiques, but I've considered it and I would probably feel comfortable buying from them if they had something I really wanted, though their return policy does make me hesitate.

They have good feedback. Their antique jewelry looks genuine and accurately described for the most part, at least for the pieces that I know enough about to tell (Victorian jewelry). And it seems like they accept best offers. So if you feel confident about the piece in question and are comfortable with their restrictive return policy, you could try offering a lower price.

Edited to add: I just looked at the Toolhaus negs & neutrals and I agree it's a turn-off. Still, if I were really confident about the item and liked the price, I would probably risk buying something not too expensive from them.

 

[Liane]

Thanks for the quick responses!

I contacted the seller and he indicated that he''d be willing to take a return for refunds if the item wasn''t satisfactory. I really do love these earrings so I think I''ll go through with the buy, and will post my experiences when I know the outcome. Hopefully it''ll be useful to some other member or lurker down the line.

 

[glitterata]

Here''s my newest ebay indulgence: a deco platinum ring from the ''20s, with a few points of diamonds and a trio of small sapphires. I hope it''s as nice as it looks in the pictures.

 

[glitterata]

Another shot. I hope the sapphires are this color rather than the darker color in the previous picture. I got it for ~$250. It''s marked plat 10% irid. Good deal?

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 1/11/2009 12:30:53 AM
Author: glitterata
Another shot. I hope the sapphires are this color rather than the darker color in the previous picture. I got it for ~$250. It''s marked plat 10% irid. Good deal?

A REAL BEAUTY!A real deal also!Lovin the sapphires...enjoy!Its great to see you and your collection on the forum!

 

[glitterata]

Hiya, Jewelerman! Nice to see you, too.

 

[icekid]

Date: 1/11/2009 12:30:53 AM
Author: glitterata
Another shot. I hope the sapphires are this color rather than the darker color in the previous picture. I got it for ~$250. It''s marked plat 10% irid. Good deal?

Glitterata- I think it''s a great find! I hope it looks as great, in person.

I love this thread! Somehow I always forget to check out what is going on in the jewelry forum. I love to search on ebay in my free time, as well. Keep us updated on your antique finds, everyone.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 1/11/2009 1:24:45 AM
Author: jewelerman

Date: 1/11/2009 12:30:53 AM
Author: glitterata
Another shot. I hope the sapphires are this color rather than the darker color in the previous picture. I got it for ~$250. It''s marked plat 10% irid. Good deal?

A REAL BEAUTY!A real deal also!Lovin the sapphires...enjoy!Its great to see you and your collection on the forum!

HI:

Ditto! Great price, holy moly. I was at a large shop yesterday that has an Estate dept; and I saw an absolute beauty/ruby and diamond ring; but was outrageously priced; I wanted to offer a third of what was asked...

cheers--Sharon

 

[glitterata]

Sharon, maybe you should have offered a lower price. I doubt they're having an easy time selling.

I have a feeling I should save my pennies because there are going to be some amazing things selling for very little soon, in this economy. (Also because I don't have very many pennies and will soon have even fewer, in this economy.)

But I think the recent drop in platinum prices has lowered the ebay price of some good stuff already--the pawnshop dealers etc. base their price on the melt price of the metal. The opening bid on that ring, $225, was double the melt price of platinum. I won it for about $25 above that. (On the other hand, gold is currently pretty high.)

I wonder if deco is going out of style, too. We've seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of old cuts, on this board anyway. But I don't think I've seen quite as many deco-style settings, and certainly not that many deco style pieces that don't involve a center diamond.

 

[glitterata]

I thought I''d add a recent ebay find, a gold Victorian pendant (which I think was probably once an earring):

And my thread about it, with a couple more pix:

New Victorian gold pendant

 

[T L]

Hey, I thought I''d put this question out there, but what''s the earliest piece of vintage jewelry you have ever seen on ebay? Anything form the 18th century or earlier?

 

[glitterata]

I won an excellent 18th century ring this week, for an incredible price. But the dealer sold it to somebody local for three or four times my winning bid and canceled the transaction.

I''ve certainly seen jewelry from the 18th and even 17th centuries on ebay. I think the oldest I''ve actually bought and received has probably been early 19th century, though.