Going to buy an antique cushion - how? and what next?

Jewels by Erica Grace is a great place to look...


http://jewelsbyericagrace.com/loose_antique_and_estate_diamonds_page_2

Also, you may want to ask the moderators to move this thread to Rocky Talky; you'll probably get more advice there.

I've purchased two antique cushions now. I'll tell you exactly what occurred both times.

1. Look at www.jewelsbyericagrace.com
2. Spot a stunner
3. Email Erica about a MILLION times, asking for video, other photos, comparisons, and opinions. Discuss pricing.
4. Hem and haw for a while, checking the website 3x per day to ensure that no one else has snatched up the beauty
5. Realize said stone is on sale
6. Email Erica frantically, asking to put it on hold
7. Wire money to Erica's account
8. Contact Leon Mege for quote
9. Receive acceptable quote
10. Have Erica bundle up the gem and send it to NYC
11. Leon works his magic
12. Ring is received by me
13. Notice centerstone is loose, return ring to Leon
14. Receive multiple apologies from Leon
15. Re-receive ring in pristine, secure condition with the best packaging known to mankind.
16. Get ring appraised by local independent appraiser, asking them to be completely REASONABLE with their value estimate (I'm in Australia and diamond jewelery here tends to appraise for FAR MORE than the American purchase prices)
17. Add ring on to insurance policy
18. Wear ring lots

And conversely, with my new ring.

1. Email Erica, Adam, Perry, and Mark, all asking them to keep an eye out for stones that fit certain criteria that I desired.
2. Receive many, many emails from all 4
3. Sift through possibilities, eliminating based on various preferential criteria
4. Receive an email containing the PERFECT stone
5. Let other vendors know that stone has been located, thanking them very much for their hard work
6. Receive additional information, photographs, and videos of THE ONE
7. Wire money to OWD (my vendor, in this case)
8. Have stone sent to David Atlas for independent appraisal
9. Receive appraisal, decide to keep stone and proceed with setting
10. Discuss settings with Adam
11. Finalize setting plan
12. Receive ring the following week. Adam's bench had my entire setting CAD/cast/set in 3 business days!
13. (Hasn't happened yet, as I am traveling) Get ring independently appraised with value in AUD
14. Add ring to insurance policy
15. Wear ring lots.


I am not trying to be silly here, this is really how it happened for me. Take your time, look through lots of threads here that have old cuts, so you can get an idea of what sort of "feel" you're going for. When I bought my new stone, I almost had an exact picture of the desired faceting in my head. With my first one, I knew it when I saw it. Don't be afraid to jump when your heart starts fluttering - I am very lucky that the stone for my engagement ring, from Erica, was not sold out from beneath me while I hesitated. Old cuts weren't quite as popular then as they are now, and I think these days I would have probably lost out on it.

There are lots of ladies on here who have a real knack for finding good quality old cuts. If you post in RockyTalky with your criteria, they may have suggestions lined up for you to have a look at!

I wouldn't call 4-7k budget modest You can get a stunner of a stone for that. Esp. with the experts on here helping you. Can't wait to see what you find!

Thanks everyone! I'll start a new post up in Rocky Talk to see what people come up with

I'm pretty set on using OWD because I work two blocks away, I've met with them before, and I just don't really feel educated enough to deal with multiple vendors. But I'll be sure to ask for recommendations to see what everyone comes up with!

Adam at OWD is wonderful, but you should try to contact Mark at ERD as well. He's in the same building as OWD, and has a great eye for cushions (plus he's super nice) Good luck!!!!

Before buying a diamond ring you should know about some important things like Four C's of diamond(Carat, Cut, Clarity and Color) and ASG/GIA Certification. Make sure that diamond is original or not before buying.

Say you locate a ring on JBEG, how much does a typical solitaire ring/setting cost to have made? I assume you could just find a normal setting and have it placed in there? Thanks for the help.

Chris

Outlook8, I am confused. If you find a suitable ring on JbEG, buy it (I am assuming you are looking at a pre-worn ring since the JbEG line was discontinued)! Chances are custom repro of it will cost more. Not sure if you meant "find a diamond on JbEG?"

Whoops. YEs, I meant find a diamond, not the whole ring. Thanks.