#JOTW A vintage Van Craeynest set

[Stone Hunter]

I don’t know what area you’re talking about. The millgrain wear is even throughout. not surprisingly, vintage rings do show wear.

Thanks! I am looking at the photo of the diamond ring in the green box. I have a vintage ring that is damaged right at that spot where the ring shows milgrain and touches the finger. In your other photos I don't see milgrain at that spot. So I wondered if it was there on both sides. I am looking at rehabbing the ring I have and am overly focused on that section of vintage rings.

 

[Niel]

Thanks! I am looking at the photo of the diamond ring in the green box. I have a vintage ring that is damaged right at that spot where the ring shows milgrain and touches the finger. In your other photos I don't see milgrain at that spot. So I wondered if it was there on both sides. I am looking at rehabbing the ring I have and am overly focused on that section of vintage rings.

Ok.

 

[elizabethess]

Cool! How do you ascertain it's vintage and not contemporary-made? There is a pretty similar design I saw online, but it has a few extra diamond bits on it, where your ring and band have divots. Is it possible your find is an unfinished setting? I don't know a ton about Van Craeynest besides "flowers. pretty." so forgive me if I'm asking a silly question.

 

[Niel]

Cool! How do you ascertain it's vintage and not contemporary-made? There is a pretty similar design I saw online, but it has a few extra diamond bits on it, where your ring and band have divots. Is it possible your find is an unfinished setting? I don't know a ton about Van Craeynest besides "flowers. pretty." so forgive me if I'm asking a silly question.

I’m using the term vintage deliberately as it’s an estate piece that’s been well loved but not necessarily antique which would be that it’s over 100 years old. A vintage can be really any age, like your 2014 vintage wine lol.

 

[Donnass117]

So beautiful and ornate, is it vintage?

 

[derbygal]

Stunning!

 

[junebug17]

What an amazing find!!! the metal work and details are just beautiful. Those tiny flowers kill me!

 

[arkieb1]

Cool! How do you ascertain it's vintage and not contemporary-made? There is a pretty similar design I saw online, but it has a few extra diamond bits on it, where your ring and band have divots. Is it possible your find is an unfinished setting? I don't know a ton about Van Craeynest besides "flowers. pretty." so forgive me if I'm asking a silly question.

Wear usually gives away the fact it's vintage, i.e been worn, the amount of wear can sometimes tell you how old a pieces is. Van Craynest was and is old school and have been around as a business for a number of years - those "divets" you are referring to are called hand piercing and hand chasing meaning that each tiny part of that metal work is cut out or carved out and made by hand, it's a lost art that these days machines do instead of people to make the creation of such rings faster and cheaper.

I don't think this ring is unfinished, Van C make different versions of the same rings and their designs also evolved over time..... hence proving that this ring is "Vintage" or an older one or version of their designs. This ring these days starts at over $5500+USD with a small diamond set in it and over $8000 with a slightly larger but still relatively small diamond set in it, without the band because you pay a price for all of that hand made workmanship. So, it was an impressive Ebay find.....Link to a newer slightly different but still similar version of this ring;

http://www.clay-pot.com/bridal/desi...-craeynest-airy-dome-top-engagement-ring.html

 

[Niel]

Wear usually gives away the fact it's vintage, i.e been worn, the amount of wear can sometimes tell you how old a pieces is. Van Craynest was and is old school and have been around as a business for a number of years - those "divets" you are referring to are called hand piercing and hand chasing meaning that each tiny part of that metal work is cut out or carved out and made by hand, it's a lost art that these days machines do instead of people to make the creation of such rings faster and cheaper.

I don't think this ring is unfinished, Van C make different versions of the same rings and their designs also evolved over time..... hence proving that this ring is "Vintage" or an older one or version of their designs. This ring these days starts at over $5500+USD with a small diamond set in it and over $8000 with a slightly larger but still relatively small diamond set in it, without the band because you pay a price for all of that hand made workmanship. So, it was an impressive Ebay find.....Link to a newer slightly different but still similar version of this ring;

http://www.clay-pot.com/bridal/desi...-craeynest-airy-dome-top-engagement-ring.html

To your point, van c is quite a popular item on eBay - I know a lot of people set follows for the key words- and people typically know what they have so when they are posted they aren’t cheap - so finding one listed as just a setting is quite a score becuase then it’s also priced by someone who’s ignorant of its real value.

 

[Mikla]

Wow, I'm speechless over that set!

 

[rocks]

Love!

 

[elizabethess]

Link to a newer slightly different but still similar version of this ring;

http://www.clay-pot.com/bridal/desi...-craeynest-airy-dome-top-engagement-ring.html

Thanks for the info arkieb1! Yes, I saw that the Van Craeynest catalog has a current style called 1004 which is nearly identical to N's version here : http://www.vancraeynest.com/index.php?page=gallery&startRow=7&pid=11. The only difference I saw was that the 1004 in current catalog has a very small bezel set diamond in the center of each flower on the gallery (4 total), while N's flower centers have a round hole (hand piercing, you called it) with no diamond. Hence my question about how to tell it was vintage and was it possible it was contemporary but not fully set with intended diamonds and that's why it was listed as a "setting" on eBay. Hopefully my asking wasn't taken as a challenge, it was only meant for my own edification to learn more about Van Craeynest. A great find for sure and kudos to N

 

[paeony]

Love love love VC this is gorgeous and looks amazing on your hand!!!

 

[EllenS1]

My favorite thing, as many know, is a good eBay find. Even more so, when someonen lists a piece and neglects to label it correctly. This particularly sweet set was did not list the designer and was categorized as a “setting”, so I was lucky enough to find it and pick it up for a song. 14k gold with minimal diamonds- but the appeal is really the metal work.

Amazing!

 

[Diamond*Dana]

Beautiful!