advice on this antique from ebay please

[rivercity]

hello everyone im really interested in this ring that is on ebay right now i love the style of it and/or have been looking for antique rings mostly art/deco stuff but havent really found anything that catches my eye for the price of around 1k. My concerns with this ring are not is it a great deal or really worth what the apprasial says but from these pics and specs shown is it eye clean and is it worth the buy it now price ? I havent really seen to many other rings online that i like and are around that price range of 1,000 if anyone can help. I am not over concerned with carat size sure more is great but i am more concerned with is it worth the price and or does the price seem way out of portion of what is presented ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=019&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=290079189685&rd=1&rd=1

Thanks for any replies,
they are greatly appreciated.
Robert

 

[diagem]

Date: 3/6/2007 10:39:57 AM
Author:rivercity
hello everyone im really interested in this ring that is on ebay right now i love the style of it and/or have been looking for antique rings mostly art/deco stuff but havent really found anything that catches my eye for the price of around 1k. My concerns with this ring are not is it a great deal or really worth what the apprasial says but from these pics and specs shown is it eye clean and is it worth the buy it now price ? I havent really seen to many other rings online that i like and are around that price range of 1,000 if anyone can help. I am not over concerned with carat size sure more is great but i am more concerned with is it worth the price and or does the price seem way out of portion of what is presented ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=019&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=290079189685&rd=1&rd=1

Thanks for any replies,
they are greatly appreciated.
Robert

Princess cuts dont belong to the Antique/Art Deco time....

 

[belle]

the tables on those princess cuts are HUGE and instead of seeing sparkle, you are going to prominently see the distinctive outline of four large table facets just like in the first and last picture. if that''s the look you want, then this may be an okay deal.... if you have 1k to risk losing on ebay, which is not the best place to buy pricey items.

 

[firebirdgold]

Why mention the highly regarded designer if they''re not going to say who it is?? It may look antique but it''s certainly not an antique, the invisible set trick is fairly new. I don''t know that it''s fraudulent, but I haven''t got a warm fuzzy feeling towards it.

 

[pricescope]

Concave cut topaz in one of the other sellers ring would also hardly qualify for an "estate" imho.

 

[rivercity]

OK thanks for the help everyone. i think i''ll pass and keep looking.

 

[Nicrez]

Date: 3/6/2007 10:56:33 AM
Author: IndieJones
Why mention the highly regarded designer if they''re not going to say who it is?? It may look antique but it''s certainly not an antique, the invisible set trick is fairly new. I don''t know that it''s fraudulent, but I haven''t got a warm fuzzy feeling towards it.

Everyone''s right generally Princess cuts are not considered antique.

Actually invisible set is NOT new per se. It was seen in the Art Deco periord, seen in a lot of old Van Cleef jewelry, except the method was not as widespread, and only done by very exclusive jewelers. There is a groove made in each girdle of the square cut stones that fit together. Lots of stone breakage...It''s truly amazing to see it done where there is curve and movement in a piece. Craftsmens back then would take months per piece...

My personal opinion, it''s a pretty looking ring, but if you want better quality, E-Bay is diffiult to assess because you can not see it before hand. Try a local antique seller in your area, or even a nicer pawn shop if you want older and a good deal. Good luck!

 

[RockDoc]

If the item is priced at $ 900.00 - why does the independent valuation say it''s worth almost 2 1/2 times the selling price????

The appraisal document, if made to provide some sort of peace of mind is not valuing a used piece against comparables of another used piece in my opinion. It''s value is overstated in that it is quoting a price for new replacement item, against used.
The appraiser can "get away" with this in theory, but it should be made CLEAR in his report if that value is for a new replacement or a similar used item. ( He also only lists a gemological credential in the report. Being a GG does NOT qualify one to perform professionally done valuation reports ).

Of course if he didn''t value it for more than the seller ( who IS paying him ) would he still get the work from the seller? Probably not.


The term "estate" is widely mis-used by sellers. It''s sort of a "fluff" way of saying it was preowned. Estate doesn''t mean antique! This should be described as "antique style motif, but made recently".

Some sellers deliberately sell "new items" and represent them as "estate" pieces. I think for two common reasons.....

a) makes the buyer think he is paying less than it''s worth....
b) is sort of a "defense" if there is a problem..... they could say later it was used and no guarantees apply... sold AS IS.

Rockdoc

 

[Nicrez]

Wow! Good points RockDoc! But even an "antique dealer" worth their weight would have some sort of policy on their pieces. Then again, antique sellers are usually in store fronts and their business depends on the community they operate in. To offend the community you work in would be disastrous, so they are likely more apt to be better about disclosure and guaranteeing things they can not!

E-Bay makes me nervous that there is no real repercussions of fraud. In the end, you can reinvent yourself, but frankly, I have heard of people becoming super sellers, then selling their statuses...

Where there''s a dollar bill, there''s a way...

Rivercity, any luck in finding a nice ring?

 

[diagem]

Date: 3/6/2007 11:27:48 AM
Author: Nicrez

Date: 3/6/2007 10:56:33 AM
Author: IndieJones
Why mention the highly regarded designer if they''re not going to say who it is?? It may look antique but it''s certainly not an antique, the invisible set trick is fairly new. I don''t know that it''s fraudulent, but I haven''t got a warm fuzzy feeling towards it.

Everyone''s right generally Princess cuts are not considered antique.

Actually invisible set is NOT new per se. It was seen in the Art Deco periord, seen in a lot of old Van Cleef jewelry, except the method was not as widespread, and only done by very exclusive jewelers. There is a groove made in each girdle of the square cut stones that fit together. Lots of stone breakage...It''s truly amazing to see it done where there is curve and movement in a piece. Craftsmens back then would take months per piece... Very true, I think Vc&a invented what they call Mystery Setting...back in the 30''s, but this setting was only applied to Colored Gemstones. And you are right, that amazing craftsmanship is barely around anymore these days...

My personal opinion, it''s a pretty looking ring, but if you want better quality, E-Bay is diffiult to assess because you can not see it before hand. Try a local antique seller in your area, or even a nicer pawn shop if you want older and a good deal. Good luck!

 

[pricescope]

Date: 3/6/2007 11:30:15 AM
Author: RockDoc

The term ''estate'' is widely mis-used by sellers. It''s sort of a ''fluff'' way of saying it was preowned. Estate doesn''t mean antique! This should be described as ''antique style motif, but made recently''.

Rockdoc

And we thought used car salesmen is the most creative one! Anybody heard of 10 yo Honda advertised as Estate? That would be some "fluff" RD

 

[Nicrez]

Craig''s List would then be THE Antique Shop of the Internet... LOL

about cars...here''s what I found: (looks like used car salesmen DO sell antiques...!)

The definition of "antique" of dictionary.com:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/antique

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
an·tique /ænˈtik/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[an-teek] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, noun, verb, -tiqued, -ti·quing.
–adjective
1. of or belonging to the past; not modern.
2. dating from a period long ago: antique furniture.
3. noting or pertaining to automobiles approximately 25 years old or more.
4. in the tradition, fashion, or style of an earlier period; old-fashioned; antiquated.
5. of or belonging to the ancient Greeks and Romans.
8. any work of art, piece of furniture, decorative object, or the like, created or produced in a former period, or, according to U.S. customs laws, 100 years before date of purchase.

 

[simplysplendid]

Hi, I don''t see anywhere in the seller''s description which claim that this ring is an antique. On the left hand side of the page they mention that they sell pre-owned, estate, vintage or antique jewelry and I don''t think they mention that this ring is an antique. So it is probably just pre-owned. You can probably email them to find out who the maker of the ring is. I just successfully won a ring from this seller at $300 and so far they have been quite responsive. I understand that my ring is being shipped at the moment, so I can''t provide any more feedback now until I get my ring.

When buying on ebay you just have to be careful.. there is definitely a difference between a "genuine antique", "estate/pre-owned antique style" or "antique style ring in a mint condition". Some sellers list canary, pink or blue diamonds which they claim to be "natural diamond" but did not mention that it has been enhanced. You only realised that these diamonds are enhanced when you go to their other listings on diamonds which are "natural with no enhancements".

Good luck and have fun! It can be quite fun on ebay but just remember to part with money that won''t hurt if you didn''t get what the seller claim you will be paying for.