antique diamond rings london - suggestions?

[whatsunique]

Hi all,

many thanks in advance to whoever can help me out with this.

I love antique diamond rings, many kinds depending on their own qualities, incl. old mine and early 1900''s - my finance and I want to select something that is unique and that we love, but I don''t want be taken for a ride. Are there any suggestions for known, reputable antique diamond ring sellers in London?

I have been to a couple of stores and looked online. One jeweller, with some fairly expensive pieces (I am very taken by a ring of GBP 7.5k in central but he sells others at higher prices) is very defensive when I ask for information on the "4C''s", suggesting that I was not looking at the ring as an individual piece of art (which I do) and baulked at the idea that I would want to get it professionally appraised by another if he would not offer this information. I know there is subjectivity in valuations, but what dealers will provide sufficient information so that we are comfortable the price is in the right ball-park? And are there any online antique dealers which are reputable and recommended?


any help ... much thanks

 

[Indira-London]

The standards for cutting diamonds and grading have evolved over the years and modern standards of cut quality and grading simply would not apply to many antique diamonds. Hence, antique dealers are not the best place to buy/sell based on 4Cs - they buy/sell based on art/history/outlook of individual pieces of jewellery.

 

[Maisie]

Berganza have some lovely pieces. They are in Hatton Garden but you can view their jewellery online. www.berganza.com

 

[whatsunique]

Thank you to you both - have just been looking at the berganza website recommended and there are some beautiful looking pieces on there.

I guess I never expected to apply 4C''s with any rigour to an antique piece, but would like some comfort that the value being asked is appropriate for the stone and the craftsmanship. How do I get this comfort? I expect we must look across a number of dealers, and homework and comparison of the rings we most love will be the answer.

 

[Rhea]

I like Friar House.

There are a couple of older stone fanatics on here who can give a bit more information. Ericad and heartingdiamonds recently started their own business on their love of antique stones and pop in sometimes to give information. When I was shopping I found a thread by Crown that was helpful. You might be able to dig it up.

 

[oldmancoyote]

Date: 10/22/2008 11:49:25 AM
Author: whatsunique
Thank you to you both - have just been looking at the berganza website recommended and there are some beautiful looking pieces on there.

I guess I never expected to apply 4C's with any rigour to an antique piece, but would like some comfort that the value being asked is appropriate for the stone and the craftsmanship. How do I get this comfort? I expect we must look across a number of dealers, and homework and comparison of the rings we most love will be the answer.

You are absolutely right. As with any other truly antique item, they tend to be "one of a kind"; while there will be a relationship between colour, clarity and size of the stones and price, it may be a fairly tenuous one. Design quality, rarity, signature and craftsmanship all have their own price, very different from the fairly transparent and "commoditised" market for most modern jewelry.

For top quality antique jewellery in London, the following may be worth a look at. As far as I know they don't really deal online, but they all have websites, sometimes with prices, and almost never with their whole stock!:

Hancocks
Sandra Cronan
Peter Edwards
Bentley & Skinner
S.J. Phillips

Also - check out the other jewellery stores in Burlington Arcade and in Gray's Antiques Market. You need to be a lot more careful, but prices are lower, and many dealers under the same roof makes for easy comparisons.

Good luck with your hunt!