antique engagement rings

[antiquediamond]

Just recently, after months of searching malls and jewelers buildings and looking at rings w/ my bf in the $4-5,000 price range, I finally saw the type of ring that I want in an antique jewelry store. It was an old european cut round and the setting had 8 prongs, making the ring look square and much bigger than .37 that it was. It was a J VVS1 and only $950. The problem was it was set in gold, and we were really looking at more along the lines of .75+white gold or platinum. My questions: how safe is it really to buy an antique ring? Are they certified? Is J european from the 1940s different from what''s out there today? I want him to buy the diamond online, but he''s a little concerned that we won''t get what we pay for. You know, give them your credit card w/o seeing the diamond in person; the shop closes down the next day after getting your money. His concerns are reasonable, but the rings I''ve seen online seem to offer amazing deals. Please help us out w/ our many questions and concerns. kl

 

[Ginny]

Hi!
Have you checked out faycullen.com ? They have antique settings with old cut diamonds, but also a lot of reproductions that are unset. Then you could find your own diamond to suit. Yes, the old cuts are quite different. Probably not as sparkly, but some will say they have their own charm. If you're worried about buying online, read some old posts and you'll see there are several vendors on pricescope who have excellent reputations.
HTH
Virginia

 

[NagsHead]

Hi there! I also wanted an antiquey looking setting, but I knew I wanted a round brilliant cut well so that it had maximum sparkle and brilliance. Without my knowing, my fiance chose an amazing setting from Fay Cullen, platinum, but looks very much antique. Then together we chose the most amazing stone, Barry at Superbcert.com helped us with that. The stone and the setting are perfect together, the best of both worlds I like to think. We were nervous about doing everything online when we started, but after spending some time with the kind people (experts I should say) on this forum, we went ahead and did it. It was the best decision, we got an amazing stone at an amazing price. There are many reputable sites that are discussed on this forum for both settings and stones. Best of luck! I am still trying to find a digital camera to post some pics of my ring!!

 

[Hest88]

If you get an OEC, you're going to make a number of women here really jealous. I'm going to bump up a recent thread entitled "Fay Cullen" something that has pictures of an OEC vs. an OMC vs. a rose cut.

 

[antiquediamond]

Thanks for all your help. There is something really special about the OEC's. What about the J color though...why is it measured by a different standard? What, if any letter does that compare to by modern standards. Since I want white gold or platinum, I definitely want a clean white diamond. Also, why are the antiques so much less $$ when they come w/ such stunning settings included in the price. Seems too good to be true...

 

[TheDiamondangel]

Where are you located (statewise)?

There are a precious few diamond dealers on line that will allow you to review the ring/stone prior to plunking down your money or even credit card number. You may be able to find one with the help of some of the experts.

A stone that is represented as a "J from the 1940's" is still a J...chances are that the color was recently checked. Also, a J european cut or an old mine cut is going to look a little whiter than a modern J because those old cuts hide their body color very well. If you find a ring that you are in love with, have it appraised by an independant appraiser prior to purchase if possible. A good seller will allow you to have the ring sent directly to the appraiser prior to purchase.

Good luck!

 

[winyan]

I agree totally with DA and Hest...I own a OMC .97 G vvs stone, and it looks as white as a D. It just hides any color it might have at all wonderfully.

I also have seen a Transition cut that's about a carat and 1/2 that is absolutely droolable...as well as a 2 1/2 carat OMC, that I would grab if I had the $$. The owner wants to get it recut into a modern brilliant...waaaah!

win

 

[Hest88]

Winyan, has that jeweler been in touch with ppl who specialize in older cuts? Old Miner, perhaps, or other jewelers who specialize in estate jewelry? I know there's a small but dedicated group out there who should be intested in a largish OMC.

 

[Hest88]

Oh, and have you seen some of the beauties here?
http://www.estatediamondjewelry.com/44973/212115/1/17735/catalog_items.htm

 

[Hest88]

Oops, sorry, I got side-tracked.

Antique, the reason you can get them relatively cheaply is pure economics. Antique rings are still not sought after enough and antique diamonds are undervalued. So, you can get a much larger diamond for your money than if you bought a modern ring--unless you go to one of those Beverly Hills antique jewelers.

 

[antiquediamond]

I'm located in the Boston area. Thanks everyone. A few more ?s...

Cut is really confusing. Could someone send along what the table, girdle, and all that other stuff should be when buying a good OEC.

Also, do you think we could get a .6 or better OEC w/ a white gold or platinum setting for less than $3,000.

I'd love to know of any reputable antique jewelry stores in Mass. or NH.

This site is great, spending waaaay to much time here though!!

 

[glitterata]

The person you need to get in touch with is Dave Atlas, who posts on this board as Old Miner. He's the resident antique stone expert & can point you in the right direction. Search for his posts and/or send him a message.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a nice antique ring that fits your budget.

 

[Hest88]

I second the Dave Atlas (Old Miner) recommendation. You can *probably* get a ring of that size for under $3K, depending on how nice the setting is, but he's really the man to talk to. The problem with the older settings, though, come about with how picky your are. Dave helped me find my OMC--it was from a ring they actually had on consignment--but it took me forever to find a setting I liked. It's sort of like having to scour vintage clothing stores for a perfect dress. Since I never found a suitable semi-mount in the 6 months I possessed the unset stone, I ended up having it set in a new setting.