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Are these green garnets?

J

Jkonauburn

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 25, 2021
Messages
8
Hi all, brand new person here looking for some help! I bought this ring at an estate sale about a year ago as I was mesmerized by the color. The ring is heavy (5.5g), quite ornate, stamped 10k and has a makers mark of "wing". Recently I dropped by a local jeweler and was expecting her to tell me that they are either tsavorites or demantoids, but instead was told they were just rhinestones. She is a certified gemologist so I didn't want to be rude and question her, but I just don't feel comfortable with her evaluation. Can anyone share your opinion based on these photos? I may want to sell it and don't want to undercut myself by a ridiculous amount if these are garnets THANK YOU!
Screenshot_20210625-215041.pngScreenshot_20210625-215129.pngScreenshot_20210625-212921.pngScreenshot_20210625-215022.png
 
There is just no way to tell by a picture, could be anything.

Go to a gemologist, many mom and pop (generations of family owned) higher end jewelry boutiques have them. You wil have to pay for the service, but that is the way to go. Sending it to a lab would even be more expensive.
 
Did the jeweller test the stones at all? It’s unusual for somebody to say rhinestones/glass etc unless pretty sure they are.
 
LD said:
Did the jeweller test the stones at all? It’s unusual for somebody to say rhinestones/glass etc unless pretty sure they are.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how she made the determination. It just doesn't make sense to me that someone would put rhinestones in such a heavy gold setting. I guess I'll take it by somewhere else for a "second opinion"
 
If you paid the first gemologist for her evaluation - it’s not rude to ask questions and expect clarity of explanation in their findings.
Show a pic of the underside of the ring?

I’m not sure I agree that someone wouldn’t set rhinestones in a 10k ‘heavy’ setting.
I think it’s worth asking her again (for a fee) or paying someone else. Especially if you wish to sell for more than you paid.
 
These look like synthetic stones to me, too. If they were tsavorite of that quality, they would not have been set in such low carat gold. They lack the crispness of tsavorite and look synthetic. It’s nowhere near the color of demantoid.
 
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I too would be very surprised if they’re garnets, and not at all surprised if they’re synthetics of some sort, or glass. But there’s no knowing from the picture.
 
Could be anything really. Hard to make any type of guess based on a picture. Can only say that even in 10K you can get glass. heck even at 14K, same! so IMO they need to be tested to ensure what they really are.
 
It looks like the 10k plating is wearing off, as you can see the base metal around the stones. It would be strange to set real stones in a costume ring. But vintage rhinestone pieces are very cool, as are the paste rings that preceded them. Can you get a shot of the hallmarks? Wondering who the maker was.
 
Unfortunately, not all gemologists are familiar with the myriad of colored gems out there. I suggest you seek a gemological laboratory.

As to what they could be, it’s impossible to tell from a photo. If the ring is mid century however, it’s unlikely they’re tsavorite, as they were discovered in 1967. Even then, they were very few and far between at jewelers. It seemed as only Tiffany & Co carried them. It wasn’t like you could walk in any store and get a tsavorite ring.
 
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Rfisher said:
If you paid the first gemologist for her evaluation - it’s not rude to ask questions and expect clarity of explanation in their findings.
Show a pic of the underside of the ring?

I’m not sure I agree that someone wouldn’t set rhinestones in a 10k ‘heavy’ setting.
I think it’s worth asking her again (for a fee) or paying someone else. Especially if you wish to sell for more than you paid.
Click to expand...

Here's a pic of the underside. And thanks for the advice, I think I will go by another store and pay for a second opinion, but also knowing that rhinestones wouldn't be that uncommon makes me feel better!
 
IMG_20210626_110016_754.jpg
 
westofhere said:
It looks like the 10k plating is wearing off, as you can see the base metal around the stones. It would be strange to set real stones in a costume ring. But vintage rhinestone pieces are very cool, as are the paste rings that preceded them. Can you get a shot of the hallmarks? Wondering who the maker was.
Click to expand...

That is just because this camera didn't catch the color very well, the gold is definitely not wearing off and it is solid :)
 
Sorry—meant a pic of the hallmarks, if you can get it
 
I’m afraid that ring is only gold plated - you can see where the plating has worn off on the underside. I noticed on the side too in your initial photo but thought it might just need cleaning. What stamps does it have on the ring. As it’s plated it’s highly likely to be costume jewellery I’m afraid.
 
As you know from visiting antique stores, sometimes costume is worth more than 10k. Hopefully it’s from a desirable brand; there are vintage Trifari rhinestone rings, for example, that can fetch quite a bit, such as this one, which displays the same plate metal wear and basemetal color:

www.ebay.com

STUNNING AND BEAUTIFUL CROWN TRIFARI SIGNED CLUSTER RING WITH COLORED STONES | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for STUNNING AND BEAUTIFUL CROWN TRIFARI SIGNED CLUSTER RING WITH COLORED STONES at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
Last one! These listings make me want to hit up estate sales:

This item is unavailable - Etsy

Find the perfect handmade gift, vintage & on-trend clothes, unique jewelry, and more… lots more.
www.etsy.com www.etsy.com
 
I don't think the discoloration is plating wearing off. I think it's just tarnish. 10K gold does tarnish, because there's not all that much gold in the alloy. I have plenty of tarnished Victorian 9K jewelry. It should clean up easily with one of those jewelry or silver polishing cloths.
 
I agree that the stones could be anything and it's impossible to tell from the photos. Stones in older jewellery pieces are often replaced with cheaper alternatives for one reason or another, and it's never safe to assume gemstone qualities based on the metal of the setting. I was just looking at an early 1900s 18k gold ring that had its diamond swapped for a CZ at some point in its life (pity!), a short while ago.

You definitely need to have a professional jeweller look at it again, if you weren't paying the gemologist for a service and can't get more detailed explanation from her. A trained in-store gemologist should be able to tell if they are gemstones or glass just by studying them with a loupe, and a gem tester machine such as the Presidium one would be useful as well even operated by a non-professional (to tell if these are glass or not).

The discolouration can definitely be tarnishing, which can be quite stubborn on vintage and antique low carat gold (9k and 10k) items. If the tarnish shines up with a good polishing cloth, that would be a good sign. Can you post a picture of the hallmarks as well?
 
LD said:
I’m afraid that ring is only gold plated - you can see where the plating has worn off on the underside. I noticed on the side too in your initial photo but thought it might just need cleaning. What stamps does it have on the ring. As it’s plated it’s highly likely to be costume jewellery I’m afraid.
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That is just a trick if the bad camera as I can assure you there are no spots of gold rubbing off. It is stamped 10k and has been acid tested as well as an interesting makers mark that says "wing".
 
Jkonauburn said:
Sorry, the 10k is upside down IMG_20210626_132740_881.jpgIMG_20210626_132803_468.jpg
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That looks legit to me for US gold mark, although I'm not too familiar with US hallmarks. Do you think think the letters (maker's mark?) could be "WIN" instead of "WING"? I've done a quick search on both but no luck yet.

And that's good that it's been acid test verified for gold content.
 
glitterata said:
I don't think the discoloration is plating wearing off. I think it's just tarnish. 10K gold does tarnish, because there's not all that much gold in the alloy. I have plenty of tarnished Victorian 9K jewelry. It should clean up easily with one of those jewelry or silver polishing cloths.
Click to expand...

I agree
I recently discovered an old ring in mum's stuff i thought was really dirty brass but when i cleaned it i found a 9K stamp and it was rose gold (mid century or a bit earlier, probably set with a piece of glass that looks a bit like pink tourmaline)
 
Jkonauburn said:
Hi all, brand new person here looking for some help! I bought this ring at an estate sale about a year ago as I was mesmerized by the color. The ring is heavy (5.5g), quite ornate, stamped 10k and has a makers mark of "wing". Recently I dropped by a local jeweler and was expecting her to tell me that they are either tsavorites or demantoids, but instead was told they were just rhinestones. She is a certified gemologist so I didn't want to be rude and question her, but I just don't feel comfortable with her evaluation. Can anyone share your opinion based on these photos? I may want to sell it and don't want to undercut myself by a ridiculous amount if these are garnets THANK YOU!
Screenshot_20210625-215041.pngScreenshot_20210625-215129.pngScreenshot_20210625-212921.pngScreenshot_20210625-215022.png
Click to expand...

Its such a pretty ring i hope the stones are real

but its still a really pretty ring regardless
Do you have family history with this ring ?
 
Daisys and Diamonds said:
I recently discovered an old ring in mum's stuff i thought was really dirty brass but when i cleaned it i found a 9K stamp and it was rose gold (mid century or a bit earlier, probably set with a piece of glass that looks a bit like pink tourmaline)
Click to expand...

Yes these old 9k rosies can really look like brass/copper before a good clean! I find it so frustrating lol.

Daisys and Diamonds said:
Its such a pretty ring i hope the stones are real

but its still a really pretty ring regardless
Do you have family history with this ring ?
Click to expand...

I think OP says they bought it at an estate sale a year ago. I'm really curious to find out what the stones are as well.

@Jkonauburn I guess another thing you can look for is if there are any signs of wear on the stones, such as abrasions or chips on the facet edges and points. Both tsavorites and demantoids (and especially tsavorites) are fairly durable stones, so there shouldn't be a ton of wear for a vintage to modern ring, whereas glass rhinestones are much more likely to end up with a bunch of tiny chips when worn in a ring, plus the chips would just look...glassy once you get used to identifying it.

I actually think it kind of looks like a setting that they'd put red garnets in...I know it's 10k American but the back quite resembles some of the German/Austrian vintage (silver) garnet rings I've seen. Very pretty.
 
goldnsilver said:
I actually think it kind of looks like a setting that they'd put red garnets in...I know it's 10k American but the back quite resembles some of the German/Austrian vintage (silver) garnet rings I've seen. Very pretty.
Click to expand...

That’s intriguing, b/c the Austrians produced crystal “gems” (Swarovski being the most famous maker), even as the Czechs produced glass rhinestones!
 
A Presidum gem tester (most pawnbrokers / many jewellers have one) can at least tell you if the gems are glass.
Gem testers work on thermal dispersion and while they cannot distinguish lab grown material from earth found, they can at least seperate glass/cz from everything else.
 
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