Bought it—dream of a diamond

[ksluice]

So I did it and pulled the trigger on a dream stone. Doing this meant letting go of a different ring I had on hold, one that I asked about and got great advice on from this site. With that ring/stone, I knew it was really beautiful— but I had to see in person before I would pull the trigger. So it shocked the crap out of me when I saw this stone, and it made me feel sick to think I had to stick with the other one.

It sounds insane to me, but I’ve purchased this one unseen IRL, and its going directly to CvB after the holiday weekend. There is a 7 day return policy on it, so if she rings warning bells on it, there is that safety net. I am posting it now here too, in case folks here want to ring warning bells. Everything I understand about diamonds and my preferences really has come the folks here, and it feels incomplete not to have your words and wisdom in my ears.

I’ve also asked Caysie to take some pictures when she gets it so I can share some better quality images, rather than just videos I cropped to anonymize. Hope these are enough to get your thoughts. Thank you!!

 

[ksluice]

@Dr_Diesel I keep looking at the post about your antique asscher, and wishing I had your sensibilities with these antique cuts. Would love to know if this one speaks to you like it does to me, even though its very different than the one you’re looking at.

 

[Karl_K]

you did good.
If its as good in person as in the vid its a winner.

 

[MillieLou]

No expert but I think it looks absolutely and completely gorgeous.

 

[Cerulean]

Oh my word
Speechless

this stone is DIVINE!!!!

 

[ksluice]

you did good.
If its as good in person as in the vid its a winner.

Could you hear my “Pfew!!!” all the way there? That is more reassuring coming from you than I can say!

Of course the vendor said the vids don’t capture how beautiful it is IRL, but we will see if Caysie thinks so, too.

 

[ksluice]

YAY!! Thank you @MillieLou and @Cerulean —that is so reassuring you think so too!!

 

[DejaWiz]

Holy moly that's a beautifully cut diamond!

 

[Karl_K]

Of course the vendor said the vids don’t capture how beautiful it is IRL, but we will see if Caysie thinks so, too.

I would agree just because it just one light environment where the real world is many and its a one eyed view, but if it looks that good in video there is a huge chance it will in person even more so.

 

[lulu_ma]

Congrats! Super excited for you!

My stone is from the same vendor and, though it looked promising in the video, it was even prettier irl

 

[Dr_Diesel]

@Dr_Diesel I keep looking at the post about your antique asscher, and wishing I had your sensibilities with these antique cuts. Would love to know if this one speaks to you like it does to me, even though its very different than the one you’re looking at.

Wow, wow, WOW!!! That is spectacular!!!

@ksluice ...you wish you had my sensibilities??? Right about now I'm wishing I had yours. THAT is a serious find!!!

Wanna trade ???? Mine is *Only* 2.1cts thought.

Agree with @Karl_K and almost everyone else here that you did VERY well. Congratulations!!! That is an heirloom piece!

And yes, of course Caysie knows her diamonds well! She works with some very fine cutters and is seemingly up to her eyeballs in extraordinary rocks on a daily basis. I believe she also loves antique stones, so I am confident that you are in good hands...AND that you have exquisite taste!!!!

Can't wait to see more pictures in the future!

Are you ready to reveal your design yet?

Oh, and is this a true antique or a modern "vintage" Asscher (like mine). I ask because the faceting looks very crisp and precise for a true antique.

 

[Dr_Diesel]

@ksluice ...may I ask who the vendor is? No need to disclose if you prefer not to. I'm just always curious about where to go on treasure hunts!

 

[ksluice]

Yay! Thank you so much @DejaWiz!

And that really helps my nerves to know that about this vendor @lulu_ma. I mean, one wants to believe them, but there can be all sorts of extenuating circumstances, like camera angles and certain lighting conditions. (Point taken @Karl_K). Oh, and I still remember that asscher you posted from LondonJeweller as a comp for the previous ring I was looking at. You perhaps planted a seed there that grew into this?

Believe me I totally defer to you on the asschers @Dr_Diesel! In fact, I would say, it’s wormholes resulting from your posts that made this stone seem so special to me—between your Octavia, what Distinctive Gems is doing, and then somewhere there was a link to the antique asscher style cuts Yoram has done? Somehow all of that just made this one leap out and grab me by the guts. And the stone was already sold when I first saw it, but that sale ended up falling through, and I saw that at just the right moment, so it also helps to tell oneself that fate interceded.

As for the ring design (so glad you asked) it’s starting with Caysie’s 3-stone Sienna because I can’t get over the Cadillac cuts from this example. Does this ring belong to a PSer?



But for the shank we’re going to do a 3-wire design, and I would like to see a bit more of a suggestion of a cathedral setting than in this version (I drew a line to show what I was thinking in this image and sort of colored in where I meant about the “cathedral” —even if it’s just engraved rather than an actual separation).



I am still back and forth about the prongs tho. I feel like maybe they’re too swoopy for this stone, and wondered if using a head more like this one from her Harper ring would be better? Happy to hear your thoughts or anyone else’s!!



As to whether it’s an antique: the vendor, who is Alex Park, has assured me that it is a true antique stone, and I have no doubt he was sold the stone as an antique and that he sees nothing to make him believe otherwise. And he certainly sees more antique stones than me, so he should know. Still, it isn’t as though most diamonds come with a provenance. That is why in previous thread I asked if what the GIA report says are extra facets might be chips? I asked Alex that question, and he said that this stone had a thicker girdle which helps prevent chips in that area and that the extra facets were likely in response to the rough—and there is one tiny little natural in the plot, so that made sense to me. Perhaps we will know more though once Caysie gets it and can take photos?

 

[Dr_Diesel]

Yay! Thank you so much @DejaWiz!

And that really helps my nerves to know that about this vendor @lulu_ma. I mean, one wants to believe them, but there can be all sorts of extenuating circumstances, like camera angles and certain lighting conditions. (Point taken @Karl_K). Oh, and I still remember that asscher you posted from LondonJeweller as a comp for the previous ring I was looking at. You perhaps planted a seed there that grew into this?

Believe me I totally defer to you on the asschers @Dr_Diesel! In fact, I would say, it’s wormholes resulting from your posts that made this stone seem so special to me—between your Octavia, what Distinctive Gems is doing, and then somewhere there was a link to the antique asscher style cuts Yoram has done? Somehow all of that just made this one leap out and grab me by the guts. And the stone was already sold when I first saw it, but that sale ended up falling through, and I saw that at just the right moment, so it also helps to tell oneself that fate interceded.

As for the ring design (so glad you asked) it’s starting with Caysie’s 3-stone Sienna because I can’t get over the Cadillac cuts from this example. Does this ring belong to a PSer?



But for the shank we’re going to do a 3-wire design, and I would like to see a bit more of a suggestion of a cathedral setting than in this version (I drew a line to show what I was thinking in this image and sort of colored in where I meant about the “cathedral” —even if it’s just engraved rather than an actual separation).



I am still back and forth about the prongs tho. I feel like maybe they’re too swoopy for this stone, and wondered if using a head more like this one from her Harper ring would be better? Happy to hear your thoughts or anyone else’s!!



As to whether it’s an antique: the vendor, who is Alex Park, has assured me that it is a true antique stone, and I have no doubt he was sold the stone as an antique and that he sees nothing to make him believe otherwise. And he certainly sees more antique stones than me, so he should know. Still, it isn’t as though most diamonds come with a provenance. That is why in previous thread I asked if what the GIA report says are extra facets might be chips? I asked Alex that question, and he said that this stone had a thicker girdle which helps prevent chips in that area and that the extra facets were likely in response to the rough—and there is one tiny little natural in the plot, so that made sense to me. Perhaps we will know more though once Caysie gets it and can take photos?

Haha! Mine is from Alex as well! Yeah, I would trust that it is an antique then. And I LOOOOVE that setting! I've been ogling the most recent incarnation of that ring on CvB's Instagram.

Personally, I claw prongs, especially on Asschers...and CvB's bench does them better than anyone else I've seen over the past 25 years. If you look through her IG account, you'll see they do many different styles of claw prongs. See what grabs you - and ask Caysie's opinion.

As for some of the smaller details, personally, I would let them come together organically. When we did the Octavia ring, I did fairly detailed renderings until I was satisfied and then turned it over to her and the team.

There was a point where I WANTED them to influence the design (and I am glad I did!!!).

I trust her implicitly...and she is a wonderful human being to boot!

Have you two worked together before?

 

[heididdl]

So I did it and pulled the trigger on a dream stone. Doing this meant letting go of a different ring I had on hold, one that I asked about and got great advice on from this site. With that ring/stone, I knew it was really beautiful— but I had to see in person before I would pull the trigger. So it shocked the crap out of me when I saw this stone, and it made me feel sick to think I had to stick with the other one.

It sounds insane to me, but I’ve purchased this one unseen IRL, and its going directly to CvB after the holiday weekend. There is a 7 day return policy on it, so if she rings warning bells on it, there is that safety net. I am posting it now here too, in case folks here want to ring warning bells. Everything I understand about diamonds and my preferences really has come the folks here, and it feels incomplete not to have your words and wisdom in my ears.

I’ve also asked Caysie to take some pictures when she gets it so I can share some better quality images, rather than just videos I cropped to anonymize. Hope these are enough to get your thoughts. Thank you!!

Just Wow.... This is really a gorgeous stone So glad you pulled the trigger

 

[Tourmaline]

It’s a stunning diamond!!!

 

[Cerulean]

Yay! Thank you so much @DejaWiz!

And that really helps my nerves to know that about this vendor @lulu_ma. I mean, one wants to believe them, but there can be all sorts of extenuating circumstances, like camera angles and certain lighting conditions. (Point taken @Karl_K). Oh, and I still remember that asscher you posted from LondonJeweller as a comp for the previous ring I was looking at. You perhaps planted a seed there that grew into this?

Believe me I totally defer to you on the asschers @Dr_Diesel! In fact, I would say, it’s wormholes resulting from your posts that made this stone seem so special to me—between your Octavia, what Distinctive Gems is doing, and then somewhere there was a link to the antique asscher style cuts Yoram has done? Somehow all of that just made this one leap out and grab me by the guts. And the stone was already sold when I first saw it, but that sale ended up falling through, and I saw that at just the right moment, so it also helps to tell oneself that fate interceded.

As for the ring design (so glad you asked) it’s starting with Caysie’s 3-stone Sienna because I can’t get over the Cadillac cuts from this example. Does this ring belong to a PSer?



But for the shank we’re going to do a 3-wire design, and I would like to see a bit more of a suggestion of a cathedral setting than in this version (I drew a line to show what I was thinking in this image and sort of colored in where I meant about the “cathedral” —even if it’s just engraved rather than an actual separation).



I am still back and forth about the prongs tho. I feel like maybe they’re too swoopy for this stone, and wondered if using a head more like this one from her Harper ring would be better? Happy to hear your thoughts or anyone else’s!!



As to whether it’s an antique: the vendor, who is Alex Park, has assured me that it is a true antique stone, and I have no doubt he was sold the stone as an antique and that he sees nothing to make him believe otherwise. And he certainly sees more antique stones than me, so he should know. Still, it isn’t as though most diamonds come with a provenance. That is why in previous thread I asked if what the GIA report says are extra facets might be chips? I asked Alex that question, and he said that this stone had a thicker girdle which helps prevent chips in that area and that the extra facets were likely in response to the rough—and there is one tiny little natural in the plot, so that made sense to me. Perhaps we will know more though once Caysie gets it and can take photos?

Ummm, this ring is going to be insanely beautiful. Puh-LEAZE inundate us with photos!

 

[Lookinagain]

gorgeous. can't wait to see what you do with it!

 

[gregchang35]

Congrats!!!! Wow!!!
I wanna upgrade!

 

[ksluice]

Haha! Mine is from Alex as well! Yeah, I would trust that it is an antique then.

HA! That is hilarious! And we both just have these darn IG videos we’re trying to scrutinize. Love it.

I haven’t worked with Caysie before, but I mentioned to her that it was reading your journey that made me especially want to reach out. I don’t have a lot experience with designing a ring like this, so knowing that she and her shop are not only amazing with craft, but that she is a careful listener and could get a sense of direction and go with with it, is really helpful. Also, she may have also used the word “delightful” about you.

 

[ksluice]

@heididdl —Thank you so much, and excuse the delay as I hunt down the thread for that asscher in your avatar!

@Tourmaline —Thank you for saying so and sharing my excitement about it!

@Cerulean — Thank you and you bet I will. I’m sure I’ll be asking for more advice along the way, and photos will be essential

@Lookinagain —Thank you! I am so excited to see how it turns out too!

@gregchang35 —Thank you, and please do. The more the merrier!

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

ksluice, what an incredible diamond and so much of it!! You could put that on your ankle, it's so large. Such a gorgeous diamond!
This is two antique Asschers in two days, both from Parks Fine Group. Where does he get these things??? He has diamonds I've never seen before, where do they come from? It's not like any other online diamond seller. He can't just call a manufacturer and ask, "Any new antique cuts?"
I've heard that the world's biggest diamond nine is in South Florida. Do the mortuaries have him on speeddial? I would love to understand something of the supply chain behind his incredible selection.

 

[ksluice]

You have me loling for sure— not a clue, but he does seem to have a great pipeline for antique cuts.

 

[mwilliamanderson]

Wow, that diamond even sparkles through the pavillion! Congratulations, I can’t wait to see what how you set it.

 

[ksluice]

Wow, that diamond even sparkles through the pavillion! Congratulations, I can’t wait to see what how you set it.

Thank you! It does seem SO sparkly! I can’t wait hear what Caysie thinks, and hopefully confirm its as good as these videos and lighting make it seem. After everyone’s comments, I am feeling pretty giddy about it all.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

Oh my goodness that is gorgeous! My jaw hit the floor when I saw it!

Fingers crossed for you! I'm looking forward to seeing the amazing finished ring on your finger!!!!

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

What a stunning diamond! I can't wait to see the finished ring.

 

[ksluice]

Thank you @RunningwithScissors and @Diamond Girl 21. I am grateful for everyone’s opinions, and for the fact that I think I’ve finally learned to enjoy the anticipation part. That said, I am still hoping I might have more photos/vids to share by then end of the week

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

I'm sitting here like a cave man, pounding my fists on the table yelling into my computer "hurry up hurry up I can't wait to see it!" LOL! I can't imagine how YOU feel waiting for this beauty to wrap up with Caysie and land on your finger!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Holy schmol, how'd I miss this one?!
You bought a crown jewel! I can't wait to see what this looks like in hand