Chip or natural?

[glitterata]

Old timers may recall my weird little eagle-claw pear-shaped diamond ring. It started life in the mid-19th century somewhere in Europe, probably, as a man''s cravatte pin. It features an eagle''s talon holding a little (about .30 ct????) old-cut pear-shaped diamond. Here''s a picture, on the tip of my ring finger for scale:

 

[glitterata]

Over the course of a century and a half (or perhaps more), the diamond has accumulated a number of chips. But there''s one big patch under the prong at the tip that''s either a large chip or a natural. I was wondering if anyone could figure out which? I took a bunch of pictures.

 

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Another pic:

 

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Another:

 

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Another:

 

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Another. I''m really just curious. There''s nothing I''ll do differently if it''s a chip vs. a natural; it''s not worth it to try to repair it, and it seems pretty secure in its setting.

 

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Another:

 

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Another:

 

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Hm, I guess those last two were pretty similar. Okay, one more:

 

[Richard Sherwood]

It''s got the look of a chip to me, Glitter.

 

[glitterata]

Thanks, Rich!

Are the patches of what look like big feathers actually the chip reflecting?

I''m planning to go on wearing the ring as it is. Do you think that''s a terrible idea? I figured the chip is too big to be repaired easily, and repairing it would probably cost more than the ring.

 

[Lorelei]

Its lovely G !

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Could you get a pic thru a loop?

cheers--Sharon

 

[Richard Sherwood]

If you''re talking about the "patches" on the opposite end of the diamond, I can''t see them that clearly on my monitor, but yes, those are probably reflections of the chipped area. They''re situated about right.

I think you should wear it all you want. I''m not sure I''d bother repairing it. A lot depends on the size of the stone and whether you would want to resell it in the future.

 

[glitterata]

Thanks, Rich, that''s what I thought. It''s a wee stone and no, I''m not planning on selling it--I love it, I can''t imagine who would buy it, and I certainly can''t imagine anyone offering me enough make it worth selling.

Sharon, I tried with the loupe, but the pics all came out much, much worse. No matter what I do, the camera wants to focus on the glass rather than the object behind it.