Common Reproduction Designs

[Circe]

This thread is dedicated to the lady at the local flea market who tried to tell me that her three stone diamond ring surrounded by calibre-cut rubies was, a) genuine deco, and, b) well-priced. Something about it seemed wrong to me - the stones were too modern for the setting, the metalwork a little clunky by the standards of old craftsmanship - so I passed. Which is good, since here it is in sapphire (and with period appropriate stones) for the same money.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-ART...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I'm noticing more and more of this - good quality reproduction pieces featuring the calibre stones that used to be a dead tell of authentic workmanship. I like the increased accessibility ... the problem is that a lot of dealers aren't disclosing that their pieces are reproductions! To be fair, they may or may not know themselves. But, for the sake of transparency and education ... I figure this might be a good place to post some examples.

P.S. - Past Era had a blog post about this recently, apparently (I stumbled across it when I was looking for target rings, and it stuck in my head) - worth perusing, if you're interested in some of the "tells" beyond just spotting the ones with dopplegangers.

Part 1: http://www.pasterablog.com/past-era...-temptation-that-is-reproductions-part-1.html

Part 2: http://www.pasterablog.com/past-era-antique-jewelry-blog/target-rings-and-reproductions-part-2.html

Part 3: http://www.pasterablog.com/past-era-antique-jewelry-blog/reproduction-target-rings-part-3.html

 

[Circe]

Here's another set - these guys are being conscientiously described as "inspired" by the seller, but I've seen similar ones in other places that aren't.

 

[arkieb1]

I agree most of your target rings are copies with an Old Stone if you are lucky, set in the middle, some have modern cuts in the centre. We have even worse ones popping up here in Australia, they are cutting old Cut diamonds in Asia as well and putting them in them and they are all hideously shallow to make the centre stones appear larger so limited sparkle and quite smucky light return....

Anyway there are genuine ones out there, but I know you were looking for a genuine target setting only - this is very rare to find they are almost always repo unless they are whole rings centre and setting together.

I have seen a few P/S people lately pulling apart their genuine Antique rings - ones I often think are marvellous and putting the centre diamond in a new setting and selling the original setting for lowish prices and I think why the hell would you do that, it's almost criminal - if they knew how difficult & scarce some of these beautiful settings are to find.... but I guess each to their own, it makes me sad thinking about it.

 

[Circe]

Hah! That explains this 10mm 1 carat stone in what I assumed must be a repro (this dealer carries a lot of gorgeous looking vintage style pieces with unusually good workmanship - seriously, I would love the name of her bench!), but I could not for the life of me figure out what was up with that stone ... in that period, they would have known to foil the back!

And I know what you mean about seeing vintage pieces dismantled ... while I'm hypothetically on-board with, say, doing what needs to be done to keep heirlooms wearable (if great-grand-mamma's doorknocker is too unwieldy but has great sentimental value, sure, putting it in a simple bezel might help), I really cringe when I see antiques being bought just to be dismantled. It's one short step above buying antiques for scrap. And given that the techniques to craft these have in many cases either been lost or grown unrealistically expensive in terms of both training and time for them to be recreated ... sadness.

On a slight tangent ... I just took an old die-stamped platinum setting I had to be adapted for a larger stone (don't worry, it came without, as somebody had already scavenged its center), and my custom guy waxed rhapsodic over it in a way I can't quite recall him ever doing previously. Apparently, twenty years ago, he worked with one of the last places in NY to do die-stamping: he says it's a lost art, and that it's a shame, given, a) what they could achieve aesthetically, and, b) the way they hold up. His theory was that we need to basically have government subsidies to keep them alive as part of our heritage, not to mention as a long-term investment in artistry and technique, qualities which can't be outsourced.

And then we both sighed sadly, knowing what the odds on that were ....

 

[chrono]

Circe,
Do you think that 10 mm 1 carat diamond is some sort of a rose-cut derivation with a flat back and heavier crown, hence it has greater spread?

 

[SB621]

Hah! That explains this 10mm 1 carat stone in what I assumed must be a repro (this dealer carries a lot of gorgeous looking vintage style pieces with unusually good workmanship - seriously, I would love the name of her bench!), but I could not for the life of me figure out what was up with that stone ... in that period, they would have known to foil the back!

And I know what you mean about seeing vintage pieces dismantled ... while I'm hypothetically on-board with, say, doing what needs to be done to keep heirlooms wearable (if great-grand-mamma's doorknocker is too unwieldy but has great sentimental value, sure, putting it in a simple bezel might help), I really cringe when I see antiques being bought just to be dismantled. It's one short step above buying antiques for scrap. And given that the techniques to craft these have in many cases either been lost or grown unrealistically expensive in terms of both training and time for them to be recreated ... sadness.
On a slight tangent ... I just took an old die-stamped platinum setting I had to be adapted for a larger stone (don't worry, it came without, as somebody had already scavenged its center), and my custom guy waxed rhapsodic over it in a way I can't quite recall him ever doing previously. Apparently, twenty years ago, he worked with one of the last places in NY to do die-stamping: he says it's a lost art, and that it's a shame, given, a) what they could achieve aesthetically, and, b) the way they hold up. His theory was that we need to basically have government subsidies to keep them alive as part of our heritage, not to mention as a long-term investment in artistry and technique, qualities which can't be outsourced.

And then we both sighed sadly, knowing what the odds on that were ....

Be still my heart....

 

[alh56]

Hello! I'm hoping to ressurect this 10 year old thread to see if anyone saved a copy of the articles from Past Era that Circe referenced. I would love to read them but the blog is gone and I can't seem to pull it up in the wayback machine.

Thank you in advance for any help...and happy holidays!

This thread is dedicated to the lady at the local flea market who tried to tell me that her three stone diamond ring surrounded by calibre-cut rubies was, a) genuine deco, and, b) well-priced. Something about it seemed wrong to me - the stones were too modern for the setting, the metalwork a little clunky by the standards of old craftsmanship - so I passed. Which is good, since here it is in sapphire (and with period appropriate stones) for the same money.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-ART-DECO-PLATINUM-DIAMOND-SAPPHIRE-RING-/231105372090?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35cef41fba&nma=true&si=X6CqO6NXS09gOzFO0yLKmBqFrsM%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I'm noticing more and more of this - good quality reproduction pieces featuring the calibre stones that used to be a dead tell of authentic workmanship. I like the increased accessibility ... the problem is that a lot of dealers aren't disclosing that their pieces are reproductions! To be fair, they may or may not know themselves. But, for the sake of transparency and education ... I figure this might be a good place to post some examples.

P.S. - Past Era had a blog post about this recently, apparently (I stumbled across it when I was looking for target rings, and it stuck in my head) - worth perusing, if you're interested in some of the "tells" beyond just spotting the ones with dopplegangers.

Part 1: http://www.pasterablog.com/past-era...-temptation-that-is-reproductions-part-1.html

Part 2: http://www.pasterablog.com/past-era-antique-jewelry-blog/target-rings-and-reproductions-part-2.html

Part 3: http://www.pasterablog.com/past-era-antique-jewelry-blog/reproduction-target-rings-part-3.html

 

[Betty Baguette]

Antique?:

Antique Old European Cut Diamond Emerald Ring Ref: 786442

circa 1910 This antique engagement ring is handcrafted in platinum. The ring features a sparkly and very clean Old European cut diamond surrounded by a halo […]

romanovrussia.com

 

[glitterata]

Be still my heart....

I'm friends with Circe (who doesn't post here much these days). I'll ask her if she has the articles. Unlikely, but worth a shot.

 

[alh56]

I'm friends with Circe (who doesn't post here much these days). I'll ask her if she has the articles. Unlikely, but worth a shot.

Thank you!!