Diamond Grading Help needed - New to diamonds

[oldworlddiamond]

I am new to this forum - please excuse me if my questions have been answered before.

I recently acquired a wedding ring and band set that may have been reset in the late 1950's. The center diamond is a 1.25+ carat diamond and have bee told that this diamond is "old european cut" approx., 100 years old. I may want to reset it again, but I need to have it appraised.
Questions:
Should I send it to one of the 3 diamond labs? Which would you recommend - GIA, AGS, EGL?
Should I not send it to one of the labs, but take it to an independent appraiser who has achieved certification from one of the above labs.

Any advise is much appreciated.

 

[SparklyOEC]

Just to make sure we're on the same page, sending the diamond to GIA, EGL or any lab will only provide certification for your diamond (that is confirmation of color, clarity, type of cut put simply). It does not give you a value for the diamond like an appraisal will although having a GIA certificate does, for whatever reason, add a little value.

If you want a piece of paper stating the approximate value of the diamond, then you may want to contact Dave Atlas who is an appraiser. I think you can find him here on PS. I'll see if I can find his contact info for you.

Personally, I sent my OEC to GIA and once I set it, then I got an appraisal for the whole piece.

On a completely separate note, do you have any pics?

Below is Dave Atlas' link.

ETA: http://www.datlas.com