Edwardian Engagement Rings... Help!

[doublek1229]

Hey everyone I am new to this forum and am in search of a little help / advice. I am 24 years old and looking to get an engagement ring for my girlfriend of 4 years. She really has her heart set on an edwardian ring. I saw some that I thought looked great on Fay Cullen for around $8,000 but after reading reviews I have no interest in buying from there. Any advice on the best most reputable places I should be looking or particular rings would be greatly appreciated. My price limit is really about $10,000 I am still in graduate school so don''t have a ton to spend. Thanks!

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Edwardian or just antique in general?

In either case.. I highly recommend Jewels By Erica Grace. I''ve tried on their rings and .. man are they gorgeous! I am currently working with them on sourcing an antique stone as well.

 

[gemdandy]

You might want to try www.ross-simons.com. Go the Estate tab, then click on rings. On the far left of the screen, you will see a search menu where you can search by era. I have a very pretty art deco ring from them, which I love

. (If I had a digital camera, I would post it.

)

Good luck!

 

[panda08]

Maybe something from: http://www.newyorkestatejewelry.com/ or http://www.melsantiquejewelry.com/ or www.singlestone.com?

 

[swingirl]

Here is another jeweler to look at. There are several styles of Edwardian rings so make sure you know what she likes. My ring (in my avatar) is Edwardian. You have a very nice budget! But you don't have to go that high to find a beautiful antique ring.

http://www.langantiques.com/category/10/5/item/10-1-2606/

http://www.langantiques.com/category/10/5/item/10-1-1895/

 

[doublek1229]

I found this... Ring

I was wondering what people thought of it... is it a good center diamond? Will you be able to see any flaws with it with the bare eye? Is this a good price for this ring? Thanks for the input!

 

[panda08]

Pretty ring but when you zoom into the stone, it looks like there are some visible inclusions on the table. I think you can do better with your budget.

Does your GF want an antique or would she be ok with a reproduction?

 

[swingirl]

Date: 2/21/2010 12:13:32 AM
Author: doublek1229
I found this... Ring

I was wondering what people thought of it... is it a good center diamond? Will you be able to see any flaws with it with the bare eye? Is this a good price for this ring? Thanks for the input!

1930s isn't Edwardian. Are you looking for a ring that is specifically from that period (~1900-1914) or other antique styles that you like.

 

[cara]

Is there a particular edwardian ring that she likes or just the styles of the period in general?

 

[doublek1229]

Thanks for all the responses so far, I don''t think she is 100% set on Edwardian I believe that she just likes the idea of "antique" like rings. Personally I looked at the Edwardian rings and liked the "Art Deco" styles a lot better. I know she wants a round center stone, and obviously bigger is better without compromising the quality to much. If you guys have any suggestions that would be great. Obviously I don''t want any inclusions that are visible to the eye. Thanks for all the help / suggestions!

 

[CharmyPoo]

I came across http://www.saturnjewels.com in NYC. Their workmanship was good and the prices were good too - from what I saw they were between $1000 to $2500. I need to go back adn take another look though because I was in a rush.

 

[Hest88]

I really love this one:
http://www.langantiques.com/category/10/4/item/10-1-2621/

Or if she likes a bit of blue:
http://www.langantiques.com/category/10/4/item/10-1-2606/

One thing to really consider, which many women neglect to do when they choose vintage e-rings, is how the wedding ring will fit. Rings before the 1950s were NOT designed to have a wedding ring fit flush against the e-ring so it means either a pronounced gap, or a curved w-ring that still won''t fit really flush, or moving the e-ring to the right hand after the wedding. Do make sure she''s considered that as well.

 

[tigerhearted]

Date: 2/21/2010 12:45:31 PM
Author: Hest88
One thing to really consider, which many women neglect to do when they choose vintage e-rings, is how the wedding ring will fit. Rings before the 1950s were NOT designed to have a wedding ring fit flush against the e-ring so it means either a pronounced gap, or a curved w-ring that still won''t fit really flush, or moving the e-ring to the right hand after the wedding. Do make sure she''s considered that as well.

I really can''t emphasize this enough! This is exactly the problem my fiance and I have been wrangling with for the past year with my Edwardian-style engagement ring. It''s something I really wish we''d thought of before we bought my e-ring. At this point, my e-ring is going to become a right-hand-ring and we''ll buy a wedding set.

 

[clgwli]

Date: 2/21/2010 12:45:31 PM
Author: Hest88
I really love this one:
http://www.langantiques.com/category/10/4/item/10-1-2621/

Or if she likes a bit of blue:
http://www.langantiques.com/category/10/4/item/10-1-2606/

One thing to really consider, which many women neglect to do when they choose vintage e-rings, is how the wedding ring will fit. Rings before the 1950s were NOT designed to have a wedding ring fit flush against the e-ring so it means either a pronounced gap, or a curved w-ring that still won''t fit really flush, or moving the e-ring to the right hand after the wedding. Do make sure she''s considered that as well.

I find this true of Edwardian but many art deco styles are not so bad for putting bands next to it. I have a ring from the 30s that sits perfectly next to a band. Some where around the late 20s to early 30s they started sitting flush better. WWII styles seem to be mostly matched sets from what I have seen.

I love Jewels by Erica Grace for what they offer. I''ve seen many things there I wish I could buy. I do have to toss out Ebay and looking for local estate sales. Both can give you amazing rings for a great price.

In general buying vintage pieces is tough IMO. You have to be patient to find what you want with the quality and price you want.

 

[doublek1229]

I really like This One

Any thoughts on that are appreciated? Would it be hard to find a band that could go with this ring? From what I know they are pretty good quality diamonds? Is it worth the price?

Thanks guys

 

[Mrs W]

Date: 2/21/2010 6:05:20 PM
Author: doublek1229
I really like This One

Any thoughts on that are appreciated? Would it be hard to find a band that could go with this ring? From what I know they are pretty good quality diamonds? Is it worth the price?

Thanks guys

That is a gorgeous setting but that center stone is a modern RB cut... are you just going after the look and not an actual edwardian ring? If that is the case then you should open your options to more settings from other designers and vendors.

 

[doublek1229]

I noticed K is "faint yellow" can you notice that color? Should I look for something with better color? Man this process is confusing

 

[doublek1229]

Mrs W.

It does not have to be edwardian. She really just likes the "antique" idea. I know she really wants a round cut center stone. I know a lot of them are replica''s of old ring''s which is fine by me. As long as it is the style she likes, I think she will love it. I just want to make sure I don''t buy something stupid... I have so much trouble figuring out what is most important of "The 4 C''s"

 

[Mrs W]

Ok, I get you now. K will be noticeably warm to the naked eye, I would suggest at least I and up for color if you are not sure what her preference in color is. THe most important "C" is Cut bc a good cut will make the diamond sparkle, if you have cut in line everything else will fall in place bc everything else is preference or budget.

Here are some gorgeous antique style settings:
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/beverley-k-jewelry/rings/79PP1/
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/beverley-k-jewelry/rings/105PP1/14/
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/beverley-k-jewelry/rings/97PP1/21/
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/beverley-k-jewelry/rings/111PP1/28/
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/beverley-k-jewelry/rings/82PP1/49/

I also happen to think that the 484 style Van Craeynest ring is beautiful and is something that you are looking for... example

 

[clgwli]

If you are not going for a genuine vintage piece I have to wholeheartedly agree that going with something like Beverly K (I particularly like the 2nd to last one) that the PP linked to would be a better idea.

If you aren''t looking for the older cut diamond as well as setting, you really need to get a great cut diamond. Cut is key.

And yes a K color is very noticeable. My personal range for sticking for colorless is up to about a G-H in color. For some I is okay but for others it is a bit much. However in a vintage piece having faint color is common. Ask your GF what she likes though before you proceed with a vintage inspired piece. They are similar but still different.

 

[winternight]

If she wants a round cut stone she knows that antique rings aren''t cut the same way as a modern brilliant cut, right? The sparkle is different. Another issue with vintage rings is some of them are a little fragile looking -- I say this because I was set on a vintage ring, but ended up somewhere different. The diamond district in NYC has a bunch of places that specialize in vintage rings and modern repos if you''re anywhere close by. I think another place is Israel Rose, but I haven''t purchased from them personally. I find Nelson''s pieces to be beautiful but their prices to be very high -- at least for something I way looking at recently.

 

[oldminer]

There are some further down the page from a very good guy I know pretty well.
http://www.martinpulli.com/subcategory.cfm?subcatid=189


This is a link to a really nice guy who is a B&M retailer who specializes in the Edardian engagement ring business.
http://www.artisansalcove.com/index.asp

They don''t have their inventory on-line, but he would be pleased to work with you.

Both of these firms are single person owned and have a very good track record for price and service. No, I will not get any commission.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Can you post some photos of (or the links to) the rings you liked at Fay Cullen?

Going back to vintage rings, here''s one I really like. I love the stone, actually:

1.28/J/SI1 (note how the faceting in this stone differs from the modern round brilliant you linked from Lang Antiques)

 

[LGK]

If you want a truly vintage ring, the way I did it for the two I have is I purchased the antique stone first, put it in a temporary setting, and hunted for an antique setting. It can be pretty hard to find the
"complete package" with a stone with the specs you want, and a setting you like. OldWorldDiamonds.com is a good source for antique cut diamonds- they have a huge selection, and it's all on hand and you can call them and ask them to evaluate a particular stone for you... they do have a *lot* of stones to wade through on their site, some with really poor cut, however. JewelsByEricaGrace.com has been mentioned above, they have a smaller hand picked selection and lovely stuff as well.

Antique settings have truly amazing workmanship, and can be very reasonably priced if you shop around and take your time looking. They're typically die struck, which makes them very detailed, and very strong and durable despite the delicacy. Piercing is also a lost art, and is gorgeous. The engraving done was also usually fabulous.

Van Craeynest does die struck, pierced settings- as far as I know they're the only place that does those techniques nowadays, but they're also quite pricey- as much as I've coveted their work, I've always ended up getting actual antique pieces with similar workmanship for a lot less. GreenlakeJewelery.com is a place that does the best modern engraving I've seen- it's comparable in quality to antique, and their prices are not that high for what they do.

For modern antique-style pieces, I'd probably say Van Craeynest is the closest in workmanship and technique to an actual vintage piece, and absolutely drop dead gorgeous work, but you do pay for it. Greenlake Jewelers is the one I'd go with myself. Beverly K pieces are really nice for the price- they're reasonable for ornate settings, and they have a great selection. I've seen a number of their rings in person and been quite impressed with the quality for the price- Pearlman's carries their settings. They'd be a close second IMO.

Good luck