european cut diamond sources in bay area?

[ringster]

hi,

thanks to everyone who has been so helpful so far. i''ve realized that i have been going about this whole process the wrong way and have spent the past few days reassessing. instead of looking at settings i am going to focus on the actual diamond and once i have selected one then i will take a look at the settings. i''m making myself crazy looking for both at the same time.

sooo, all of this running around has been useful as i think i now know what type of cut i like. i would like to get a european cut diamond - a diamond with a history. i live in the bay area and would like to know if anyone has suggestions on a place here that sources these? a place that has the diamond loose. i went to lang antiques and have them as a resource but they seem to mostly sell the whole package (diamond and setting) and many times i like the diamond but not the setting and vice versa.

also, i will be going to LA during thanksgiving and will see if singlestone is open for appointment while i am there.

thanks for you help!

 

[surfgirl]

Gus Farber & Dan Tenenbaum Appraisers & Buyers

210 Post Street
Suite 1021
San Francisco, CA 94108

Contact
(415) 781-1144

 

[neatfreak]

You''ve already been to Lang''s right? There is a store in Napa (well really in St. Helena) called Patina that has gorgeous old stones. But most of them are already in rings, at least what they have on display...

 

[ringster]

thanks surfgirl and neatfreak! i''ll check out gus and dan. if you think of any others pls let me know.

 

[surfgirl]

FYI, Dan's daughter has/had a shop down in SoCal where I bought my wedding band from and she also specializes in spectacular vintage and antique pieces. This is her father and IIRC, she sourced a few loose stones for me to see when I was looking for my ering. They were lovely stones and I understand loose old cuts are his specialty so do let me know how it goes. I've never been to him but there is a PSer who's purchased a significant stone from him (I'm not going to say who out of privacy) and they have very good taste so I'm sure he'll have some wonderful things for you to look at. Also, if it sets your mind at ease, I think he has loose old stones that have GIA paperwork so you might also ask to see both cert'd and non-cert'd stones....

Good luck and take your camera with you in case you see something that you want our opinion on...!

 

[ringster]

thanks surfgirl for the tip - really appreciate it! i just figured out how to use the macro feature on my digital camera so will hopefully be able to take some pics.

will keep you posted...

 

[IHeartOldCuts]

ACCKK!! Lucky you! I lloovve jewelry shopping!

 

[ringster]

so i stopped by at gus and dan''s TODAY and spoke with a guy who works there named roger. he was really friendly and nice. they didn''t really have many oec stones at the moment that i was interested in. i had stopped by lang (3rd trip this week to look at THE ring of interest - aahhhhh!) to look at the ring that i had been debating on and man, that diamond at lang has such a great cut, the ones i did see at gus and dan''s did not hold a candle to the one i saw at lang''s. but the lang diamond was too yellow (L color) and it really would bother me after awhile. although - when i looked at it outside you could hardly see the yellow. i did try to take some pics but the yellow shows up and the pics aren''t that great. it reminded me a bit of surfgirl''s ring except a smaller yellower version. i think i am going to have to print out a pic of surfgirl''s ring and show all of salespeople -- "this is the type of diamond i am looking for!". surfgirl - you have a real beauty!

i''m off this weekend to diane''s old and new / hillsborough antique show / and hopefully m. lowe in berkeley. i''ll prob also stop by mansoor and gore in palo alto just because it''s where i got my beverly k floral band from and i always like to check out what they have -- never know! i ruled out darren mcclung b/c i don''t think i can afford his stuff and i am really not interested in a huge rock.

if anyone has any other suggestions for OEC loose stone sources in bay area or antique rings w/ oec stones please let me know!

 

[surfgirl]

Thanks for the kind compliment ringster! I'm blushing.... If you like my stone, I'm pretty sure that you want to be asking for a Transitional Cut or an OEC with excellent symmetry. Mine is like the best of the OEC (chunky facets and open culet) and the symmetry of a RB (bigger table and shorter crown/pavillion as compared to the OECs which have longer, steeper crowns/pav's).

If you're not adverse to a short trip, I'd call Ari and Single Stone in LA and see if he can bring in a selection of stones in the color range you'd like. FYI, most of the stones I saw when I was at his place in May were J and lower in color, with many being M color. A lot of people over the years have brought in stones with lower color grading and jewelers (who should have been publicly flogged!) recommended they re cut their stones to make the color higher and whiter, hence so many old cuts being lower colors. The higher colored ones are hard to come by but they ARE around.

If you're going to be in the NYC area, Michael Goldstein is "the" go to guy for old cuts and he supplies many old cut dealers out in CA too. If you dont find anything in SF or LA, I'd call Michael and see what he has and take a trip to NYC. There are many places there you can see old cuts... Israel Rose (unkind return policy though), Rau Antiques, La Vielle a Russe, etc.

I'm a bit surprised that Dan didn't have more selection but maybe you should call him and talk to him directly on Monday? I know he has a brother I think, in Houston, who also deals in antique stones so maybe you can ask if he can call in stones for you. Then again, he's probably calling in stones from Michael Goldstein so if you can swing it, might as well go to the source!

ETA: Do you have a budget you can share with us and is this an ering you're looking for? I wasn't clear. If you DO come to LA to see Ari, I'd also suggest you come to La Jolla and go to H. Moradi, where I got my ring. I was just there the other day and they have several nice old cuts right now though I dont know the price/size range. You might call them and ask, see how much inventory they have and decide if it's worth going down there too. Ask for Pauline or Hossein...

ETA2: Double DUH! I see you WILL be in LA for TDay...Definitely make an appt with Ari and give him at least two weeks to call in stones for you so he can bring in whatever he can for your visit. Make sure you tell him you're coming down from SF, and call him a week or so before you get there and remind him! I'd do the same with H. Moradi too!

 

[ringster]

Date: 11/3/2007 2:06:53 PM
Author: surfgirl
Thanks for the kind compliment ringster! I'm blushing.... If you like my stone, I'm pretty sure that you want to be asking for a Transitional Cut or an OEC with excellent symmetry. Mine is like the best of the OEC (chunky facets and open culet) and the symmetry of a RB (bigger table and shorter crown/pavillion as compared to the OECs which have longer, steeper crowns/pav's).


If you're not adverse to a short trip, I'd call Ari and Single Stone in LA and see if he can bring in a selection of stones in the color range you'd like. FYI, most of the stones I saw when I was at his place in May were J and lower in color, with many being M color. A lot of people over the years have brought in stones with lower color grading and jewelers (who should have been publicly flogged!) recommended they re cut their stones to make the color higher and whiter, hence so many old cuts being lower colors. The higher colored ones are hard to come by but they ARE around.


If you're going to be in the NYC area, Michael Goldstein is 'the' go to guy for old cuts and he supplies many old cut dealers out in CA too. If you dont find anything in SF or LA, I'd call Michael and see what he has and take a trip to NYC. There are many places there you can see old cuts... Israel Rose (unkind return policy though), Rau Antiques, La Vielle a Russe, etc.


I'm a bit surprised that Dan didn't have more selection but maybe you should call him and talk to him directly on Monday? I know he has a brother I think, in Houston, who also deals in antique stones so maybe you can ask if he can call in stones for you. Then again, he's probably calling in stones from Michael Goldstein so if you can swing it, might as well go to the source!


ETA: Do you have a budget you can share with us and is this an ering you're looking for? I wasn't clear. If you DO come to LA to see Ari, I'd also suggest you come to La Jolla and go to H. Moradi, where I got my ring. I was just there the other day and they have several nice old cuts right now though I dont know the price/size range. You might call them and ask, see how much inventory they have and decide if it's worth going down there too. Ask for Pauline or Hossein...

ETA2: Double DUH! I see you WILL be in LA for TDay...Definitely make an appt with Ari and give him at least two weeks to call in stones for you so he can bring in whatever he can for your visit. Make sure you tell him you're coming down from SF, and call him a week or so before you get there and remind him! I'd do the same with H. Moradi too!

hi surfgirl -- thanks so much for taking the time to write such an in-depth post!

yes, i am looking for an ering. i'm looking for something between .8-1ct with a preference for something .9-1 ct based on what i've seen so far. i think something D-H (maybe I too since it is so hard to find oec's with less yellow color) and VV-VS2 (SI1 if really eyeclean). what do you think the ballpark would be for these specs?

i spoke with pat from singlestone this morning (before i saw your posting!) to start the process with them and let them know that i would be down there during thanksgiving. so i hope that the visit will be fruitful. kind of hard to wait several weeks with no idea of i'll actually find something that i like. i did email pat the pics of your stone surfgirl so that she would know what i am looking for.

today, i went to dianne's old and new and hillsborough antique show.

dianne's old and new :
had some nice rings. there was one that had the faceting that i was looking for but the stone was too big (over 2ct) and out of my budget. will be checking in there regularly though

hillsborough antique show :
was interesting but not the best place for a novice. you really need to know your gems if you are going here. i think it is good for non-ering jewelry - tons of great antiquey things there. also a much older crowd was in attendance (i'm mid 30s and many were 60 or older) not that it matters or that i cared but i did see lots of looks in my direction - what's that whippersnapper doing here!

i'll definitely try to reach dan next week so thanks for the suggestion. i don't know about going to la jolla but will definitely try to work that into our schedule if i can esp since it is easier than going to NY. i think if i don't feel i'm making much progress this month i might consider the NY trip but really would like to avoid it.

one thing pat from singleston asked me is if i wanted to look at certified or uncertified stones. i said certified but i am thinking maybe i should reconsider so that i have more options open to me. what do you think?

 

[surfgirl]

ringster, we went into H. Moradi''s in La Jolla this evening just to say hi since we were in the area. I think they have quite a few old stones - set in vintage mountings - in your size range so you really should call them and ask what they''ve got. It''s only about 2.5 hour drive from LA and well worth it if they''ve got what you''re looking for. I believe they''re usually open on Sundays as well, FYI. Call them!

 

[gtn]

I am not sure if these places carry OEC diamonds, but I have heard good things about both of these jewelers in SF. If not, hopefully they can point you in the right direction.

Eric Trabert Goldsmiths
2420 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94115-1815
Phone: (415) 567-8887

goldberry Fine Jewelry
3516 Sacramento St
San Francisco, CA 94118
Phone: (800) 507-5505

 

[ringster]

thanks surfgirl and gtn!

gtn, i will definitely try these guys esp eric trabert b/c it looks like he carries single stone jewelry!?!

surfgirl - i will give h. monadi a ring tomorrow and see what they say. i think i want to try to get a stone without the setting b/c i think its hard to find a stone and setting that i like together but i will give them a call!

thanks guys - i was feeling a bit deflated today but you have both inspired me to keep up the fight!

 

[surfgirl]

ringster, if you really have your heart set on an old cut, you will need to practice the art of patience, grasshopper... *folds hands in lap while assuming the lotus position*... Seriously, your stone will find you when it''s ready to! You cant rush these things. You know what you want, now you have to find out where it''s hiding. And yes, I would be open to looking at both cert''d and non-cert''d stones because alot of the old stones have never been to the "GIA Spa" before.

 

[ringster]

ha ha - thanks surfgirl for the pep talk ! i know, i know...it''s just hard b/c this is kind of holding things up right now (ie no ring means no proposal means no wedding plans!) but i know myself and i can''t just settle when it comes to the ering so if it takes time then so be it.

i called h moradi today but they are closed so i will give them a call mon or tues.

thanks again !

 

[surfgirl]

You dont need a ring for a proposal!

 

[ringster]

well bf is saying that he wants to have a ring to propose but he could be plotting something. he seems to be enjoying my searching around alot. so i don''t know what he has up his sleeve. he knows my "ideal timelines" so i''m sure the wheels are turning there.

sometimes he is pretty non traditional and sometimes he isn''t so was suprised that he felt a rng was needed - maybe he is buying some time. dunno but i know he says he wants me to get a ring. if it gets to be too much time then i will have to have a little talk with him