Finding a small estate diamond

[BrightSpot]

Hi all,

My best friend is engaged & working with her FI to create their engagement ring. She has two family stones--one is just under .5 ct & the other is .1 ct, I think both are RB''s, but she doesn''t have much info--and is considering creating a 3 stone ring. She would need to find another stone to match the .1 stone she already has & would prefer to use an older/estate stone for ethical reasons.

Does anyone know where she could find a small estate diamond around .1 ct?

Thanks for your help!

 

[oldmancoyote]

The problem isn't going to be so much finding a 0.1 old cut stone - it's going to be finding a 0.1 old cut matching stone - old cuts are much more variable than modern ones, and particularly in smaller stones there are many distinct looks...

All the solutions I can think of require inordinate amounts of patience (combing pawn shops for old pieces of - erm - junk, asking friendly jewellers to keep an eye out for you, waiting for the right job lot to appear on ebay) or disproportionate amounts of money (buying a good old piece then dismantling it, finding a cutter willing to remake a stone).

Would your friend consider an engagement pendant/pearl enhancer instead?

ETA: Call an estate jeweller like Singlestone, Erica and Grace, Nelson Rarities - perhaps they can help.

 

[Rhea]

I''d get a jeweller to help you match it. OldMan had several suggestions. To that I''d like to add Old World Diamonds and Wink Jones.

 

[LGK]

Yeah, she needs to know what she has first to match it. If it''s a round brilliant, it may be a bit easier. If she wants/needs the diamonds appraised first, that would be one way to go... there is a list of appraisers on PS here that is searchable.

Otherwise, I would suspect like others have said, just talking to a few jewelers is a good approach too.