Five-stone OEC on the way from the UK

[LibbyLA]

I mentioned in the itty bitty platinum ering thread that I was bidding on a five-stone but didn't think that I would get it because there were lots of days left and I'd reached my personal limit. There were times when I was hoping that someone would outbid me because there was a platinum one ending later, but the platinum one went for over $1000 and I didn't like it THAT much better.

This one is 9 kt yellow gold, so that's two minuses. However, I love the setting and it appears to be in great shape for (supposedly) being from 1919, probably because it's 9 kt gold. Paid about $530 for it with shipping, so it wasn't a steal and it may not be a deal. Seems to be in line with prices for similar rings, maybe on the higher end, but the setting is a little more elaborate than most.

A similar 18 kt gold one with a little higher diamond weight sold for $325 and it was my size, but the photos appear to show a setting that is in horrible shape (loose prongs, poor support structure under the diamonds). http://www.ebay.com/itm/160758946611?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Won't be here until the end of next week at the earliest or sometime the following week and I'll have to get it resized. I do have a one-week return period. If I don't like it and decide to return it, the four-stone goggley-eyes that I've been watching may still be available, or I may decide that I don't really need another ring.

Vendor photos. The first photo is dark and there's a suspicious-looking speck at about 3 o'clock on the center stone that shows up in the second photo, too. The profile shot and the hand shot are what appeal to me.

 

[Enerchi]

Congrats on the win - even tho you weren't expecting it!

I think that's a very pretty setting - you may end up loving it once you see it. Yes, the 9K is a bit of a bummer... and perhaps that is a carbon spot/inclusion... but it does appear very nice for the price you paid- don't you think?

I thought I remember someone saying that "someone" didn't need any more diamond rings???? Is somebody pulling our leg here??? Tee hee!!!

 

[LibbyLA]

I don't NEED it... I'm even looking at an opal five-stone from the same seller, but it's going to have to be very, very cheap. I need some more ring fingers!

I think it's a fair price, or I wouldn't have bid it, but if I don't immediately reject it, I'll probably have it appraised right away. There have been some that sold for $300-400 but the settings were plainer and generally not in great shape. There were several others that sold for more than $500 for about the same diamond weight and in settings I didn't like as well.

At least my purchase was a relatively inexpensive diamond ring. Yesterday, my SO bought a bulldozer. A used bulldozer that's 20 or 30 years old, mind you, but they don't give those things away!

Fortunately, I'm not looking for earrings or bracelets or necklaces or eternity bands and seeing all the beautiful ones here doesn't make me want any of those. I confess to still wanting several of the OEC rings I see, but I can talk myself out of those because I'm not looking at anything larger or more expensive than the 3/4 ct. one and I like the one I have better than anything I've seen.

liz

 

[Enerchi]

Wow - I think you can still keep buying more and more rings, if you compare the cost of a bulldozer! hey - you could even buy another finger or two for cheaper!!!

 

[yennyfire]

Hey, at least the diamonds will either hold their value or appreciate...you can't say the same for the bulldozer!

 

[LibbyLA]

The bulldozer is used (from back in the 1980s, I think) so it probably has depreciated pretty much all it's going to depreciate and he'll fix a few things that need fixing (he's a diesel mechanic) so he could probably sell it for as much as or more than he paid for it.... It wasn't a steal, but it was a decent deal.

But a used diamond ring can probably be sold for much of what I paid for it should I have to. And it's a lot easier to store and haul around . Although the bulldozer can do a lot more work.

liz

 

[Dreamer_D]

What are the measurements of each diamond?

You wont know much until you see it in person, I guess. Hope its a goodie!

 

[lucyruth]

Hey, love the setting! I like the yg too.

 

[LibbyLA]

Dreamer_D,

No measurements of diameter, but seller lists center diamond as 20 pts., then two 10 pointers, and then two 5 pointers. If I don't see anything obvious that's a deal breaker (like a big ol' obvious carbon spot or feather or damage to the setting) and the diamonds look good in various lighting, I'll take it to my local jeweler for an appraisal and get specific information.

liz

 

[kefira]

I like the graduated stone look, and the setting is gorgeous, too! I'm interested to see how you like the metal once you have it on. You can have a white metal jewelry wardrobe and a yellow.

 

[LibbyLA]

I used to wear only yellow gold back in the day (platinum wasn't even an option). Heck, I'm likely to wear both white and yellow metals at the same time. I have a WG/YG bezeled .5 ct. pendant (slider?) on a WG chain and I wear a white/yellow watch.

I'm old and cranky enough to wear what I want to and not care what anyone thinks (not that any of my friends, acquaintances, or coworkers care about such things) .

Am bidding on an opal ring, YG, in my size but am interested only if it's CHEAP. I'll know how that turns out in a few days.

liz

 

[Enerchi]

I'm old and cranky enough to wear what I want to and not care what anyone thinks (not that any of my friends, acquaintances, or coworkers care about such things) .

Am bidding on an opal ring, YG, in my size but am interested only if it's CHEAP. I'll know how that turns out in a few days.

liz

You've become a regular eBay whiz lately!!! Hope you get it!

Love the 'old and cranky' comment - I'm with ya on that. Wear what you love if you love to wear it. Life is too short...

 

[LibbyLA]

Yep, but the ebay thing has to stop pretty soon. Fortunately, I'm less entertained by looking at things there now. I wasn't looking for the opal ring but it popped up in a search, I think it's pretty, and it's a size that I can wear on either hand, no resizing required. If I get it, that will be great, if not, I'll be a little disappointed but definitely not crushed.

liz

 

[Dreamer_D]

Dreamer_D,

No measurements of diameter, but seller lists center diamond as 20 pts., then two 10 pointers, and then two 5 pointers. If I don't see anything obvious that's a deal breaker (like a big ol' obvious carbon spot or feather or damage to the setting) and the diamonds look good in various lighting, I'll take it to my local jeweler for an appraisal and get specific information.

liz

Then I would expect the center to be about 3.7-4mm, the next one to be 2.5-3mm and the smallest to be about 2mm. It will be a delicate piece! The photos always make things look bigger than they are it seems.

 

[LibbyLA]

Then I would expect the center to be about 3.7-4mm, the next one to be 2.5-3mm and the smallest to be about 2mm. It will be a delicate piece! The photos always make things look bigger than they are it seems.

I'm hoping that the photo of the ring on the finger is accurate. It doesn't look tiny, but it's certainly not going to be big bling. These days I don't like rings that are wide or thick.

You are so right about photos, especially the macro and closeups, making things look a lot bigger than they are. Must be like photos adding 10 or 15 pounds to people!

liz

 

[fridays_child]

I love these 5 or 3 stone oec rings that pop up from uk ebay sellers. This one is really pretty, I hope you like your ring when it comes!

 

[LibbyLA]

The ring arrived in today's mail, so it took just one day over a week to get here. That's faster than the one that got to vacation in Pittsburgh got here.

It's a very pretty little ring. I'm surprised that it is fairly comfortable on my left hand since it's a 7.5 and I've been getting everything sized to 8.25 so I can wear it on both hands. My great aunt's engagement ring was a 7.75 and it felt too tight. If I keep it, I'm having it resized.

Here's a picture on my hand. It's not going to win any awards for big bling, but it's pretty.



It was sold as 9 kt gold but I'm thinking that it may be 18 kt because of the "18" stamped inside.



There are a couple of problems, though. Now that I see them under the loupe, I can see one of them in the vendor photos, so maybe I should have caught at least the missing prong, but I didn't. I've e-mailed the vendor to give her a heads up in case I decide to return it. I'm supposed to see the jeweler later this week to pick up everything I left for resizing and appraisal, so I'll ask him for advice. I'll need to find out how much it will cost to deal with the prong problems and decide whether it's worth it. With shipping, I paid about $530. The stones all have high crowns, small tables, and small culets and they're eye clean to my eyes.

One prong seems to be completely missing. And one of the smallest stones doesn't seem to be seated in one of the prongs properly. I'm not sure whether it's dropped below the notch or whether the prong has been pulled away. All I can really tell is that the tip of the prong isn't touching the diamond.

Speaking of prongs, under the loupe, the prongs look huge and blobby. IRL, they're not at all big.

liz

 

[kefira]

Wow, I really like that on you. I love delicate looking pieces, and it looks like a very sweet band to me. Let's hope the prong work won't cost much, and maybe you could get a refund for that from the vendor. And if it is 18k, even better!

 

[Enerchi]

Liz it looks great on your hand! Are you debating about keeping it? If you do keep it - can your jeweller give you an idea of what's involved retipping the prongs, if you get it resized as well?

I agree - I'd assume it is 18K YG based on the stamp.

Nice 5 stone - I love the detailing on the trellis/mount!

 

[LibbyLA]

kefira,

It would be nice if the vendor makes some sort of offer, but I'm not counting on it. She may feel that I should have seen the prong problem in the photos. I just don't have enough experience and the photos are a little grainy.

Even though I'm a big person and have large hands, I prefer jewelry that is delicate to medium.

Enerchi,

I am considering sending it back. I'm running out of fingers! I'd put my great aunt's ring in the safe deposit box, but since I'm spending money to get the prong fixed and have it resized, I'm thinking I'll keep it out and wear it some. I have quite a few rings now so will have to develop the habit of wearing different ones. I'm afraid I'll have preferences and will end up not wearing some of them much.

This one is different because it's YG and the mount is pretty. It doesn't quite cover my finger width, but that doesn't bother me. I don't like the feel of diamonds between my fingers. I can move my fingers up and down and feel only the smooth shank.

I just hope my jeweler has my stuff ready tomorrow or Friday. He was on vacation for a week and a half so I had to wait a week to drop everything off, then he got pneumonia so that delayed things another week. I'm missing my stuff!

liz

 

[LibbyLA]

The vendor was very apologetic that the description didn't mention the damage. She said her husband must have missed it when he wrote the description. I can understand that because I didn't notice it until I louped the ring. She said I could get a refund or they'd pay shipping both ways and have it repaired. I'm going to see if she'll refund the amount the repair costs if I get it done here, as long as it's within the amount she said it should cost.

liz

 

[Enerchi]

That sounds positive! Does it make it more likely you will keep it now?

 

[LibbyLA]

The seller responded promptly and said that she would cover the cost of repairs if I have them done here.

I still haven't decided about keeping it. The diamonds, although small, are very sparkly and seem to be decent quality. The chubby crowns are so cute and all the diamonds seem to be pretty well matched as far as color, facet pattern (not that you can see it without a loupe), and proportions (unlike the five stone that was on show-me-the-bling that the purchaser sent back)

The setting is unique. I think I'm not as fond of settings with high sides, which this one has, but that does put the diamonds more in a row than an obvious arc so the smallest diamonds don't just disappear.

It would be a bonus if it turns out to be 18kt gold. It is a very rich yellow gold color. The date in the listing is 1916, not 1919 that I wrote earlier. I don't know how they know the date, though. Anyway, I like it, I probably didn't seriously overpay for it, and it's definitely not something you'd find just anywhere. This seller has offered a bunch of modest five-stone OEC rings lately but most are either bezel (collet) set or have regular prongs. This one's just a little bit different.

Part of me thinks a bit blingier one would be nice, but the ones that have been suggested to me are $1600-$1800 and have five stones about the size of the center one on this ring or a little bigger. They're gorgeous, but I don't know that I'd wear one enough for it to be worth the price.

Now I'm looking for a white gold or platinum spacer or very thin antique band, size 8. I've missed a couple of WG wedding bands at about $135. I have one platinum spacer but need a second thing size 8 something. The 3/4 carat OEC ring is a little large even on my right hand, so I want something to stack outside it to help keep it in place. May try pawn shops, too.

liz

 

[fridays_child]

I understand about how hard it is to make a decision! Not that I'm trying to sway your decision or anything, just wanted to comment that it is a really lovely ring and looks great on you. Maybe it's pricescope overload and I'm browsing at everyone's bling too much, but I prefer this dainty, elegant-looking ring over the large-size eternities and multistones that dig into the sides of adjoining fingers I also love the style of the prongs, the gallery, and the yellow gold. Great ebay find!

 

[ruby59]

To answer your question, it is the combination of hallmarks that tell you what the date is. There are lists on line. If it had been 1919, there would have been a "d" at the end. The "a" means 1916.

 

[LibbyLA]

fridays_child,

I don't visit show me the bling that much (compared to RockyTalky or here). Everything is beautiful, but it's not "me" and it wouldn't be me even if I won the lottery. I'm enjoying my modest-budget vintage finds. I can wear them in my everyday life without raising eyebrows and they don't break the bank.

I'm having to get used to the "flat top haircut" (crew cut, buzz cut) look of the setting. It reminds me of a military haircut, except the curlicues definitely aren't military!

ruby59,

Thanks for the explanation! Now I know that the bits and pieces stamped inside have some sort of meaning if you just know the code. I'm documenting the pieces that I have as best I can so if I keep this one, I'll include the date. One of these days, when I'm dead and gone, any heirs will have basic history to the extent that I know it.

I think that it's neat that this ring is almost 100 years old. Even though it has a couple of problems that need to be fixed, it's in remarkably good shape for being that old.

ETA: I found a neat PDF showing the historical UK marks and see that the crown and 18 do mean 18K, the feline face indicates it was assayed in London, and the a is 1916. It's interesting seeing date marks going back to 1678. It's a good thing there are lots of fonts!

link if anyone is interested: http://www.britishhallmarkingcouncil.gov.uk/publications/hallmarks2.pdf

liz

 

[LibbyLA]

My ring has been resized and the prongs repaired and I'm enjoying wearing it.

I finally got the appraisal this week and am tickled that the jeweler/appraiser says that the diamonds are old mine cuts rather than old European cuts. I know OECs are a better cut than OMCs but I wanted something with OMCs just for the heck of it. The appraiser estimates a total carat weight of almost .7 (center .25, two @ .15 and two @ .07), which is better than the seller's estimate of about .5 TCW (.2, .1, .05). And the seller listed it as 9K, but it's clearly hallmarked 18K. SI1 I-J.

Appraisal is for about four times what I paid for it. I'm ball-parking that half of retail is probably not a steal or a deal but not overpaying, either, so half of that seems like a pretty good deal.

The vendor who sold this to me sells lots of 3-, 4-, and 5-stone rings. I haven't seen any settings like this one.

liz

 

[Enerchi]

Hey! Great news that it worked out better than you'd imagined! 18K vs 9K and OMC not OEC - win win for you! Isn't it wonderful when things turn out in your favour??? Yippee for you!!

 

[LibbyLA]

An more total diamond weight, too! Yep, I'm definitely happy with this one.

liz

 

[LibbyLA]

So I took some of my collection to show a friend and I almost had to pry this ring off her finger with a crowbar! That was Saturday. She missed a five-stone from the same vendor yesterday, but got one in a slightly different type of setting today for a good price. She swears that she is only buying the one ring for her right hand...

liz