Help me with this vintage engagement ring

[dropsonde]

Very thankful I found this forum with so much rich knowledge, experience and passion on a topic I'm so inexperienced with. Thanks in advance to all who respond. I'm grateful!

I'm in the market for an engagement ring and my budget is ~$10k with some flexibility to go a little higher. Ideally that budget would also include a wedding band.

Her Story: My girlfriend is in her early 40s and this will be her first engagement ring. Her style is classic American boho, but not luxe boho. Very down to earth style, works in upper management in the service industry. The jewelry she typically wears is not blingy or glittery -- very bold, chunky brass/gold/metal pieces with patina and no gems. Non-precious metal with beads, glass, feathers, leather, etc. and doesn't wear silver. Think boho/Native American/Southwestern US-type pieces. She's a Texas girl.

I've surveyed her about her engagement ring desires and she's made a few jewelry store visits to try some on. She is clearly leaning towards a classic Tiffany-style solitaire in platinum, six-prong cathedral, with a 1.0-1.5 carat stone. She doesn't have strong feelings about color or clarity. I would say her priority is probably size/cut followed by quality, although she doesn't necessarily want anything huge. She has delicate fingers, a size 4.5.

She enjoyed trying on all those new shiny diamond engagement rings but my gut told me vintage would really appeal to her. I brought up the idea to her and she is open to it.

So in poking around Lang Antiques I came across this vintage engagement ring.

I'm very interested in opinions about the following:

1. Aesthetics: How is the curb appeal of this ring and its timelessness? Does it feel dated or could it feel dated in the future or is it classic? Is the era it came from appealing?

2. Quality: How is the cut and quality of the center diamond? While the listing does contain grading on color and clarity, is it possible to assess quality without a grading report? Should I be concerned that it doesn't have a grading report in the listing? Should I be concerned that the center stone isn't symmetrical?

3. Value: I've read that Lang prices their items on the high side but does this pricing seem to reasonable and in the market?

4. Wedding band: Opinions on what style of wedding band would match up well with this ring? When she tried on rings she was very attracted to a floating/shared prong wedding band with the Tiffany solitaire.[/list]

I do plan to show her the ring and get her thoughts on it. But your thoughts on the above would be valued and very helpful to me! And hope to hear many opinions/perspectives. Thanks again for your help!

 

[Queenie60]

I am certainly not an expert however I would not purchase a stone without a grading report from GIA or other reputable grading lab. If you are considering OEC's (Old European Cut) stones, I would suggest that you shop around. As for wedding bands, you can do many band styles with a simple solitaire. I am sure that some of the experts on this forum will chime in to help you with your selection. You've come to the right place!

Check out this ring that I found on Jewels by Grace website. And, it has a GIA report. I know it's not platinum however, for the price you could have it set in platinum. Or, take a look at the loose stones that Grace has on her website as well as Loveaffairdiamonds.com. You could then have the stone set the setting of her choice. So many choices!!!

Good luck and congratulations on your upcoming engagement. Exciting times!!

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/rings/vintage-antique/1-07ct-old-european-cut-diamond-solitaire-gia-j-vs2#.WLMZeRIrIyk

 

[Kbell]

I wouldn't buy it without more info. If you contact them
I'd think they should be able to provide it. Can't judge
Pricing without comparable. They have a shorter return
Period than others... I'd make sure you have time to get
Checked after purchase by a professional in your area.

My ring size is 4. 1.5 carat is my max size for a solitaire...
So that's what we got. But that's just me. Anything bigger seems awkwardly
Proportioned on me.

I'm also doing a plain shank because that leaves limitless
Possibilities for the band which we plan to shop for together.

Good luck!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Lang is a fine jeweler, but honestly, you can get a larger stone at that price. I urge you to wait and let us see what we can recommend that might gain you some more size for a better price.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

So far, here are a couple of nice antique diamonds:

http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/1-54ct-transitional-cut-diamond-ags-j-vs1/

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/1-ct-to-2-00/1-36ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-i-vs1#.WLMiGzsrI2w

My favorite source of antique style settings (if you buy a loose diamond, she can custom make the setting to fit that diamond and her ring size):

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CVBinspiredDesign/items

This fantastic ring, if rose gold would work for her and if it could be sized down that much:

http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/1-90ct-old-european-cut-diamond-in-cvb-elsa-gia-l-vs1/

 

[tyty333]

You dont think she would like a setting that is bigger and bolder (she is a Texas girl)! A 6 prong tiffany style setting doesnt sound like
it matches her other jewelry or personality.

I was thinking something like this...Now this is a large stone so you would have to picture it more with a 1-1.5 stone...
https://www.etsy.com/listing/498104157/cvb-ann-style-brush-metal-halo-ring?ref=shop_home_active_7

Other bolder metal settings...
https://www.etsy.com/listing/399188075/the-cvb-id-victorian-style-octagonal?ref=shop_home_active_21 sort of have a bohemian flair
to me

This is a little daintier but it is paired with a bold polished gold band (probably 18 or 24k gold)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/233980426/the-cvb-id-chloe-solitaire-18k-yellow?ref=related-6

That ring that DiamondSeeker posted is lovely...is your GF ok with lower color diamonds (a lot of antique stones are lower color because
the higher ones were recut into round brilliants. There are high colors (D-H) out there in old stones but they are a lot more lower colors
out there. The lower colors sort of go with the antique, romantic feel of the stones but...you probably need to see some and see how
you/she feel about them.

 

[Niel]

I am shocked that, if she owns no silver jewelry, she would want platinum for her engagement ring. The way you describe her a belcher or bezel setting seems more her style.

However if that's what she has tried on and likes then that's what she needs.

I agree with everyone though Lang's can have lovely items but I would not spend my money there when many other places where your money will go further.

 

[Sagefemme]

Another reason not to buy the Lang ring, although I really like it, is the stone sits much too high off the finger. Look at the through-finger view. Lots of true vintage rings are made this way, but it's not practical for a modern woman to be having her engagement ring banging into things and catching on things all the time. A good jewelry designer/maker can fabricate the same ring with a lower profile that will work much better.

 

[totallyfree]

Another non-expert chiming in, so hoping others can give their views on this suggestion... Do you know if your partner is colour sensitive? Would a 'warmer' diamond bother her? This diamond is an N/NS2 with (what I think!) is a great price:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/preloved-ps-jewels/oec-1-98-n-vs2-gia-certified-old-european-diamond-for-sale-t228105.html']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/preloved-ps-jewels/oec-1-98-n-vs2-gia-certified-old-european-diamond-for-sale-t228105.html[/URL]

You could then have a custom e-ring and wedding band made, my current fav is this one, but I'm also a sucker for rose gold!
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/237538848/cvb-dahlia-solitaire-setting?ref=shop_home_active_53

 

[dropsonde]

Thanks to everyone who offered their thoughts and help! Really appreciate it.

It's clear from the responses that I have much better options than the Lang ring so I will take your good advice and widen my scope. Sagefemme's comment about the ring's high profile was an especially good one that I hadn't considered. Makes tons of sense since my girlfriend is in the service industry and works with her hands a lot.

I had to laugh at Niel's comment about my gf's preference for a platinum ring given her bold non-precious metal jewelry tastes. I asked her the exact same thing! I was kind of stunned that she didn't want yellow gold. She couldn't really explain her preference so I'll chalk it up to woman's prerogative. My guess is that while her standard jewelry choices are bold and out there, she's never owned diamond or precious stone pieces so her comfort level may be to dial it back to conservative for such an important/meaningful piece. Platinum settings may also may be what she's accustomed to seeing all the time in her social circle. But who knows? I did feel her out to see if she might try on some yellow gold settings to completely rule them out and she said she would. It doesn't sound like rose gold will fly with her though, as pretty as diamondseeker2006's suggested ring is.

So thanks for the various ring, stone and setting recommendations -- they were much appreciated. I'm assuming Jewels By Grace and CVB come well-recommended by everyone who's done business with them? Is Jewels By Grace a specialist in vintage stones? Testimonies on their rep would be appreciated.

The 1.36ct OEC that diamondseeker2006 shared fits my budget well. Unfortunately I don't understand the ins and outs of reading GIA reports -- is there anything from a quality standpoint I should be aware of or concerned about? Is this good value for the stone quality? Would love to hear multiple perspectives on this so please share if you're so inclined. Would be interested in other stones in that same budget if anyone has additional recommendations for comparison. (totallyfree, I don't think my gf has strong opinions about color so your suggestion of the warmer stone is appreciated.)

The many CVB settings shared were really eye-catching. Again, good quality, craftsmanship and value here? Thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I don't think my gf would go for a halo setting but the others I will definitely consider per your recommendations. Any other sellers I should be considering?

 

[Wombats]

You can also mix metals. E.g. my engagement ring is a yellow gold band, with platinum claws / head to hold the diamond itself. This two tone approach is quite normal where I live, for a yellow gold ring.

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