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How much a ring like this can cost

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AlexMountbatten

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 29, 2008
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Recently my estranged grand mama that lived in Europe died and among her belongings we found a key for a safe at the bank. We we opened it we found a huge collection of jewels that no one knew she had. Among other things there was an impressive Diamond ring that has a certificate from Van Cleef & Arpels and Be Beers with these specs:
Carats: 30.02 (yeah thirty, not 0.30 its REALLY huge)
Cut: Ashoka
Color F
Clarity VVS1
It says it was purchased in 1958 at Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry in Paris and its mounted on platinum.
How much a ring like this can cost? A local jeweler here in NY wants to purchase it because he collects vintage jewels and he is offering us $ 30,000 USD claiming that the ring is an old one and that is why it cost less than a new ring.
God knows we need those 30 grand to pay some bills and mortage but I want to make sure its a fair price...we really dont know anything about jewels....help!!!

PD: we also found this ring was a gift from a man called Jean Phillipe Evremont De Joinville ...I don t know if that helps...
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Date: 5/29/2008 1:03:58 PM
Author:AlexMountbatten
Recently my estranged grand mama that lived in Europe died and among her belongings we found a key for a safe at the bank. We we opened it we found a huge collection of jewels that no one knew she had. Among other things there was an impressive Diamond ring that has a certificate from Van Cleef & Arpels and Be Beers with these specs:

Carats: 30.02 (yeah thirty, not 0.30 its REALLY huge)

Cut: Ashoka

Color F

Clarity VVS1

It says it was purchased in 1958 at Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry in Paris and its mounted on platinum.

How much a ring like this can cost? A local jeweler here in NY wants to purchase it because he collects vintage jewels and he is offering us $ 30,000 USD claiming that the ring is an old one and that is why it cost less than a new ring.

God knows we need those 30 grand to pay some bills and mortage but I want to make sure its a fair price...we really dont know anything about jewels....help!!!


PD: we also found this ring was a gift from a man called Jean Phillipe Evremont De Joinville ...I don t know if that helps...
33.gif
Click to expand...

If it is what the certificate says it is worth WAY WAY WAY more than $30,000. You can barely buy a 3-4 carat nice stone for that much...


You are going to want to contact some place like Sotheby's or Christie's if you want to sell it most likely...
 
I'm sorry for your loss, that is very sad.

I put the name you mentioned into Google and nothing came up but it did have some results with an alternative spelling. Are you sure that's the correct spelling?

Whereabouts in Europe was your Grand mama (I'm wondering about your username is all!)? Please don't feel you have to answer if you don't want to - it's just curiosity on my part. I don't want to pry.

I would second neatfreak's suggestion to go to one of the big auction houses and get their advice. Don't even contemplate selling to anyone without getting independent advice first.
 
Thank You so much for your help!!! Grand mama lived in Paris where she moved around 1952... she also spent some time in London (around 2 years), we really dont know that much about her because she always told us to leave her alone...we know she was well known among the european Jet Set but most of her life remains as a mistery to us...
 
I am waiting for the "experts" to chime in, but just wanted to say that I''m very sorry about your grandmother''s passing. Also, please, please do not listen to the NYC collector, he''s blatently lying to you...I cannot believe his offer.

I agree that you should contact Sotheby''s or Christie''s to set up a consultation. Also, I would probably put it in a bank safe or keep it somewhere safe. I''ve never had my hands on a piece that is worth millions, but I think if I had one in my possession I''d be extremely paranoid.

Please keep us posted!
 
So sorry for your loss, but what an amazing discovery...

Run, run as fast as you can from the NY jeweler who has offered you what is so likely WAY below fair market value for an incredible sounding piece.
 
Date: 5/29/2008 1:03:58 PM
Author:AlexMountbattenhe is offering us $ 30,000 USD claiming that the ring is an old one and that is why it cost less than a new ring.
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No no no no no no no no no no no! Omygosh! NO! Pleeeeease!

Contact VC&A! I'm so excited for you I can hardly STAND it!



ETA: I checked on that name and the closest thing I could find was this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Entremont
 
What they said. The guy that offered you 30K should have had a gun and a getaway car. What a sleazebag. If he had any brains at all and wasn't so greedy, he'd have offered you 100K and you probably would have taken it, right?

The ring's probably worth in the high 6 to low 7 figures.
 
I''ll take it off your hands for $31,000!! Just kidding!! Don''t know who can appraise it but 30cts of anything is going to be worth way more!!!
 
Pics to verify would be good.
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Im really impressed about all your replies! WOW I NEVER thought a stone could cost a million dollars! Its really hard to believe that I have such an expensive thing in my drawer!!! Im in shock !!! really dont know what to say or what to do besides going to sotheby s.... and yes if he had offered me 100k I would have taken them without thinking.... Im going through a difficult situation with credit card bills and mortage and those 100k would almost have taken me out of debt...its funny but when I returned from France I had the ring (along with her other jewels) stored in my carry on bag, now I feel I need to contact an armored car to take it to sothebys... wow.....this is soooo unreal....Just called my wife and she is as impressed as I am!
 
But wait...

Did they even identify Ashokas in the '50s? I read that the name was patented in 2000.

This is a 31 ct (D, IF) Ashoka in a ring by Chopard... I suppose you could call for the price. Really... I think you should.

The phone number is here (REF#2002345):

http://www.lussori.com/chopard-ring-haute-joaillerie-designer-jewelry-31-carat-ashoka-cut-diamond-d-if.html

cho_hj14_z.jpg
 
My god, that is stunning. Does it look like that??
 
I really dont Know... the cut of the pic you posted looks very much like the actual ring....I really dont know its a real diamond or a very good imitation... with my luck it will probably end up being a fake diamond...
 
TAKE IT TO Van Cleef & Arpels ASAP. They will help you take it from there.

Um. Can we please have some pics???
9.gif
 
BTW. The guy wasn''t offering you 30K for a CZ. It''s real, he was just a theif.
 
Date: 5/29/2008 1:14:12 PM
Author: heather318
I google searched the Ashoka diamond since I have never heard of that cut.. But there was an article about a 41 carat flawless Ashoka diamond that sold for $4.2 million in 1988.. So I'm thinking that $30,000 is probably NOT a good price..

Here is the article: http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/apparel-accessory-stores-womens-specialty/4239166-1.html
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This refers to THE Ashoka diamond, NOT an Ashoka-cut diamond. Not sure if such a distinction should be made in this case.
 
Wow, what are the chances of something like this happening to someone?
20.gif
Would I be a bad person for being just a little bit suspicious?
 
Date: 5/29/2008 2:06:40 PM
Author: Maisie
Wow, what are the chances of something like this happening to someone?
20.gif
Would I be a bad person for being just a little bit suspicious?
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It must be our nasty cynical British minds Maisie!
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I sincerely hope that this is a real 'treasure trove' story, but my brain is saying troll!

ETA: Why would a single item have certs from BOTH VC&A and De Beers???
 
Date: 5/29/2008 2:10:33 PM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 5/29/2008 2:06:40 PM
Author: Maisie
Wow, what are the chances of something like this happening to someone?
20.gif
Would I be a bad person for being just a little bit suspicious?
Click to expand...
It must be our nasty cynical British minds Maisie!
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I sincerely hope that this is a real ''treasure trove'' story, but my brain is saying troll!
Click to expand...
Ditto.
 
Just a blurb from the internet...


This annual Sotheby's auction's anniversary coincides with the 150th anniversary of The Kulm, the historic luxury hotel in St. Moritz that has been the site of Sotheby's annual auction there since 1976.

Over the years, sales at the yearly event have included jewels such as a pink diamond weighing in at 20.62 carats, which fetched $5.5 million in 1990— the most expensive jewel ever sold at auction in St. Moritz— and the Ashoka diamond, a D-color, internally flawless gem weighing 41.37 carats, which sold for $4.2 million in 1988.

Don't think anyone will be worrying about credit cards...
 
In case you can''t afford a real Ashoka, you can buy an ad (clipped out of a magazine) on ebay for $7.99.

Ashoka Magazine Ad
 
I''m sure that the OP will be posting pics of both the ring AND the paperwork ASAP, right
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Oh and by the way, eBay is how I would sell it
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Definitely do what the others have suggested -- take the ring to a good, repeutable auction house which is used to dealing with high quality antiques -- Christie''s and Sotheby''s are good bets -- you want to work w/ someone who is used to working w/ jewelry as an art and not just a commodity. You want to approach a house that has a good history of working w/ decorative arts. Also try VC&A...there should be someone who can help you search the archives to learn more about your particular design. With signed pieces, the history and the name are an important part of the piece''s evaluation. If you have original paperwork, take it w/ you and definitely make copies so you do not lose it. If you have photographs of your grandmother wearing the piece, keep those and take them w/ you to see the appraiser.
 
i dont know, ill wait for the pics
sounds suspicious
 
That jeweler is either out of his mind or he is a crook.
I can see maybe discounting an outdated setting (although platinum right now runs for over $2000 an ounce, here''s a stock-market report: http://www.kitco.com/charts/liveplatinum.html)

but a 30-carat diamond EVEN if it has to be re-cut into a more modern shape is still worth AT LEAST well into 6 figures, it was certainly out of VCA exceptional jewels collection, or an equivalent: http://www.vancleef-arpels.com/en/van-cleef.html#/diamond/.

jewels like that are usually auctoned off on on a high-end auction, like sotheby''s : http://www.sothebys.com/

why don''t you contact VA directly and just see what''s up? 1-877-VAN-CLEEF (826-2533)

hope this helps
 
I'm skeptical of this post based soley on the fact that the stone claimed to be in this person's posession is so unique that it surely would be considered one of the famous stones in history. I mean, come on!!! Randomly someone finds a 30 ct. Ashoka cut, which is from the 50s, yet a stone that is considered a modern version of a classic cushion cut, that was patended in 2000 and nobody knows about it???? Seems unlikely.

I take back my words, if proof is presented. Hopefully it is!!!
 
Date: 5/29/2008 9:35:47 PM
Author: MC
I''m skeptical of this post based soley on the fact that the stone claimed to be in this person''s posession is so unique that it surely would be considered one of the famous stones in history. I mean, come on!!! Randomly someone finds a 30 ct. Ashoka cut, which is from the 50s, yet a stone that is considered a modern version of a classic cushion cut, that was patended in 2000 and nobody knows about it???? Seems unlikely.

I take back my words, if proof is presented. Hopefully it is!!!
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Ummm, ditto. I almost always give people the benefit of the doubt, but come on!
 
Date: 5/29/2008 9:43:09 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 5/29/2008 9:35:47 PM
Author: MC
I''m skeptical of this post based soley on the fact that the stone claimed to be in this person''s posession is so unique that it surely would be considered one of the famous stones in history. I mean, come on!!! Randomly someone finds a 30 ct. Ashoka cut, which is from the 50s, yet a stone that is considered a modern version of a classic cushion cut, that was patended in 2000 and nobody knows about it???? Seems unlikely.

I take back my words, if proof is presented. Hopefully it is!!!
Click to expand...
Ummm, ditto. I almost always give people the benefit of the doubt, but come on!
Click to expand...
yeah thritto - I may sound like a cynic - but hey, I am!
maybe one of the experts can chime in with more info that would prove/disprove..
 
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