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Opinion on 1890'S 3 stone ring

C

cmroberts23

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 14, 2014
Messages
3
I have recently started engagement ring shopping and my soon to be fiance is ready to strangle me! He wants to walk in to the nearest store and buy the first ring we see, but he also wants me to love it and for it to be big enough not to embarrass him. The first ring I was drawn to was only 0.3 ct, so I have been actively trying to find a larger ring. I think I have found the sticking point, which is I that only like vintage or antique.

Today at Doyle & Doyle in Manhattan I tried on an antique 3 stone ring from the 1890's which I fell in love with, but I don't know how to tell if the price is fair.

The center stone is a bit above .5ct, H color and I think SI1, but I care more about the overall look than the specs.

Price is $4,200. (Our budget is $5,000)

What do you think? As son as I decide he will make the purchase.

20141114_172434.jpg

20141114_172411.jpg
 
The price strikes me as being a little bit high, but not exorbitantly so. Have you checked out Love Affair Diamonds or Diamonds by Grace? These two online companies are owed by the former co-owners of Jewels by Erica Grace, and many PS'ers have had good purchasing experiences with them.
 
VRBeauty|1416021612|3783888 said:
The price strikes me as being a little bit high, but not exorbitantly so. Have you checked out Love Affair Diamonds or Diamonds by Grace? These two online companies are owed by the former co-owners of Jewels by Erica Grace, and many PS'ers have had good purchasing experiences with them.
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:wavey: I second that (checking Grace & Erica's offerings). 1 LAD purchase + 2 JbG purchases = Me happy customer!
 
I agree with the above posters, check out Jewels by Grace, Love Affair Diamonds and Old World Diamonds first and see what they can offer you. If you have no luck then go back and see if you can haggle. Goodluck with your search Antique 3 stones are beautiful rings.
 
cmroberts23|1416020563|3783884 said:
I have recently started engagement ring shopping and my soon to be fiance is ready to strangle me! He wants to walk in to the nearest store and buy the first ring we see, but he also wants me to love it and for it to be big enough not to embarrass him. The first ring I was drawn to was only 0.3 ct, so I have been actively trying to find a larger ring. I think I have found the sticking point, which is I that only like vintage or antique.

Today at Doyle & Doyle in Manhattan I tried on an antique 3 stone ring from the 1890's which I fell in love with, but I don't know how to tell if the price is fair.

The center stone is a bit above .5ct, H color and I think SI1, but I care more about the overall look than the specs.

Price is $4,200. (Our budget is $5,000)

What do you think? As son as I decide he will make the purchase.
Click to expand...

Aside from the search, during which you should TAKE YOUR TIME and don't rush, why would your fiancé want to strangle you? Isn't it more the other way around, if he wants to buy the first ring you see yet love it too? Keep looking and allow yourself time to see what you not only love at first sight but what you will love for a long time. Just follow the advice of the suggestions provided by the other posters and open yourself up to the world of possibilities. Have fun and good luck!!
 
It's very hard to judge from the photos, but it looks like a very pretty 3-stone. Given the price point, I might ask Doyle if they can have the center stone graded by GIA, at least. If having that independent validation is not super important to you, perhaps use an independent appraiser, just to make sure you're getting exactly what you pay for. I also wouldn't hesitate to make a lower offer. Finding your ideal ring is the goal, and if you love this ring, go for it!

Congrats on going the auction house route, and hopefully, finding your dream ring. Great finger coverage too!
 
I suppose we are an 'opposites attract' type couple in this area. He makes decisions quickly and without much research while I am indecisive and research everything. The fact that I tried on 40 rings only liked two could be frustrating, but at least I have a better idea of what I like! I was never the girl who dreamed of engagement so I had a very limited idea of what I liked, and some things I thought I would doesn't look right on my hand. We'll figure it all out and I'll have something I love in the end.

I guess he's also a bit anxious as we already have a wedding venue and date picked, and are putting a deposit down this week. However, he's a bit old fashioned and won't feel things are 'official' until I have a ring.

Thanks to those of you who suggested other sites!
I Checked, and none had a similar enough ring online to compare, but they did have many other lovely pieces.

I would rather purchase in person anyhow, and was already planning a visit to Israel Rose. They also don't have a similar 3 stone but these are some other rings I was planning to look at:

http://www.newyorkestatejewelry.com/engagement-rings/1920s-1ct-old-mine-cut-diamond-14k-2-tone-gold--engagement-ring-/15213/3/item

I know this is smaller but it might have a nice wide look on my hand.
http://www.newyorkestatejewelry.com/engagement-rings/victorian--0.51ct-round-diamond-engagement-ring/17946/3/item

I prefer a mix of yellow and white, but here are two in platinum

http://www.newyorkestatejewelry.com/engagement-rings/0.80ct-edwardian-platinum-engagement-ring/3448/3/item

http://www.newyorkestatejewelry.com/engagement-rings/1920s-0.92ct-old-european-diamond-engagement-ring/18891/3/item

I already ruled out Elleven in Brooklyn as being overpriced, with this .4 ct ring priced at $4300 http://static.squarespace.com/static/52ded87ee4b07d4d3ce8a7ae/52df0513e4b07d8c19a25a02/543eafebe4b09e17b7b8a0a8/1413406304989/4050.jpg?format=750w

How worried should I be about losing the ring if I wait a week or two?
 
RandG|1416053507|3784032 said:
It's very hard to judge from the photos, but it looks like a very pretty 3-stone. Given the price point, I might ask Doyle if they can have the center stone graded by GIA, at least. If having that independent validation is not super important to you, perhaps use an independent appraiser, just to make sure you're getting exactly what you pay for. I also wouldn't hesitate to make a lower offer. Finding your ideal ring is the goal, and if you love this ring, go for it!

Congrats on going the auction house route, and hopefully, finding your dream ring. Great finger coverage too!
Click to expand...

Thank you for the suggestion on the GIA grading, I will ask.

Just to clarify, Doyle & Doyle is a B&M which I don't believe is affiliated with the auction house but I could certainly be mistaken.
 
If its not the auction house, I would really want some independent validation and its not unreasonable to expect a cert. It's a lot of money to spend! Would love to see the stones... :) The mounting is really special too!
 
Also Check Old World Diamond, I think they are in NY.
 
If you fell in love with it, then I think that counts for a lot, especially after having tried on 50 rings. :)

I think it looks nice in your pictures. If you have that ring in mind as a top contender, I'd suggest visiting it again and looking at it in different, non-jewelry store lighting. You should look at it in regular daylight as well as indoor lighting conditions (think home and maybe office-type lighting if you spend a lot of time in an office). See whether the diamonds still look good to you.

I'd also think about how the ring would look with a wedding band, if you plan to wear it with a wedding band. If possible, try it on with some bands to see what you think. Obviously you can shop for the band later, but in terms of band width and whether the rings are flush or if you need a spacer, it's good to think of that before purchasing the engagement ring.

The other thing I would do is examine the setting to ensure it is durable. Some antique settings have significant wear and may need repair. Is the shank evenly thick all the way around? Do the prongs look secure?
 
Started typing a response to the list of rings you posted, which then got eaten. Let me try again:

The second ring you posted is an example of a ring to take out of the running due to durability issues. The shank is too thin - it is worn down to 1mm at its smallest point. The shank should be no thinner than 1.7-2mm to ensure durability. 2-2.5mm is still thin yet durable.

Based on the rings you posted, we have very similar taste in antique/vintage rings! Since you are in the NYC area, I would suggest calling Greenwich Jewelers (Financial District) and Clay Pot (Park Slope, Brooklyn) to see if they have any Van Craeynest settings available for sale. I own three Van Craeynest rings and they are made with methods and designs from the 1920s or so. I think that some, if not all, of the designs will match your aesthetics. The workmanship is incredible. The only thing is, Van Craeynest was bought by another company a few years ago, and I understand that they are no longer making rings because the new company could not keep up the methods/retain the artisans needed to produce them. :( So basically, if you go this route, it's like a sample sale, no other styles and no other sizes. I think the samples were usually 6.5 or so, so this could work if your ring size is 6 or 6.5. Due to designs all the way around, these rings cannot be sized.

If the size is right, then you could buy a modern round brilliant or a vintage round diamond to go with the setting. Typically these rings were made for smaller (<1 carat) diamonds, so you would need to know if the head was for a .5 or 1 carat diamond and go from there to figure out what size diameter diamond would look right.

Best of luck! It sounds like you've found the style you like, which is 80% of the battle IMO. :)
 
I would contact Doyle & Doyle in the city. Have heard good things about them.
 
I think it looks very nice, though the price is on the high side since you don't know the cut quality of the stones (and I can't tell if single or multiple side stones). Find out the size and specs of the diamonds, then you can go on pricescope to see what similar stones would cost. What I would do in your shoes is a) see if willing to get a grading report on center stone, and b) see if they are flexible on price. For example the center stone is worth 900-1400, setting another 650, side stones another 1K (generously), you are at 2850 if you are making the ring brand new.
 
Wednesday said:
Started typing a response to the list of rings you posted, which then got eaten. Let me try again:

The second ring you posted is an example of a ring to take out of the running due to durability issues. The shank is too thin - it is worn down to 1mm at its smallest point. The shank should be no thinner than 1.7-2mm to ensure durability. 2-2.5mm is still thin yet durable.

Based on the rings you posted, we have very similar taste in antique/vintage rings! Since you are in the NYC area, I would suggest calling Greenwich Jewelers (Financial District) and Clay Pot (Park Slope, Brooklyn) to see if they have any Van Craeynest settings available for sale. I own three Van Craeynest rings and they are made with methods and designs from the 1920s or so. I think that some, if not all, of the designs will match your aesthetics. The workmanship is incredible. The only thing is, Van Craeynest was bought by another company a few years ago, and I understand that they are no longer making rings because the new company could not keep up the methods/retain the artisans needed to produce them. :( So basically, if you go this route, it's like a sample sale, no other styles and no other sizes. I think the samples were usually 6.5 or so, so this could work if your ring size is 6 or 6.5. Due to designs all the way around, these rings cannot be sized.

If the size is right, then you could buy a modern round brilliant or a vintage round diamond to go with the setting. Typically these rings were made for smaller (<1 carat) diamonds, so you would need to know if the head was for a .5 or 1 carat diamond and go from there to figure out what size diameter diamond would look right.

Best of luck! It sounds like you've found the style you like, which is 80% of the battle IMO. :)
Click to expand...

I love Greenwich Jewelers. Have purchased from them many times. But I've had their bench a (youngish guy) do work for me before and I had issues (and it was a simple sizing.) Don't think I would trust him with this.
 
HI:

2014 thread. Wonder what they bought......

cheers--Sharon
 
canuk-gal said:
HI:

2014 thread. Wonder what they bought......

cheers--Sharon
Click to expand...

Thanks. I posted in the wrong thread. Wondering where this one came from though as I've only checked out the first few pages worth of posts...weird.
 
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