Replica Antique Rings

[sknight]

I am looking for an anitque style ring. Something with a cathedral mount, engraving, side diamonds going down the ring about half way. Can anyone recommend vendors, websites etc..? Thanks in advance.

BTW: I have diamond, 1.43 round, just looking for mountings.

Steve

 

[glitterata]

Try Antiqueengagementrings.com. I'm very happy with the setting I got from them. It's the one on the right in the attached picture. (The other one is my maternal grandmother's engagement ring from 1929.)

(Apologies to anyone who's sick of seeing photos of my beloved heirlooms.)

 

[L144S]

http://www.faycullen.com

I love the things on this site! PLEASE don't get the one I am looking at

 

[jupiters_gal]

estatediamondjewelry.com has some beautiful antique rings. I almost went with a ring on this site, but then decided to go modern instead!

 

[DustieRenee]

take a look at www.RichardLandi.com
they have beautiful settings and you can e-mail them to get a local jeweler. I am going to meet with one tomorrow to get prices, but I was told by a diamond wholesaler that their prices are better than the similar Tacori (check out their site too) www.tacori.com

 

[DustieRenee]

I forgot to tell you about www.faycullen.com too, they are very pretty and have the price right there- which is not common.

 

[dnach]

How is the quality of the setting from www.antiqueengagementrings.com?
How were they to deal with?
They all look beautiful, but it is hard to tell how good the craftsmanship
is on the engravings.

Thanks.

Dave

 

[glitterata]

Leigh at antiqueengagementrings.com is great to work with. I went in person and spent several hours trying on everything. He was sweet and patient and seemed trustworthy.

The settings themselves are casts of actual antiques. That means they're much more delicate than most new rings--light and slender. For me this was part of the draw, because I was resetting an heirloom stone and wanted to get as close as possible to what the original setting might have looked like. But if you're looking for something substantial or bulky, they might not be best for you.

Also, because they're cast, not hand engraved, the patterns might not be as crisp as some. When I asked Leigh about this he said they could be hand engraved if I wanted, but I was trying to keep the cost down, so I didn't pursue it. (I don't know how much it would add to the price, since I didn't ask.) At normal viewing distance you wouldn't notice, just if you're inspecting them closely through a loupe.

If you live near NYC, you might want to give him a call and go take a look in person.

 

[Aprile]

I second glitterata's comments about antiqueengagementrings.com. I too have been there & most pleased with what I saw.

Another suggestion is Kim Wheeling from

http://www.jewelryrings.com/

He has some lovely antique reproductions. What I particularly enjoy about his site is you see the mounting *bare* & then you can click & see it set. Most of his finished pics are shown with gemstones as I believe he works with them. However, you can have any type stone mounted. He has a toll free # on his site if memory serves me correctly.


Happy Hunting!
A

 

[Mara]

ahhh gliteratta I loved that setting (on the right) in your picture from aer...I was looking at it (cheap too!!) but it looks much more bulky on their website. You should give them your picture to use to show people how it looks with a stone in it and from a different angle, it looks very pretty in your pic.

 

[glitterata]

Actually, Mara, the website does show that setting with a stone in it, from a very similar angle to that picture of my ring. Looks very similar (except theirs is a higher color--mine's a K/L--and possibly a bigger stone). Most of the other settings on their mountings page aren't shown with stones set, though. This is a pity because many of them appear to have big, wide prongs, when in reality they'll be snipped into double claws when the stone is set, the way mine was. (Sorry if this is confusing; take a look at the pictures on their website and you'll see what I mean.)

I notice they have a new setting with pave running down the shoulders, the first setting on their mountings page--very nice! I would have considered it if they'd had it when I was looking.

 

[Mara]

wow they have some beautiful engagement rings on there--with alot of cushion cut stones!! cheap too...a 2.26 I VS cushion cut with partially bead-set setting is something like $12700! *drool* I like the pave setting alot too...but there is a more delicate similar one (2nd one?) on that page that is more my style.

 

[Rabbit]

you might want to look at www.platinummfg.com, go to platinum designs and then look at semi mounting and engagement sets. they have some lovely designs and very good quality

 

[annie grace]

RE: Leigh at antiqueengagementrings.com I live in NY and was thinking of going there to reset my diamond because after I had my baby..the ring just does not fit right...can you tell me:
Does he have more antique replica mountings in person or just the same as on the website.

Does he have some sort of certificate if the mounting you choose has diamonds on the sides, etc... to say they are real?

And IMPORTANT to me....did he set your heirloom stone in the ring for you? If so, was this done right in front of you....as I have heard nightmare stories about stones being switched if left for lesser quality or even fake. Or did he talk you into leaving your stone for him to set?

Thank you,
Annie

 

[glitterata]

Hi, Annie--

First of all, are you sure you need a whole new ring? Could you have your current ring resized? (Just asking--I know some rings can't be resized, and maybe yours is one of them.)

However, to answer your questions about Leigh:

He might have other settings besides the ones on the website. When I went to see him last spring, he showed me a new one he hadn't put on the website yet. It's up there now, but maybe he has more new ones, I don't know.

I did leave my stone with him to be set, but I'm certain he didn't switch it. Before your stone is set, he will put it under a microscope and show you the flaws. Afterwards, he'll put it under the microscope again so you can identify the flaws and see that it's the same stone. My stone is an Old European Cut, K/L color, SI2, with one big flaw near the girdle. The stone I got back is exactly the same color and antique cut. The setter put the big flaw under a prong, so it now looks flawless (or very high clarity, anyway). If he switched it, he must have given me a BETTER diamond--same not-very-good-color, same cut, but better clarity. Or could it be a fake? I really, really doubt it--I think it would be impossible to get a fake that yellow and cut in that old style. Or, if you could do it, it would take much longer than overnight (which was how long I left my stone). Anyway, I know my stone well and I recognize its quirks.

But if you're really concerned, you could ask him to let you watch the setter work.

About the sidestones: No, I didn't get a certificate with them (my receipt does say they're diamonds, though). But they're tiny, so they're not that expensive. Even if he were dishonest, it would be really silly of him to use fakes that small and risk his reputation for so little gain. I examined them with a loupe and they look clean and white--in fact, I sort of wish they were yellower, since they look whiter than my K/L center stone in some lights.

Again, if you're concerned, you could ask him for a certificate or guarantee. You could certainly have him test the stones with a diamond tester to prove that they're real.

And you could set your mind at ease about both questions by having the ring appraised.

Hope this helps.