rose-cut navette as engagement ring

[fel]

My son just purchased this early 20th century navette cluster ring for his finance. I realize it is unconventional as an engagement ring, but the lady has unconventional tastes. I thought the diamonds looked very clear for rosies. What do you all think? She wanted something blingy but not scintillating. Do you think this will hold up over time?

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

So pretty! I love the choice! I think today’s couples are looking for something that expresses their unique love for each other. Wishing your son and his fiancée much happiness. Congratulations to your family!

 

[JPie]

If the person wearing it loves it, then why not. As for whether it’ll hold up over time, a jeweler familiar with antiques should inspect it and advise whether daily wear is a good idea or if it needs to be restored.

 

[fel]

Thanks folks. I love the ring -- just trying to ask if there are any pitfalls to wearing that kind of antique, multi-stone ring on a daily basis. The seller says it is appropriate for daily wear.

 

[Bluegemz]

LOVE!!! It’s a great shape and style. I have an antique navette with rose cuts and old sapphires. It has a beautiful, intimate light play, bling without scintillation is a great way to describe the effect. It has held up really well and gets worn a lot. I’m also rough on my rings. I would have a jeweler check the metal around the stones for needed repairs etc to be sure.

 

[wanamaker]

So beautiful and unique!

 

[the_mother_thing]

I LOVE the ring; it’s beautiful and I bet it dazzles in person.

However, I don’t know that I would expect to wear this daily (despite what the seller says; it’s not like he/she doesn’t have a reason to push the sale, IYKWIM). The reason I say that is: it’s a lot of stones with LOTS of tiny prongs, so it would just stand to reason that it’s more likely to experience catching on clothing, bending a prong, and possibly losing a stone. It also looks rather long & low on the finger, so pairing a wedding band with it may prove challenging. So for those reasons, while I might buy it for a RHR or even an alt e-ring for special occasions, it’s not something I would choose for daily wear.

What about a rose-cut band ... that would still fall within the ‘unconventional’ category for an e-ring, I’d think, while not being too blingy.

 

[leukolenos]

It’s also worth asking if the stones are foil backed. If they are, it cannot be cleaned normally.

I love the ring but also think it’s probably not suitable for daily wear.

 

[Bluegemz]

I agree, if foil backed, that would collect grime and be probably impossible to fully clean.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

If the bride to be has a refined lifestyle (rather than a rustic lifestyle as it were?) then it should be fine for wearing daily to the office and whatnot. What a charming ring! I adore rose cuts. Congratulations on their engagement!

 

[fel]

She did ask these questions -- it is not foil backed and a wedding ring can fit right up against the shank, under the head of the ring. I also have concerns about the prongs -- we will see... the ring arrives post resizing in a day or two.

 

[the_mother_thing]

She did ask these questions -- it is not foil backed and a wedding ring can fit right up against the shank, under the head of the ring. I also have concerns about the prongs -- we will see... the ring arrives post resizing in a day or two.

“She” = the bride-to-be? If so, it sounds like she is on board with the choice then, so I’m sorry for suggesting an alternative. So long as she is well-advised of how to care for it and she loves it, that’s all that matters.
Please do ask her to let you take a couple pics of it when it arrives; I’d love to see more images IRL vs. from a light box.

 

[fel]

Yes, "she' is the bride. I will of course ask for more pictures. The vendor sent her a video file of it, and the diamonds performed impressively in my opinion. I am not sure how to post a .mov file on pricescope.

 

[the_mother_thing]

I am not sure how to post a .mov file on pricescope.

You can upload it to YouTube and post that via the little ‘filmstrip’ icon on the menu bar (when commenting on the thread).

 

[lovedogs]

Yes, "she' is the bride. I will of course ask for more pictures. The vendor sent her a video file of it, and the diamonds performed impressively in my opinion. I am not sure how to post a .mov file on pricescope.

You cant post one directly but you can upload to YouTube and then post the link.

 

[Austina]

Lovely to see some more unusual choices. My son had just got engaged, and they’ve also chosen a non traditional ring.

 

[oldminer]

If the top of the ring is made of silver, there will be long term wear issues sooner than if the top is platinum or white gold. Expect to lose a stone or to have one or more get loose in the setting from time to time when worn daily. Otherwise, the ring is a very attractive and unconventional selection which has a lot of character.

 

[fel]

Thanks David. It is platinum on top, rose gold shank.

 

[AV_]

The fact is that few people wear such pave often anymore, so the one way to tell how it will hold up is to wear the ring.

I adore the style...

As for cleaning, wiping it clean - perhaps with alcohol (grime-remover), should be quite enough (since the design does not have parts where only steam or vibrations get... - it is all exposed surfaces) & certainly safe.

 

[fel]

I clean my rings by soaking in a solution of alcohol and hydrogen peroxide (over the counter strength). This works great for all metals except silver (the solution oxidizes silver). I never rub, brush or scrub anything -- have had bad experiences with that, like old rings falling apart. I also wouldn't use it on pearls or opals, but I don't have those items in rings.

Any issues with using this solution with this ring? I don't want to give bad advice to my future in-law.

 

[junebug17]

Oh my what a beautiful ring @fel! Love it. Personally I think she will be fine wearing it, maybe just use a little caution and take it off when she is using her hands a lot...cleaning, exercising, etc. Honestly, I do the same with my rings, I don't want to risk banging and damaging them. Might not be a bad idea to take it to a jeweler and have him check for loose stones. Wonderful news about their engagement! You must be so excited.

 

[fel]

@junebug17 I am thrilled on behalf of my son, but even more so on my own behalf as now I finally have a daughter (I have two adult sons). Once she finishes up school in a few months, they plan to live nearby. Can't wait!

 

[fel]

@Austina, I love your dog! What kind is he? So cuddly on a cold day! Also what kind of ring did your son choose?

 

[Austina]

@fel My dog is a (Monks Cloak) Brown roan Italian Spinone, she’s a rescue and an absolutely lovely, lovely girl.

My son and his fiancé have gone for a diamond and sapphire cluster

 

[fel]

So I just googled Italian Spinones. Wow what sweet looking dogs -- I want to meet one in person, as I love big, hairy dogs (I have a standard poodle). Congrats on your son's engagement. Their ring is very showy & intricate. May she wear it well.

 

[AV_]

I clean my rings by soaking

I would not want anything to get between diamonds and the metal behind
them. Alcohol would evaporate easily out of there, but... no great reason to let it in.

If the white metal is silver it will get its patina - it is the nature of the beast! I see the look - diamond drops on matte black, done on purpose these days.

I never use oxygenated water for cleaning.

 

[fel]

So we really need help from from all of you. The ring arrived and it appears when resizing it, the shop damaged the ring. Most seriously, it seems they snapped the supporting structure underneath. Secondly, there is now a gap between the diamonds and the shank where they meet.

Can these things be repaired such that the ring won't always be at risk, or would it always be a weak spot? We need to know if we just have to return it, or if we should ask to get it repaired here. We are in the US and the seller is a store in the UK. Please see pictures -- the first one shows the break in the bottom bracket, and the second shows the gap. The bride-to-be is very upset as she love the ring, and they just broke via sloppy resizing.

Thanks so much.

 

[the_mother_thing]

Oh no ... I’m so sorry you’re now having THIS to contend with when the bride-to-be & son should be happy & celebrating. Pretty poor QC by the seller, for sure! I can’t speak to how repairable it is, and/or how fragile it may be if it can be repaired. Maybe one of our pros will pop on and comment, but I’d suggest getting an independent appraiser to give it a look if possible.

Is it possible this is damage that was already done (pre-resizing) that they did not disclose? Any pics of the ring from that angle/side before it was resized? Seems (to me, a non-professional) to be an odd place for a ‘break’ due to resizing, as I’d think the shank would have been resized at the bottom, and that appears to be a break in the metal nearer one end/point of the navette basket.

Also, if you had them resize it, you might need to inquire about whether or not it even is returnable. Most places - even if they resize it themselves - would consider it a final sale/no returns. So it’s worth checking on that as well so you know your options. Good luck; I hope you can work this out!

 

[fel]

It was not broken prior to resizing -- I have a picture to demonstrate that. The sale came with free resizing and it was pre-established that it was returnable. But even if they said it was not returnable, you can't sell someone something that is fundamentally different than what they purchased, and I am rather certain the credit card company would back this up.

 

[fel]

I think that because it was such a dramatic resize they strained the carriage and it snapped. The original ring was listed as close to the bride's size. However, that was a sizing ring not the "real" size of the ring. When they resized it, they removed the sizing ring, and so it was rather a drastic resize. But she did ask if that was possible prior to purchase, and being able to remove the sizing ring and resizing correctly was a condition of sale.