Saphire ring found thrifting

[Ira22]

Hi everyone, I’m new to the forum and wanted to see if I can get more information on a ring I recently found in a thrift. I took it to a neibourhood jeweler and he gave me a hand written appraisal saying it’s a 14 karat gold ring with natural sapphires from the 1940’’s and that it’s worth 6500$. Looking at the pictures I’m attaching does that sound right to you? Any other information on the ring that anyone can help me with just based on pictures ? He also said the main sapphire is 5 carat, wouldn’t that make it more expensive ? Thank you for any info.

 

[VRBeauty]

I don’t know anything about the value of colored stones, but I have to say - that is a spectacular ring!

Do you know how the jeweler determined that the sapphires are natural?

 

[pokerface]

Are those supposed to be diamonds? Looking at the style of the ring, the quality of the diamonds and the price, these are almost certainly lab-created sapphires. A natural five carat sapphire alone would be worth about 3-5 times the amount quoted. Synthetic sapphires are very cheap. Without a lab report, I wouldn't pay much more for this ring than the cost of the metal. $6500 is not a deal here, it is a total ripoff. If the sapphires are synthetic (and I'm willing to bet on it!), a fair price would be under $1000. I highly recommend walking away, given the price point and the fact that the seller was seemingly willing to state the stones were natural without any proof.

 

[pokerface]

Oh, I misunderstood that you already thrifted the ring and then took to a jeweler for an appraisal. Maybe it's typical for an appraisal to get an inflated value, but the jeweler should know better than to state "natural." You should definitely not expect to sell this ring for anywhere near $6500. If you really want to know what you have, I'd try a different jeweler with colored stone expertise.

 

[Bron357]

Congratulations on finding such a Fabulous ring. Love the design.
The centre stone is way bigger than 5 carats, closer to 10 I‘d guess and the side ones would have to be around 2 carats or so each.
Im wondering if the top (white metal) is platinum?
id take it to another jeweller, someone who has gemmology qualifications (not all jewellers are also gemologist) to find out if the sapphires are natural or not. The ring is still amazing even if the sapphires aren’t natural. However if they are natural the ring is worth way more than $6,500.

 

[Ira22]

Thanks for your replies. He wrote on the appraisal that it’s 14 karat gold and he tested the band for 14 karat gold but I don’t think he tested the top side. The diamonds he said they are unpolished I believe is the term he used hence why they look like that. My safest best is probably taking it to the diamond district and have someone there have a second look. I’m pretty sure the guy that looked at it does not have gemmologic qualifications but he seemed pretty sure about what he was saying, enough to put it in writing. However New York is full of frauds and I wouldn’t know better. It is a beautiful ring regardless and so well done that I have a very hard time thinking someone would go through all that trouble for something that’s not worth anything especially in the 40’s.

 

[pokerface]

It's a lovely ring, but I promise you that if the sapphire were natural that the diamonds would be polished.

 

[pokerface]

You can see on the underside that the sapphires aren't even protected. Plus the metal looks almost corroded...I would definitely retest the suspicious parts.

 

[pokerface]

I am mad at the appraiser, because he's really wrong either way. He's either way too high or way too low. You don't need extensive training to know that a large, clear, attractive blue "natural" sapphire is worth more than $1000/ct. He's completely off on the size of the main sapphire. And I would guess that this ring dates to the 1960s at the earliest. His willingness to put all this information in writing doesn't make it more likely that he's right - it makes it more likely that he's purposefully deceiving you.

 

[Ira22]

I guess real or fake the stone is deffinetly is more than 5 karat from what you are saying. Also he seems to be off the year as well. When I took it in he asked me he if I wanted to apraise it and I said no that I would like to know for myself how much it would be worth, and he said around 6000. Then when i took it in for the certificate he asked me again how much did he initially say, so I guess he went by that. I guess he is just a Brooklyn fraud. I don’t want to go out of my way to get this ring checked and embarrass myself with it . I did pay 16 dollars on it so regardless it was worth it I guess. The tarnish thing inside is some sort of clay stuff from how it was stored I guess.

 

[Bron357]

Lots of jewellers know less than they make out. Normally whatever they know is far more than the client. Here on Pricescope many of us have lots and lots of experience / knowledge BUT no one can tell for certain from photos.
Lab sapphires ARE sapphires but grown not dug out of the ground. You need a loupe or microscope and knowledge of what natural inclusions look like as well as what curved growth lines, gas bubbles look like in lab grown material to tell the difference. Sometimes its really easy to tell if it’s natural if there are inclusions, rutile, colour banding but, sometimes it’s really difficult.
Lab sapphires are pretty much “perfect” nothing to see but a top quality heated sapphire (rutile or silk in natural sapphires can make the gem look cloudy so heat is applied to dissolve it away and make the gem look better) can look perfect as well.
While the diamonds being “single cut” (cheaper diamonds) might make me lean towards lab sapphires, some people design ring and the elements with personal meaning. It’s definitely a “one of a kind” style ring so perhaps who ever designed it wanted to add in the old diamonds from grandmas old brooch.
You could give it a clean with some liquid soap water and a toothbrush.

 

[Ira22]

Thank you for your answer, it’s very informative, much apreciated.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

$16
what a bargain what ever it is you did great !
Someone didn't know what they had for it to end up in a thrift shop

Are you going to get it sized so you can wear it ?
A ring like that should be worn !
Its gorgeous!

 

[Fabtwinsmom]

What a great find! Beautiful ring.

 

[Cerulean]

Such a cool design! It reminds me of antique rings that have yellow gold, with silver or platinum on top.

I have nothing to offer other than - if you really want to know if the sapphire(s) are real, send it to AGL!

If it's real it is really undervalued, if it's not - it is very overvalued like @pokerface said

 

[Tourmaline]

The sapphires are not natural. They are synthetic, based on the style and quality of the ring, and also the uniformity of color, but it’s lovely nonetheless! I would value it at around $500.