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Searching for an antique ring preferably with an OEC or OMC.

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purelily

Shiny_Rock
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I posted in the LIW board about finding an antique engagement, but was wondering if this thread was more appropriate since I only received one response in the LIW. (Thank you Neatfreak! I did check Greenlake jewelers!:) ) Before I take him out to check out stores, however, I would like to get a few reviews on jewelers around the area so I dont wear him out. I know B&M stores usually aren''t the greatest places to find a well-priced ring, but I''ve looked at Singlestone.com and have also checked out Fay Cullen, and I have a feeling that my boyfriend would prefer to "see" a ring in person before buying it.

I''m not quite sure about budget -- My SO won''t include me on that. I just know it significantly decreased with the economic crisis... So, I am looking forward to the challenge of finding an antique ring I''ve always wanted at a bargain price.
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My SO wants it to be a surprise, but I have a feeling the budget could run anywhere from 1k - 2k to include both a ring and stone.

I have looked at the websites for Isadora''s, Alana''s Jewelry, Greenlake Jeweler''s, and Alexandria Rossoff, but they are quite pricey. At least what they have on their websites. Does anyone know the reputation of these jewelers? Also, I''m debating looking into antique malls. How reliable are these places? Does anyone have any ideas on where we can get started?

Thanks in advance..
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ETA: Oops! I''m in Seattle
 

Resonance.Of.Life

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I don''t know anything about the jewelers you mentioned.

However I can recommend 3 antique jewelers.
Singlestone (May be pricey, again depending on what you''re looking for)
Jewels by Erica Grace (their stuff is gorgeous!!!! I''ve seen their stuff in person)
Old World Diamonds (my boyfriend recently bought a gorgeous antique cushion from them)>
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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Thank you Resonance! I''ll check it out :)
 

neatfreak

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No problem PL! And just so you are aware, Fay Cullen is shady shady shady. They delete negative comments posted on their "comment board" on their website and their return policy and restocking fees are horrible. So please stay far away!
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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Yikes! Thanks for the heads up.. I just checked out old world diamonds and it looks great, but I think my SO is more into checking things out in person before he buys :-/

Do you know of any reputable antique jewelry dealers in the Seattle area? :)
 

Resonance.Of.Life

Brilliant_Rock
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I think Erica is in the Seattle area, just send her an email ;-) They hand pick their stones so anything they source would be something they would snatch up for themselves.

They also can source stones.
As for old world diamonds, the man who works there had 3 choices in cushions for my bf but really recommended one particular one and my bf ended up buying it since the man said that was the best visually out of the 3 in his price range.
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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Great! Thank you so much! and congrats on finding your stone! (ring?) ;-)
 

Resonance.Of.Life

Brilliant_Rock
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HAha thanks!

Hopefully you''ll snatch up a beautiful omc or oec. These vendors have awesome stones!
 

glitterata

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If you think your fella wants to look at the candidates in person, what part of the world are you in? Did you say & I missed it somehow?
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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Hi Glitterata,

I dont really think i made it quite clear in my post. Sorry about that! I''m in Redmond, near the Seattle Area. He''s willing to travel and we will be seeing my parents in Oregon. So we could potentially look there too if there are prizes to be found :)

Thank you all for your help!
 

missismene

Shiny_Rock
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Have you contacted any local antique/estate brokers or jewelers?
I had a co. locate OEC diamonds to view when we were searching.
I would think that seattle/oregon area would be full of those type of jewelers.
Good luck. And you have good taste!
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
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I don''t know how you feel about ebay, and I''ve never dealt with this seller and can''t vouch for him, but if I were in the market for a reasonably priced antique ring with an OEC, I would seriously consider this one.
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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Oh, wow! Its beautiful! I''m going to drag my SO to a computer right now:)
Thank you for your help!
 

:)

Brilliant_Rock
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Did you check out Lang Antiques website out of SF? Better yet if you can take a trip there they have a great store!
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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I did check them out! Their rings are totally drool-worthy :) I would love to go to SF, but right now would not be so good of a time and. Alas, my SO does not even want to look at rings online. *sigh*

I put out a page for LittleGreyKitten on the Hangout board. She works at an antique mall in seattle! I''m hoping she can point me in the right direction! (Although I''m LOVING the directions everyone has been sending me in!! Hopefully some other lurker can see this post and use it to their advantage :) )
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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I checked out the link Gliteratta sent and sent my SO the link. He's afraid of getting things off ebay. I'm trying to think of compelling reasons to order online since there were so many great suggestions :)

ETA. I hope i didn't sound ungrateful in my last post. I'm very thankful for all of your help!
 

purrfectpear

Ideal_Rock
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If you''re willing to consider eBay sight unseen, then I''d really, really recommend Old World Diamonds in NY.

I purchased my antique cushion from Adam at Old World. They can give you pictures, and certification data. They have beautiful stock, will provide honest opinions, and their pricing is much more reasonable than either EricaGrace or Singlestone.

<-------------------------------
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
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Lily, you didn''t sound ungrateful at all. We''re all happy to help. It''s fun.
 

Vix

Shiny_Rock
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Because antique diamonds are pretty hot in the PNW (all that eco-friendliness), your budget *could* be a little tight for RL buying; from what PScopers show and tell, the reputable online vendors tend to be a better bargain...and also more likely to have their stones spec''d and/or color-graded, which may or may not matter to you.

But as my ring was ~1K for .5 stone + white gold setting I know it can be done. DEFINITELY continue to read up on old cuts here and check the price lists for the loose cut stones. In addition to gaining a basic understanding of older stones'' properties and poetry, it can make it easier to negotiate if you buy IRL.

[You could also buy a stone online and do a simple stock WG setting...I love old cuts in modern settings and in vintage ones!]

Since you all really want to try before you buy --

Portland: http://www.giltjewelry.com/ (the old cut expert I got my ring from is semi-retired but he was a supplier); small but nice selection and they might be able to work with you to source stones

Also Portland: http://www.maloys.com/ I have zero knowledge about their rep/prices, just know them from ads

Astoria: http://www.jonathonsltd.com/

I enabled my sister to trade in her original e-ring for an unknown-but-warmer-colored fireball OEC at Jonathan''s -- pics below:



B_vintagering_cu_lorez.jpg


B_vintagering_newband_lorez.jpg


Good luck with the hunt and please do report back!
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
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Vix, your avatar is beautiful, & so''s your sister''s ring.
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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Thanks for the posts! A little about why I'm so interested in an antique e-ring... I've been going estate and antique jewelry hunting with my grandmother and mother since I was 12? Because I was good my gma bought me a nice platinum diamond eternity band, but I lost it as it was too big for my finger. *sigh*. After that, she and my mother stopped buying me jewelry. ;-) So, I stopped wearing jewelry, but have always wanted to own an antique E-ring. I guess I'm more like my grandma than I like to admit because the thrill of the hunt is almost as much fun as getting it. Antique stores, Antique malls, garage sales, pawn shops, flea markets, and swap meets.. I've scoured them all with my beloved grandma...

My grandma instilled in me a love of "old" jewelry. She refuses to buy "new" things and much prefers antiques. She LOVES antique diamonds and helped buy my mom's ring for a steal. My grandma loves to tell the story... I think it goes... That she talked the antique dealer down to less than 2k for a 1 carat OMC with .5 OMC Side stones (x 2). So a 2.0 cttw. {ETA: I have to check up on this. The side stones may be a bit smaller than I remembered ;-) } And it sparkles BEAUTIFULLY! It is a SI1 I believe and a G in color. I'll get a pic of it next time i visit my mom.

My SO is taking me out antique hunting this weekend, but only if I'm good and don't mention "ring" to him. Oh, and I have not talked to gma about helping me find a ring because she thinks i'm getting something else ;-) {ETA: oops! :) Wow, this is full of them :)] But, honestly, I'm extremely excited about finding something that is less commercial, with a story, that screams ME :) Plus.. good old gma would LOVE it if her mild mannered granddaughter could come back with a good bargain hunting story of her own with an amazing ring ;-)

Purrfect Pear My SO is not one of going sight unseen, but I've been checking out oldworld diamonds and their pricing is wonderful.

Gliterata Thank you and I just wanted to also say I loved your post on the differences of OEC, Transition, and the Infinity diamond

Vix Yay! Thanks! My mother's down in portland. Maybe I can send her on a little fishing expedition. P.S. I saw your sisters ring on your post about how you got her to trade it in. It is gorgeous!
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
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Lily, I have the same story--my grandma loved antique jewelry and got me started on my obsession too. You''re so lucky to still have your grandma around to enjoy jewelry with. I wish I could share my finds with mine.

Obviously what you need to do is send your boyfriend shopping with Grandma! She''ll be able to spot the good stuff and help him negotiate a deal.
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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Awww. I''m sorry about your grandma, but I''m sure she would be extremely proud of all your truly amazing finds :)


I really should ask my grandma to help. She would be so thrilled -- she would really want to be in on this. But sending my gma on a bargain hunting expedition... We''ll just say she is very persistent and has some well-practiced haggling skills. Sometimes, I do feel sorry for the vendors she come across, but she gets away with such AWESOME deals! (And they really like her. She''s this 4''10 chinese lady who dresses like she lives in a casino and has such a great personality).

My Gma is in Hawaii right now though and we are in Seattle ,but maybe I should ask her to come down for a little adventure? I wonder if that would step on my SO''s toes too much ;-)
 

Upgradable

Ideal_Rock
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Have you checked out www.jewelsbyericagrace.com? They are terrific ladies!! If you see something you like and contact them I''m sure that Erica would be happy to meet with you and your SO to try them on.
 

Liane

Brilliant_Rock
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http://www.antiqueengagementrings.com is another vendor to consider. Leigh has some nice rings in your price range and may be able to find more OEC/OMC rings to suit your needs if you give him a call. New rings go up on the site all the time, and I''m told there are many that aren''t shown.

Their return policy is very good so even if your boyfriend prefers to look at things in person before making a commitment, he can always order, examine the ring, and send it back if it''s not to his liking.
 

Black Jade

Brilliant_Rock
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Would you do a reproduction?

I bought a beautiful filigree ring last year from Janeliunas
You can google the name. The URl is something like jansjewells.com but that might not be right.
It was very, very similar to an authentic art deco ring that my grandmother used to have that was lost to our family; and the price was right. I had had a lot of trouble finding a setting that looked like what my grandmother had (circa 1919) as most ''antique'' rings I saw were actually modern styles with the stone set up very high and lots of pave instead of the stone set inside the ring with lots of detailed filigree.
I don''t think that she (the owner of Janeliunas) has OMC or OEc diamonds but she is open to setting a diamond that you buy elsewhere into one of her settings (or selling you the setting and letting your jeweler set it with a stone.

You can give her a call; she''s very friendly.

I hope this is helpful--I can''t tell from your post whether its the antique settings or the antique cut diamonds or both.

Anyway good look and congratulations on your engagement.
 

Black Jade

Brilliant_Rock
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correction, she does have old mine diamonds.

http://www.jansjewells.com/item.php?item_id=517&category_id=59

You can cruise around her site--she has many, many different types of settings.
The work is a wonderful quality. Not only I, but my mother who was used to seeing my grandmother''s ring all the time from when she was young, was amazed at how similar my repro looked.
 

purelily

Shiny_Rock
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352
Thank you everyone for your help!

I ended up going to an antique dealer in Seattle. Alana Jewelry. There is a sales associate there, sue, who is SO NICE! If you ever get to Alana Jewelry you should DEFINITELY check her out.

I also found a ring I have fallen head over heels in love with. I''m taking my SO to the store to check it out tomorrow. I will let you all know how it goes!! :)
 

glitterata

Ideal_Rock
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That''s great, Lily--I hope he loves it too, and most of all, I hope you''ll POST PICTURES!!!!!
 

Upgradable

Ideal_Rock
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I''m so glad you''ve found something you love!!! You do know that pictures are mandatory!!!
 
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