Should I buy this ring? (1.84 ct unheated, Burmese ruby, Art Deco ring)

[ahoward]

Hi everyone ,

This is my first time posting but I'm picking out my own engagement ring and I'm hoping someone might be able to offer some advice. I've been looking for months already and this is the first ring I've come across in my price range that I actually like enough to consider buying. I'm specifically looking for a ruby or emerald antique or vintage ring (mostly in the Victorian to Art Deco time range). I like relatively simple rings with center stones that are longer than they are wide. I like solitaires or rings that have small, step cut side diamonds (other cuts are very sparkly for my taste). Ideally it would be yellow gold but that's not a deal breaker. One hard and fast requirement I have is that I don't want it to protrude off the finger very far. So, this brings me to this ring:



More photos, details, a certification, and a video are here: https://www.berganza.com/jewellery_ref_20243.html

The things I like about it are the darker color, that the side diamonds are baguettes, and that it has a very clean look. I also like the era. However, I have read on here that Berganza is over-priced. In the opinions of PSers, is this ring worth the hefty price tag or would I be overpaying because of the vendor? Also, is the stone too windowed? I probably tend to like a lot of shallow stones because I like low-profile rings, but I also have to do most of my looking online due to my relatively specific requirements, so I don't know that I've seen a windowed stone in person so far. I will have 7 days to return this ring if I end up not liking it when I see it in person.

Any advice that anyone has to offer would be greatly appreciated. I've never made a significant jewelry purchase before and don't want to mess up.

Thank you!

 

[lovedogs]

Absolutely don't buy this! So so so overpriced, and the stone is incredibly dark, and poorly cut. It will look black in natural lighting.

 

[VividRed]

Hi there!

First of all congratulations on your engagement

In my opinion this ring is way, WAY overpriced and has a HUGE window. That’s a big NO-NO for me. With that budget you can buy much better stuff and have enough money left for your honeymoon!

 

[lovedogs]

Some options from Lang.
Super low profile and imho gorgeous. But round dimonds might not be your preference.
https://www.langantiques.com/vintag...gs/edwardian-style-ruby-and-diamond-ring.html

Potentially too much diamond "bling", but I adore this!
https://www.langantiques.com/vintag...t-burmese-ruby-platinum-diamond-ring-gia.html

 

[lovedogs]

Ps. See if any of these rubies appeal to you. Then you could get the exact setting you want from a PS trusted vendor like David klass.

https://gemfix.com/gem-category/ruby

 

[strawrose]

If you’re willing to budget that much, I strongly suggest buying the stone and setting separately.

 

[ahoward]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses! Okay, I will not be buying that ring, then! I'll keep looking for now.

I've been checking all of the antique/vintage sites that I know of on a daily basis to see if they get anything new in. My biggest problem seems to be that I really dislike diamonds/fire/sparkle (I know) so I'm really only open to small step cut diamonds that won't sparkle much. I really like big sparkly diamonds on other people, I just don't like them on myself, for whatever reason.

I think if I haven't been able to find anything vintage that I like after a year or so then I will consider whether or not I want to give up and buy a stone and have it set, but I really have my heart set on an old ring. I worry that my aversion to sparkle and desire for an old ring may not be compatible, ultimately.

 

[lovedogs]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses! Okay, I will not be buying that ring, then! I'll keep looking for now.

I've been checking all of the antique/vintage sites that I know of on a daily basis to see if they get anything new in. My biggest problem seems to be that I really dislike diamonds/fire/sparkle (I know) so I'm really only open to small step cut diamonds that won't sparkle much. I really like big sparkly diamonds on other people, I just don't like them on myself, for whatever reason.

I think if I haven't been able to find anything vintage that I like after a year or so then I will consider whether or not I want to give up and buy a stone and have it set, but I really have my heart set on an old ring. I worry that my aversion to sparkle and desire for an old ring may not be compatible, ultimately.

It's awesome that you know what you like! That's also helpful for us when suggesting stuff. What size Ruby do you want? And do you care about shape, or just want something longer than wide (e.g. oval, emerald cut, radiant)?

 

[strawrose]

Does it have to be Burmese?

https://gemfix.com/gems/ruby-19-590

 

[Niel]

Does it have to be Burmese?

https://gemfix.com/gems/ruby-19-590

That ruby looks pink and dull to me

 

[Niel]

I was SHOOK when I clicked on your link to see that price. For your budget I’m shocked you haven’t found something you like yet

 

[lovedogs]

Ok, I might have found some contenders!
Unfortunately the Ruby is square and the cut isnt perfect. But it's beautiful and doesn't have too much diamond sparkle on the sides.
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...ese-ruby-diamond-ring-circa-1935/id-j_215276/

Gold, antique, and not too many diamonds on the side. Plus has certification that's trustworthy.
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...-burma-no-heat-ruby-diamond-ring/id-j_117467/

Solitaire style. Antique, but not gold color and the stone is more circular
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...mese-ruby-diamond-platinum-ring/id-j_1368713/


I love this one. True art deco style, step cut diamonds that won't be "in your face" sparkle, and oval stone.
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...-three-stone-platinum-gold-ring/id-j_4851533/

Another lovely solitaire. I like the 2-tone gold.
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...y-gold-platinum-engagement-ring/id-j_1575253/

 

[strawrose]

That ruby looks pink and dull to me

Fair enough. Time to have more fun looking.

 

[voce]

It's my personal opinion that there is really no "standard" price for evaluating how much an unheated Burmese ruby "should" cost. They are so far and few in between, that the price should be determined by what the buyer is willing to pay. It is windowed, but if you need to have Burmese, and unheated and vintage, then there aren't really other options to compare against.

If you aren't particularly picky about those three conditions, though, Andrew Gulij's ruby that @strawrose linked is TDF for the sparkle factor.

I find that color and brilliance are somewhat opposed. The sparkly ones often look pinkish, and if you go for the color, they can look overdark UNLESS they're Burmese with fluorescence.

 

[voce]

Ok, I might have found some contenders!
Unfortunately the Ruby is square and the cut isnt perfect. But it's beautiful and doesn't have too much diamond sparkle on the sides.
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...ese-ruby-diamond-ring-circa-1935/id-j_215276/

Gold, antique, and not too many diamonds on the side. Plus has certification that's trustworthy.
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...-burma-no-heat-ruby-diamond-ring/id-j_117467/

Solitaire style. Antique, but not gold color and the stone is more circular
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...mese-ruby-diamond-platinum-ring/id-j_1368713/


I love this one. True art deco style, step cut diamonds that won't be "in your face" sparkle, and oval stone.
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...-three-stone-platinum-gold-ring/id-j_4851533/

Another lovely solitaire. I like the 2-tone gold.
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rin...y-gold-platinum-engagement-ring/id-j_1575253/

My favorite is the last one with two-tone gold. If I weren't such a control freak on a limited budget myself, I'd totally ask you to shop for me !

 

[strawrose]

I was thinking “ooooh this looks perfect.” Then I looked at the price.

 

[lovedogs]

My favorite is the last one with two-tone gold. If I weren't such a control freak on a limited budget myself, I'd totally ask you to shop for me !

Shopping for others is my favorite activity!!! I get to search with other ppls budgets

 

[ahoward]

Thanks for all the links! I'd actually already seen all of those (I really have been looking for so long) but I did consider the first one and the next to last one when I first found them. If the first one were a rectangle instead of a square I think I would have considered it, though it does look like it projects off the finger a lot, which I think would drive me bonkers.

Now that I'm re-looking at the Art Deco one, though, I really do like it a lot. I love the deep color. I think what probably worried me about it when I first saw it was that it didn't have a certification, so I didn't know if it was treated or not or how many carats it was (I don't know how to approximate carats from measurements). Also, and this is probably going to sound so, so dumb, but it was a lot less expensive than some of the other ones I'd seen (and my budget), so I felt like maybe it wasn't "good" enough. But really all that should matter is if I like it, and I do think it's really pretty.

I guess I felt like I had very little info to go on about it and so I didn't know how to compare it to other rings. I'm going to contact the vendor about this one now though and ask some questions. I liked it the first time I saw it and seeing it again now I feel like I like it even more!

Re: other questions: I like anything that is oval/rectangular/octagonal in shape (so, oval, emerald, radiant, elongated-cushion, etc.). And I'm open to either ruby or emerald stones but I do like the durability of rubies compared to emeralds and would want an emerald to be minimally treated. I'm mostly looking in the 2-3 carat range based on budget but I'm flexible on actual size.

 

[lovedogs]

Thanks for all the links! I'd actually already seen all of those (I really have been looking for so long) but I did consider the first one and the next to last one when I first found them. If the first one were a rectangle instead of a square I think I would have considered it, though it does look like it projects off the finger a lot, which I think would drive me bonkers.

Now that I'm re-looking at the Art Deco one, though, I really do like it a lot. I love the deep color. I think what probably worried me about it when I first saw it was that it didn't have a certification, so I didn't know if it was treated or not or how many carats it was (I don't know how to approximate carats from measurements). Also, and this is probably going to sound so, so dumb, but it was a lot less expensive than some of the other ones I'd seen (and my budget), so I felt like maybe it wasn't "good" enough. But really all that should matter is if I like it, and I do think it's really pretty.

I guess I felt like I had very little info to go on about it and so I didn't know how to compare it to other rings. I'm going to contact the vendor about this one now though and ask some questions. I liked it the first time I saw it and seeing it again now I feel like I like it even more!

Re: other questions: I like anything that is oval/rectangular/octagonal in shape (so, oval, emerald, radiant, elongated-cushion, etc.). And I'm open to either ruby or emerald stones but I do like the durability of rubies compared to emeralds and would want an emerald to be minimally treated. I'm mostly looking in the 2-3 carat range based on budget but I'm flexible on actual size.

The second to last one is my favorite too, and I think it has a lot of the features you want. I'd definitely ask about treatment, certification, etc. You could agree to pay the cost of certification (on the condition that it comes out as what it's advertised). It shouldn't be too expensive to do that.

I think it's expensive haha, but at the same time the price is much more fair than the other one you were considering!

 

[VividRed]

If you’re willing to budget that much, I strongly suggest buying the stone and setting separately.

Fully agree with Strawrose, with this sort of budget you can get yourself a very pretty unheated burmese ruby and buy an amazing custom-made setting.

What about this ruby? I was thinking about it for myself but I’m out of budget at the moment

http://www.preciousgemstones.com/101burufs.html

In my opinion it’s top color. PS’ers can better advice you on how to set it.

Best of luck with your search!
VRed

 

[ahoward]

Thanks, but I'm really only interested vintage or antique rings right now. Setting a stone would be a last resort for me.

Am I crazy? Does what I'm looking for not exist in my budget or do I just need to be prepared to keep looking for a long time? I'm okay with waiting if I think I'll eventually find what I want, but I don't want to waste years looking for something that doesn't exist..

Fully agree with Strawrose, with this sort of budget you can get yourself a very pretty unheated burmese ruby and buy an amazing custom-made setting.

What about this ruby? I was thinking about it for myself but I’m out of budget at the moment

http://www.preciousgemstones.com/101burufs.html

In my opinion it’s top color. PS’ers can better advice you on how to set it.

Best of luck with your search!
VRed

 

[lovedogs]

Thanks, but I'm really only interested vintage or antique rings right now. Setting a stone would be a last resort for me.

Am I crazy? Does what I'm looking for not exist in my budget or do I just need to be prepared to keep looking for a long time? I'm okay with waiting if I think I'll eventually find what I want, but I don't want to waste years looking for something that doesn't exist..

Not crazy, just particular. And I think it's almost harder for you bc your budget is so large. When you can spend so much money, it's hard to "settle" for something less expensive. But you aren't crazy at all! As long as you understand that you aren't likely to get a precision cut stone in an old ring, your desires are perfectly reasonable.

Have you called Lang and other well known vintage vendors? Sometimes they get stuff and it doesn't go online right away.

 

[kgizo]

Are sapphires out?

 

[Eady]

Adding some options from a small antique store in Dublin where we purchased my engagement ring. I’d just caution that you should insist any ring should come with a cert or be tested to determine treatment.

Small diamond emerald cut side stones:
http://www.delphiantiques.com/ruby-and-diamond-rr057/
Photo:



Or an alternative though the Ruby is a bit dark and purple:
http://www.delphiantiques.com/unusual-ladies-ruby-diamond-set-ring/

Good luck with your search!

 

[strawrose]

This seems to be a reputable vendor from the antique forum: https://www.newyorkestatejewelry.co...gement-Rings&int_item_id=34694&int_category=3

Although I would ask for unedited videos and photos on this one.

 

[Downtownie]

Thanks, but I'm really only interested vintage or antique rings right now. Setting a stone would be a last resort for me.

understandable. Have you considered consulting an antique jewelry concierge in NYC or Europe? They are better equipped to search for special rings like yours will be.

 

[strawrose]

Have you tried the list of vendors in the antique forum? https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ntique-vintage-and-repo-jewelry.193984/page-2

Hopefully, they come up with something google leaves out.

 

[Bron357]

My engagement ring was an Art Deco Diamond ring. However, being 70 years old it was worn and needed work. After consideration, and that reworking with Platinum (alloys can be slightly different) is expensive I opted for a new made ring in the Art Deco style.
You could very easily create “new” a stunning Art Deco style ring with either bullet, tapered bagettes or even French cuts that will have all the beauty and elegance of the style without it being an very aged setting.
The benefit of having a ring made is that you can have exactly the elements, metals, band width etc rather than possibly searching endlessly for the “perfect antique ring”. Often times Antique rings with rubies are without reputable lab reports. These days you do not buy a ruby without one.

 

[T L]

I didn’t read all the responses, but I truly believe that expensive Burma rubies should never be purchased without an AGL prestige full grading report. If that’s what you’re looking for, then I would insist on it. The finest suction houses in the world employ AGL to evaluate their colored gems.

 

[T L]

I was thinking “ooooh this looks perfect.” Then I looked at the price.

And it’s so included!!! Can you imagine the price if it were clean?? Wow, the prices must have recently gone through the sky! Liz Taylor’s ruby ring was a bargain next to this.