Step-Cut Art Deco Style 2 ct Aquamarine and Diamond Ring

[Smith1942]

Hi, sorry this is late in posting. Just after my trip I caught a cold from my husband, so I'm jetlagged too and the house is a MESS! Usually I take photos for SMTB as a kind of reward after the knocking the house back into shape, but at the rate I'm going you'd have had to wait ages! So I have ignored the mess and photographed away!

The photos aren't great - most of them came out blurry, since I'm feeling rather blurry myself!

But anyway, I bought it in England this week, in the jewellery quarter of my hometown, The Lanes. Deb said to "always buy something huge" so I did!!

It's a 2-carat aquamarine with 0.70 of step-cut diamond sides, set in 18k yellow gold. In real life it's incredibly large and sparkly. Enjoy the pix!

ETA: Some of the pix show it paired with my baguette diamond eternity ring, 18k, 0.50. The last shots show the ring paired with my Art Deco style bracelet, 18k yellow gold, which I bought 25 years ago. All three of these pieces were bought from The Lanes.

Upon reviewing the pics, I can see they aren't great. I'm just not feeling that great myself! I'll try and get one or two better close-ups.

 

[Smith1942]

More.

 

[Smith1942]

Some more attempts. I think these are so close-up that they make the centre stone look disproportionate, which isn't the case in real life at all.

 

[Acinom]

The colour of the aquamarine is unbelievable
And is looks so beautiful in this art deco setting. It has the modern look mixed with old grace of Camilla Parker Bowles' ring (her ring is one of my favourites)

Love your other goodies too!!

 

[arkieb1]

Beautiful!!!

 

[SB621]

Love this style setting! So classic!

 

[lambskin]

Fantastic!

 

[Dee*Jay]

What color!!! And the setting...

 

[JewelFreak]

You done good, Smith! It's beautiful. Nice aqua & I love the elegant design of the ring. I bet it was fun on the plane -- those pin lights make jewels sparkle like crazy! Like your bracelet too -- wish I'd known about your shop when I was in London every month!

--- Laurie

 

[partgypsy]

Nice ring, nice color on that aqua!!!
It goes well with your other pieces as well.
Enjoy (I had to run over here to look after reading your earring thread).

 

[junebug17]

Oh how gorgeous!!!! Love the color and shape of the aqua, and the setting is amazing, I love the art deco feel of it - it really does look fabulous on your hand Smith, substantial and yet also very tasteful and classic - you picked a winner here! I'm sure you will get lots of joy wearing it (I know I would!), congrats!

 

[movie zombie]

I have a soft spot for EC cut aquas: congrats!

 

[braga123]

drooling....

 

[luv2sparkle]

Sooo pretty! You have lovely hands, Smith!

 

[Rosebloom]

Beautiful!!!

 

[Polished]

Lovely choice Smith on your trip to London. It looks great on you.

 

[rosetta]

Great colour! I love Art Deco design and this one is really lovely. Enjoy!

 

[Laila619]

Hello gorgeous!!! That is a stunning piece!

 

[periwinkle]

that's a lovely ring!

 

[VRBeauty]

Beautiful! Well done!

As an aside - I love jewelry that I can wear on my hand or wrist - so I get to see it as I'm wearing it!

 

[Scarlett1]

It's gorgeous and I love the setting

 

[Gemmy123]

I love the setting and the colour of the Aqua is to die for...absolute perfection.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Beautiful! I love aquas and deco settings!!!

 

[marcy]

It is beautiful. The color of the aqua is amazing.

 

[Ashleigh]

Classic and lovely

 

[woofmama]

That's a beauty, Smith!!! I love the setting! Looks great with your bag band Tell me about that really cool bracelet you're wearing please! I want it

 

[minousbijoux]

You had me at "step cut" and "art deco!" It is so lovely and chic. Wear it in good health.

 

[Smith1942]

Wow - thanks so much for the kind comments, everyone!

It was such an impulse purchase. I know boo-diddly-squat about aquas. So really, I shouldn't have dropped a four-figure sum without doing my research, but I did and it seems to have worked out fine.

I saw it and just couldn't get it out of my mind, so instead of waiting for months until my Christmas trip, and taking the risk that someone else might buy it, I just went for it. Most unlike me. I usually mull for months before a big jewellery purchase, as you'll know from my "Should I Buy This?" threads!

I think the aqua must be unheated because it has some hints of green in the blue. I have read that aquas are very hard yet brittle, so perhaps I shouldn't wear it every single day.

I don't usually wear things this large, but it has not been off my hand since I got it!!

I paid 1550 pounds for it, including 20% tax which I could not get back - apparently the stone is secondhand, and you can't get the VAT back on those. But I don't believe it, it looks new. I think this small shop just doesn't want to do the paperwork. (The procedure for claiming back VAT is horrendous, including government paperwork that will circle back to the shop weeks later.)

Anyway, that's about 2.5k for the 2-carat deep-colour aqua, 18k gold, and 0.70 of colourless eyeclean baguette diamonds. I think that's a fair price, don't you? I mean, I don't think I overpaid, and aquas with this kind of colour depth are quite expensive, I think?

 

[nowicanseethemoon]

Ooh Smith! She's stunning and so very classy. I think if you were going to step outside your comfort zone on an impulse purchase, this one was a winner.

 

[Smith1942]

Thanks, nowicanseethemoon!

Woofmama, you asked about the bracelet. I have found the thread and bumped it up for you. It took forever to find it!

Does anyone know if I got a fair deal on this aqua ring? I'm thinking that it IS an OK deal, looking at the colour saturation - and the greenish tones that imply it hasn't been heated - although perhaps I need to ask that question in the CS section. But I thought you weren't supposed to post things twice.