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The not-so-little Fancy Yellow OEC that could...

LadyMCh

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Okay, I guess I'll finally start on that new SMTB post I promised!
Backstory summary:
About 10yrs ago, my g-ma inherited a couple rings from one of her SIL's (my great aunt). One ring was a large, off-white diamond that my great aunt had received in its original setting (RIP) but reset into what can only be described as a two-tone cigar band style retro disaster. In the decade my g-na had it, she wore it maybe 5x. Once was to my wedding, and I know she wore it to a couple family member funerals, too. Otherwise, it stayed locked in a paper box with what can only be humorously described as an "appraisal". I convinced her to get it out and let me play with it on occasion. I measured it with a ruler and figured it had to be at least 3cts. Eventually, I started to beg and plead for her to let me take it to a professional who works with antique stones to get a real appraisal...or to just give it to me. :angel: I reasoned that it existed to be worn, and that it was a tragedy it was spending its days under lock and key. My grandfather agreed; I had an ally! After conferring with my mom (who was supposed to inherit it before me), they decided to give it to me as a 31st birthday present. My mom hated the setting and said my dad would never spring for a reset. She also agreed I'd wear it more. Yippee! Free giant mystery diamond! :naughty:
I dragged my g-ma with me over an hour from her home to Walton's in Franklin, TN, to get it unset and appraised so hubs and I could insure it before sending it off for reset. (If you love antique jewels and are ever in the area, pop by and say hello to the Walton's team!) The appraiser came in to assess the stone even though she was sick. Verdict: it was at least S-T in color, SI1, 10.3-10.5mm across, and 3.96cts. She recommended we send it to GIA as she believed it could be a fancy yellow...
I knew CvB had to design her new home. I had instantly fallen in love with her settings. After conferring with Caysie, we made arrangements for GIA certification. And, well, she was FANCY YELLOW! :love: Me, hubs, my whole family...we were all in shock! :shock:
With CvB's help, we designed a setting to play up the yellow of the diamond: a yellow bezel halo with 16 2.6mm OEC white diamonds in platinum, "coffins" in platinum set with an OEC each, and a platinum/transitional diamond detail on each side of the gallery. The rest of the gallery and triple shank were done in 18k YG. :love: :love: :love: :love:
PINCH ME! I still can't believe I own this! And I can't believe it's the same diamond. I'm including pics from when I first got the stone to the present so you can see the difference a good clean, polish, and reset can make. I can't stop staring at my hand! More pics to follow when I get in my matching YG wedding band!

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LadyMCh

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1. Y'all remember when I tried to get a shot of her color by wrapping her in a white paper towel? Yeah...
2. She's COVERED in lotion in this snap. See how gunky the cluster ring above her is? My g-am NEVER cleans her rings. :wall:
3. After giving her a Windex and toothbrush bath.
4. Trying to get a pic of her color in the sunlight.
 

LadyMCh

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I'm sorry I'm a crappy photographer! :wall:
In person, she looks like melted butter! She practically glows in the dark, and it's hard to snap a pic with all the chinky flashes she's throwing off! I still can't believe the before and after! :dance:

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lovedogs

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I have been waiting for this SMTB thread and you did not disappoint! I just can't believe the transformation of this stone into what it is now. It was beautiful from the beginning, but the setting wasn't doing the stone justice at all. Caysie worked magic (as always)--I think her settings are like tiny works of art (well, in your case maybe not so tiny :lol: )

It looks breathtaking on you--I have no idea how you are going to get anything done. If I were you I'd be staring at my hand constantly and taking a million pics. I'm so jealous but SUPER happy for you. Wear it in health and happiness always! :love: :love:
 

LLJsmom

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Omg!! She's HUGE!!! That setting is perfect for her. Congratulations for MAKING IT HAPPEN! I bet you're thrilled to get to wear her. Congratulations on freeing that beauty in from her little prison in the safe deposit box.
 

GeorgieQ

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Wow! Wow! Wow!!! That ring us a stunner!!! Thank you for rescuing that gorgeous diamond from that very unflattering setting and dressing her the way she deserves! :love: so what does your grandma think now?
 

wildcat03

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I'm dead. On the floor. Seriously - so jaw-dropping. There are no words.
 

LadyMCh

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LLJsmom|1474323215|4078550 said:
Omg!! She's HUGE!!! That setting is perfect for her. Congratulations for MAKING IT HAPPEN! I bet you're thrilled to get to wear her. Congratulations on freeing that beauty in from her little prison in the safe deposit box.

Oh, you're going to flip. She wasn't even in a safe deposit box. She was inside of a ring box that was inside of one of those little cardboard boxes that checkbooks come in and locked in a wooden desk. I wish I was kidding. The "appraisal" from 1998 that my great aunt had said something like "appx 3.5ct diamond. est. value $9,000". I mean, what?!! :wall:
 

LadyMCh

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GeorgieQ|1474323558|4078555 said:
Wow! Wow! Wow!!! That ring us a stunner!!! Thank you for rescuing that gorgeous diamond from that very unflattering setting and dressing her the way she deserves! :love: so what does your grandma think now?

G-ma is in shock with the rest of the family. She just can't fathom that "regular people" (read: not Elizabeth Taylor or royalty) can have rings "like that"! She also can't believe what she was sitting on. She knew it was "fancy" but not that fancy. For reference, she wears a small cluster ring and chippy band. My mom has a ~1/2ct solitaire with small diamond wrap.

G-ma inherited it from her SIL (my great aunt) who inherited it from her great aunt (Sweetie Pie) who inherited from someone in her family. I *wish* I knew more about her origin! And since my great aunt junked the original setting for the pictured before monstrosity, IDK if she was originally an e-ring or cocktail ring or what. Oh well.
 

Calliecake

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OMG, OMG, OMG!!! Go out and buy a lottery ticket because you are one LUCKY girl. I know I would feel like I won the lottery if I was gifted this beautiful stone. She is drop dead gorgeous!!!! This beautiful setting really showcases the lovely stone. I think you should name her Sweetie Pie.

Your post was so much fun to read. Your excitement jumps off the page. Happy birthday Sweetie! You will never forget your 31st birthday and I'm sure it made your grandmother and mom happy to see you so thrilled.
 

diamondseeker2006

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Perfect setting for an incredible diamond!!! :love: :love: :love: Caysie (CVB Inspired Design) continues to amaze me!!! I can't imagine a more perfect home for this beautiful diamond! It's like Cinderella dressed in rags and then magically dressed in a magnificent ball gown!

I am almost glad for your sake that the original setting is long gone, because removing it from the replacement setting that your g-aunt had made certainly wouldn't have been hard to do!

You now have a complete heirloom to pass down to future girls in your family! But lucky you to have it so young so you have many, many years to enjoy it yourself!!! (I hope you are the only granddaughter, because others would be very envious, I am sure!)
 

Asscherhalo_lover

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This is seriously make over of the year! How amazing, yay for being persistent!
 

mco312

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Lady MCh - LOVE the reset. The new setting is so beautiful!!
 

CinqueTerre

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Oh my goodness, I am stunned by how beautiful that ring is! Congrats on such a beautiful heirloom--you definitely did its incredible beauty justice with the design of the new setting! Please keep posting many, many pictures--I don't think I'll ever get tired of staring at that stunner!
 

yennyfire

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That is such a wonderfully touching story and a gorgeous heirloom of a ring!! Thank you so much for sharing and enjoy it in much health and happiness!
 

derbygal

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Such a sweet story and such a gorgeous ring. I can't get it out of my mind. So glad it is being loved and worn like it should be. Congrats! :love:
 

the_mother_thing

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:shock: Nothing short of an amazing transformation of a gorgeous, gorgeous diamond! :love:

And the backstory just makes it all the more touching and memorable, and what "family heirlooms" are all about! Wear it in good health & happiness always. :wavey:
 

distracts

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oh my god - the change is stunning. That diamond cleaned up so good and the setting really brings out its character. How gorgeous! What a lucky woman to inherit this. It is huge!
 

Fulvia

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WOW. This is unbelievable!!!!!!!! Definitely an Elizabeth Taylor kinda ring. It looks fabulous - ENJOY.

I hope you grandmother's not going to be wanting it back now LOL (I would). Do you have any sisters or cousins that are going to lose their sh*t over this? She is tremendous - it is truly incredible that your family was sitting on this for so many years.
 
Q

Queenie60

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Stunning! One of the most beautiful rings I've ever seen! Wow...... :dance: :love: :love:
 

LadyMCh

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Calliecake|1474327576|4078590 said:
OMG, OMG, OMG!!! Go out and buy a lottery ticket because you are one LUCKY girl. I know I would feel like I won the lottery if I was gifted this beautiful stone. She is drop dead gorgeous!!!! This beautiful setting really showcases the lovely stone. I think you should name her Sweetie Pie.

Your post was so much fun to read. Your excitement jumps off the page. Happy birthday Sweetie! You will never forget your 31st birthday and I'm sure it made your grandmother and mom happy to see you so thrilled.

Thanks, Calliecake! I actually have named her Sweetie Pie!
 

LadyMCh

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Fulvia|1474332453|4078621 said:
WOW. This is unbelievable!!!!!!!! Definitely an Elizabeth Taylor kinda ring. It looks fabulous - ENJOY.

I hope you grandmother's not going to be wanting it back now LOL (I would). Do you have any sisters or cousins that are going to lose their sh*t over this? She is tremendous - it is truly incredible that your family was sitting on this for so many years.

Correct, Fulvia! I am the only granddaughter on this side of my family! Sweetie Pie had no kids, so she left it to my g-aunt who also had no kids, who left it to her SIL/my g-ma (who has 2 kids- my mom and her bro), and my mom has 2 kids- me and my bro. My bro is a little jealous now that we have a more realistic appraised value, but he is stingy w/ money and would sell it for $$$ in a heartbeat! :boohoo:

Oh, and g-ma does NOT want it back! The whole reason she didn't wear it to begin with was that she felt it was too flashy. What's "too flashy" to a PS-er?! :naughty: Part of the deal was that I got her something set in the old setting that she would wear. Since she's almost 80 and has never had a birthstone ring, I got her a 5x7 oval emerald put in the old setting...which I can NEVER tell her how much I spent on that as she would freak out and not wear it! I also got her a Citizen EcoDrive watch, as she kept buying cheap battery watches that would quickly die...then she'd just buy another to replace it. She had heard commercials about the EcoDrive and wanted one but couldn't bear to spend the money on one. Yeah. Even though, in the last 5 years, she's probably spend hundreds more on dead-battery quartz watches. :wall: I took her to look at a jewelry store under the guise that we were looking for me, asked her what she would pick, convinced her to try it on to just "look", and then bought it. She protested, and I told her if she didn't pick what she wanted and accept the gift, I would buy one that I *thought* she would like, give it to her, and not give her the receipt or tell her where I got it. :D So, you can see how this stone ended up locked up most of the time!
 

Downsy

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story behind your beautiful new ring! I am in eastern, TN and have visited Walton's when in downtown Franklin. They have lovely antique jewelry! I know you are enjoying looking at your finger :love:
 

poshmommy

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It's stunning!! Congrats!
 

poshmommy

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It's stunning!! Congrats!
 

acaw2015

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This is such a beautiful story and ring! I have no words, the ring is breathtaking. Congratulations! :appl: :wavey:
 
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