The ring of my DREAMS!

[perragrande]

Got this at the gem show in Houston October 10th. (Intergem). In the wholesale section from a dealer in L.A. who has the most beautiful stuff in the wholesale section.

The emerald has such a blue green color that I almost can''t believe it''s real. It reminds me of an indicolite I have which is almost black.

I got a wedding band to go with it which was not made as a set but I think they go together well.

Setting: Platinum
Emerald: 1.7 ct Asscher cut
Diamonds: 2 x 1.07 ct Asscher cut

I''m dangerous: I took GIA Diamond Grading and Colored Stone Grading courses back in 1991, just for fun. I once worked in a lease dept. in a dept. store which was the pits. I was ashamed of the lumps of coal we sold. In Diamond Grading class we called that stuff "fish gravel".

 

[Luckyeshe]

Congrats on your lovely ring!!

 

[perragrande]

This is an outdoor shot of both rings. I still haven''t managed to take a completely in focus picture of them.

Wedding band: 14k WG.
Diamonds: Five Asscher cut approx .20 ct each.


Something interesting about the setting: under the prongs, on the outside edges, where you would normally have an open space, and then another piece of setting that is part of the shank, instead the metal goes down to the shank and the prongs stick out all the way to the bottom of the shank. Hope that makes sense. So the settings are only open on the underside.

The wonderful man who bought these for me has been my best friend/boyfriend/whatever for fifteen years. We are both retired and have grown kids from other marriages.

We are going to set the date and make it legal after New Year''s.

 

[T L]

Beautiful emerald and band.

 

[perragrande]

I''ve looked at it with a loupe, but I don''t have the microscope w/darkfield illumination to really check it out. It does have a tiny bit of flaws of course, but something that bothers me is that I can see, somewhere on the upper part of the pavilion, near the girdle, looking through the side, parallel lines that look like scrapes. I can''t imagine a stone of that quality being cut badly, so I''m wondering if those lines are considered inclusions???

 

[T L]

Date: 11/19/2009 11:28:53 PM
Author: perragrande
I''ve looked at it with a loupe, but I don''t have the microscope w/darkfield illumination to really check it out. It does have a tiny bit of flaws of course, but something that bothers me is that I can see, somewhere on the upper part of the pavilion, near the girdle, looking through the side, parallel lines that look like scrapes. I can''t imagine a stone of that quality being cut badly, so I''m wondering if those lines are considered inclusions???

Are you sure they aren''t fractures that have reached the surface of the stone? That is quite common with emeralds.

 

[ma re]

That''s a beuatiful ring! Enjoy it!

 

[perragrande]

THANX! I''ve never had jewelry before of such high quality!
I look at my left hand every day and I''m still stunned!


I told hubby that I didn''t like big, cheap and flashy. But I do like small, flashy and HIGH QUALITY!

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Your ring is absolutely stunning. Congratulations on your engagement and I hope you can wear it with that beautiful wedding band very soon. I love your band too - I got a similar one when my daughter was born and I really enjoy wearing it. Hope you will too.

Jen

 

[chiquitapet]

Beautiful set!!!

 

[chrono]

They could be tiny fractures within the emerald?

 

[cushioncutnut]

Very pretty! I just love asschers!!!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I would LOVE to see more pictures of this lovely ring! Looks like a stunning find and the fact that it''s all asschers has me

!!!!

Congratulations on such an amazing find!

 

[oddoneout]

Nice rings. A very sweet gift. Congrats on making it official soon.

 

[perragrande]

Got the appraisal today from Berj Kouyoumjian Jewelry in L.A. Berj, his wife Pauline, and their son Jack are very nice people, with lovely (obviously) jewelry.

It says the emerald is emerald cut, but I think it''s Asscher because of the depth of the pavilion and the "fat" look because of the curvature of the pavilion. If I had a better picture of the side, you could see the basket and the bottom of the pavilions.

I had no idea that Asscher cuts were fashionable nowadays.

I''m still totally gobsmacked! I scrub it every day with a nail brush and soap and water, under the faucet while still on my hand!

 

[AprilBaby]

Very beautiful set. I wish you both much happiness!

 

[Lovinggems]

Beautiful ring!

 

[perragrande]

April Baby, I have heard that concept said another way.

Life is the childhood of our immortality. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

 

[Burberrygirl]

It''s stunning! Yum, I just love emeralds!

 

[perragrande]

Would it be OK to tell you the retail replacement value on the appraisal?

Hubby paid half that for them in the wholesale section. I just want to know if you think I got a fair deal. I know I got very good quality!

I still can''t get over how deep and how blue-green the emerald is. Reminds me of my indicolite which is almost black.

 

[T L]

Date: 11/25/2009 5:05:30 AM
Author: perragrande
Would it be OK to tell you the retail replacement value on the appraisal?

Hubby paid half that for them in the wholesale section. I just want to know if you think I got a fair deal. I know I got very good quality!

I still can't get over how deep and how blue-green the emerald is. Reminds me of my indicolite which is almost black.

Emeralds, in particular expensive ones, should be graded by a reputable gemological laboratory like AIGS, or GIA, in order to determine the types of fillers used (some are more visibly altering and invasive than others). The type of filler has a paramount effect on the stone's value. 99% of all emeralds are treated with filler to visibly remove the many cracks and fissures that emeralds are prone to have. NEVER EVER clean an emerald in an ultrasonic cleaner or steam clean it for this reason. Appraisals should be based on the laboratory report, and be done by a neutral third party.

 

[geckodani]

GORGEOUSNESS!! I love it!

 

[Stone Hunter]

Lovely set!! Congrats on your upcoming wedding too!

Enjoy!!

 

[perragrande]

Hey Tourmaline Lover,

I am aware I need to take it to a GIA appraiser for a fair appraisal. I''ll have to make a trip to Houston for that (It is HELL living in the boonies).

I am aware that they do oil and things to emeralds to reduce the appearance of flaws. But I still have a big fat case of HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY because the quality is so far ahead of anything my mom or grandma had!

The only other object have I could compare it to is a signed and numbered print by Alexander Calder that I have. My father bought it in the 1970s because he liked it.

 

[Dreamer_D]

It looks beautiful! The color is very nice.