"Used" diamond? Sure!

[Mannequin]

FF has a rental house in need of a new bathroom, so I am helping him demo and remodel the place. On the way to the house tonight, he casually says: "So, just curious... would you mind if I give you a used diamond?" I had no idea what the heck he was talking about and he must have glanced over at me and seen the look on my face, so he followed with, "Used as in, from... 1980????" I cracked up laughing and made him explain.

He works with a woman who heard him talking about wanting to propose to me recently, and she approached him about selling a ring to him. It''s a 1 ct solitaire originally purchased in 1980, and she knew it was H colored. FF has no idea what shape or cut or clarity or setting metal it''s in, but she wants to make him a deal as she is not wearing it anymore due to a divorce. She will be bringing him the ring to look at tomorrow and he said he''ll make copies of any papers or certs she brings.

If it''s a nice stone, I think we may use it for our engagement ring in a new setting. I have no idea how diamonds were cut in the late 70s/early 80s, so I am not sure what we will be looking at here. I am hoping it''s an RB, as that is the shape I''d prefer whether the diamond was new or "used". I explained to him how it''s possible that this diamond could have been passed through many people before this current owner and how it could be considered "vintage" instead of "used" and that made him grin.

Ever since this conversation happened out of the blue this evening, I''ve been so floored. FF shows a ton of enthusiasm for getting engaged but this is the first time he''s actually mentioned looking at diamonds or rings. Hopefully I''ll have some interesting updates for you ladies very soon, and some stats to post in RockyTalky!

 

[somegirl932]

awwww, your SO sounds cute!

here''s hoping the diamond looks good, and yay for progress!

 

[ilovesparkles]

Dust couldn''t hurt right now, right?!?! DUST for a perfect diamond! I know they had to have RB back then because that is what my mom had and she got engaged in the mid 70s! Ooooooo I can''t wait to hear an update!!!!!

 

[Lauren8211]

Woot Woot!!

Looks like someone''s getting off the list soon!

 

[tlh]

WHOOP WHOOP! That is fantastic... and I ditto the "vintage vs USED" sentiment.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 4/8/2009 1:23:19 AM
Author: somegirl932
awwww, your SO sounds cute!


here''s hoping the diamond looks good, and yay for progress!

Thanks, somegirl. No news on it yet today, so we''ll see.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 4/8/2009 7:50:14 AM
Author: ilovesparkles
Dust couldn''t hurt right now, right?!?! DUST for a perfect diamond! I know they had to have RB back then because that is what my mom had and she got engaged in the mid 70s! Ooooooo I can''t wait to hear an update!!!!!

Thanks for the dust, sparkie. Still waiting on FF to tell me about it.

I am thinking that this will likely be a yellow gold ring due to the time of purchase. I keep picturing all the rings I have seen on friends and family who were engaged/married in the 80s and many of those are marquise cut stones. Not that they aren''t beautiful diamonds, but they aren''t for me, so I am anxiously waiting to hear more.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 4/8/2009 8:23:05 AM
Author: elledizzy5
Woot Woot!!


Looks like someone''s getting off the list soon!

I hope so! I know he wants to propose by this summer, but maybe this bit of bling might speed him along? Then maybe we can bring our pretties to a MI GTG sooner than we thought, huh?

I''d bump almost everyone by signing off, lol.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 4/8/2009 9:41:52 AM
Author: tlh
WHOOP WHOOP! That is fantastic... and I ditto the ''vintage vs USED'' sentiment.

I know, he was really hung up on that and I had to set him straight. Diamonds have been reused for centuries! I would reset the stone anyway, to have a new and structurally sound setting to wear, but I have no problem wearing a stone that hasn''t been loved on in a while.

 

[Winks_Elf]

Diamonds hit their peak of expensive in the early 80''s. People were buying one carats as "investments" back then.


*****DUST*****

 

[mrscushion]

Good news! I hope it's a fabulous diamond.

In addition to photocopying all certs, etc., you should consider bringing the diamond to an appraiser prior to forking over any money, to make sure the diamond checks out, particularly since you won't know anything about the cut quality except for what you can see with your own eyes.

Also, make sure you clean it! It could be really dirty and that could impact the way it looks and sparkles!

 

[jcarlylew]

Date: 4/8/2009 10:50:27 AM
Author: mscushion
Good news! I hope it''s a fabulous diamond.


In addition to photocopying all certs, etc., you should consider bringing the diamond to an appraiser prior to forking over any money, to make sure the diamond checks out, particularly since you won''t know anything about the cut quality except for what you can see with your own eyes.


Also, make sure you clean it! It could be really dirty and that could impact the way it looks and sparkles!

ditto. lots of dust for you.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Having gotten engaged and married close to that time, I will tell you that most diamonds did not have certs back then. So be prepared to have it independently appraised if you think it looks like a nicely cut stone. That''s very exciting, though!

(Incidentally, I am offering my daughter and her FF my original 1 ct. diamond! It is not ideal cut but it is beautiful and she doesn''t know the difference!)

 

[Selkie]

That''s exciting news, Equestrienne! I''m so happy for you that things are moving along !

 

[Mannequin]

Winks_Elf, mscushion, jcarlylew, diamondseeker2006, and selkie: Thanks so much for your comments.

*************UPDATE*************

FF handed me a sticky note when I got home from my heinous grad class last night. Bless his heart, he forgot to get a copy of the appraisal paper the lady had. Here's all the info I was able to get from him.

Appraisal is dated 9/1/83 and was done by American Gem and Jewelry Appraisal Laboratory.

Appraisal is #3458.

Stone is a Round Brilliant cut, .92 ct H-I VS2.

Appraised value of yellow gold setting: $270.

Appraised value of stone: $3175.

I am not sure what to do next with this info, because I haven't actually seen the ring. FF has, and he didn't have much to say about it. He's not the Pricescoper in the household.

The lady did not give him a price yet, and he doesn't have the ring to take to get re-appraised. FF said he would make her an offer if I wanted it.

Out of the 4 Cs, cut is probably the most important to me. It's bugging me that I don't know how well cut this stone is. I could skip it and find a different stone with a great cut for a lot more $$$$, but having never seen this ring, I could be missing out on a great diamond priced much lower than expected. Either way, I get my awesome FF in the deal

so I guess this is a good problem to have, LOL.

I've asked him to find out what she wants for the ring and to get it checked out in a new appraisal. Any suggestions on what else to do next? Maybe some comparable stones so we can look at those too?

ETA: I tried looking up the appraisal company online and was not able to find anything on them. Maybe they've merged with another company or gone belly-up since '83.

 

[mrscushion]

If you want a very, very top cut stone like AGS-0 or H&A, I did a search for you and you'd pay about 4500-5500 for a stone just under a carat with the specs of this stone.

To be honest, it's probably not going to be the very, very upper echelon of cut, simply because what are the chances? It would be too good to be true. But hey, there's always a chance! And anyway, it could still be a great cut even if it's not the very best. I would just adjust my expectations so you can still make a decision that makes you and your FF and your wallet happy.

To find out, I would do two things:

(1) go look at H&As / other branded cuts at brick & mortar stores around you so you get a feel for what really top cut stones look in person, and

(2) either see whether the appraisal has more info on it such as depth, table, all the relevant angles, etc. and then armed with that info ask the experts over in RockyTalk for their input, or go to an appraiser who is able to tell you about cut quality, i.e. he has an IdealScope or whatever other tools he need -- the experts in RT again may be able to help you find one. Or, another option would be to just trust your own eyes when you see it, but only after having seen other gorgeous cuts for comparison. After all what matters is that the stone looks beautiful to you.

This is a pretty cool situation to be in! I hope the diamond checks out fabulously and you get a steal!

ETA: Edited for spelling.

 

[bee*]

If cut is your main want, I would either go with a stone from a vendor here or if you would like to go for the diamond that your FF was shown, then I''d get it appraised before you set a price with her. That''s such exciting news Equestrienne!

 

[shimmer]

What about having Brian Gavin recut the stone to more ideal proportions?

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 4/9/2009 11:20:57 AM
Author: mscushion
If you want a very, very top cut stone like AGS-0 or H&A, I did a search for you and you''d pay about 4500-5500 for a stone just under a carat with the specs of this stone.


To be honest, it''s probably not going to be the very, very upper echelon of cut, simply because what are the chances? It would be too good to be true. But hey, there''s always a chance! And anyway, it could still be a great cut even if it''s not the very best. I would just adjust my expectations so you can still make a decision that makes you and your FF and your wallet happy.


To find out, I would do two things:


(1) go look at H&As / other branded cuts at brick & mortar stores around you so you get a feel for what really top cut stones look in person, and


(2) either see whether the appraisal has more info on it such as depth, table, all the relevant angles, etc. and then armed with that info ask the experts over in RockyTalk for their input, or go to an appraiser who is able to tell you about cut quality, i.e. he has an IdealScope or whatever other tools he need -- the experts in RT again may be able to help you find one. Or, another option would be to just trust your own eyes when you see it, but only after having seen other gorgeous cuts for comparison. After all what matters is that the stone looks beautiful to you.


This is a pretty cool situation to be in! I hope the diamond checks out fabulously and you get a steal!


ETA: Edited for spelling.

Thanks for your post, mscushion. I have told FF that I''d like him to get this stone checked out before he plunks down any $$$$ for it. I''d hate for the diamond to have some internal flaw we can''t see that might later compromise the stone''s integrity, and I am also curious about the cut. FF did not copy the whole appraisal so I don''t know if her can get any more info. I emailed him some ideas earlier today, sounds like we were thinking alike:

"Another option? Tell me what the budget is on the stone and I will look for a selection of stones you can pick from. You can pick the one you like best and the setting.

Another option? We can go shopping together and you can see a variety of stones in various price ranges in person, then we can find a better deal online if necessary.

Another option? Get me a plain gold band and worry about a diamond later. "

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 4/9/2009 12:59:08 PM
Author: bee*
If cut is your main want, I would either go with a stone from a vendor here or if you would like to go for the diamond that your FF was shown, then I'd get it appraised before you set a price with her. That's such exciting news Equestrienne!

Thanks, bee*! It doesn't have to be the best cut out there, but I also don't want something that doesn't sparkle enough.

My previous engagement ring (specs here) was not the greatest of cuts, either, but still got a 1.5 on the HCA. Again, this MAN is the best part of the deal!

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 4/9/2009 1:20:43 PM
Author: shimmer
What about having Brian Gavin recut the stone to more ideal proportions?

Interesting option, thanks for suggesting this!

 

[mrscushion]

Sounds good, keep us posted as to what you decide. This is all very exciting!

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 4/9/2009 3:09:48 PM
Author: mscushion
Sounds good, keep us posted as to what you decide. This is all very exciting!

Will do!

 

[ladypirate]

Looking forward to hearing how it all turns out!