Visit at the estate jeweler today

[RRfromR]

To drop off some things for appraisal- they have the technology to test for emerald treatment. They showed me a 2.15 unheated burma pink purple sapphire. It was 34k! I know the burma prices have been crazy and the clarity is lovely, but omg the price. They also have an art deco bracelet which I loved. The diamonds are not top quality but it's so charming. 10k.

 

[LilAlex]

Yeah, that ring is lovely but high. And I am generally not one to come on and call things overpriced. There is some value in the diamonds, of course, and the mounting but the mental math attributes a ton of cost (>> $10K/ct) to that small sapphire.

The bracelet looks almost Gothic to me. It may be Art Deco-era but does not look "Art Deco" to my eye. If you ask "Wanna see my Deco bracelet?!," I have a certain picture in my head. $10K seems to be the starting point for a decent, recognizably-Deco bracelet in my experience.

 

[RRfromR]

I picked up my items today and played with some more. The Ceylon sapphire is heated however is huge. The diamonds were huge. That was not a ring, but a plate. The girl who knows me there wanted to show me this funky piece from the 50s. It looked super cool irl.

 

[LilAlex]

The Ceylon sapphire is heated however is huge. The diamonds were huge.

Heat or no heat, it's hard not to love that ring. Looks like a window but that's a nice package overall. And if it's a week's groceries like your other one...

 

[RRfromR]

@LilAlex this one was as expensive as my car, although I'm not a fancy car girl That's the perfect PTA meeting ring, don't you think

 

[LilAlex]

That's the perfect PTA meeting ring, don't you think

So this is the occasion we are looking for! Spouse is retired and even the finer restaurants in our town are decidedly unfancy. And we are family outliers in terms of jewelry quality (although not quantity) so she is reluctant to "show off" at those milestone events. She's on the trails committee for our neighborhood but she leaves the better stuff at home for the ivy pulls. I guess we'll join some PTAs!

And: my daily-driver is worth four figures so not much of a PS benchmark there. But it's upkeep and maintenance costs could turn some heads anywhere!