Visiting LA/SoCal over the Holidays -- Who should I visit?

[kimikocat]

We''re visiting family in LA & Southern California over the holidays -- would love to see something beautiful jewelry.

Where should I go? What do you recommend? Are there specific neighborhoods that I should visit?

Share your favorites!

kimi

 

[EricaR]

If you want to see a lot of the big name jewelry stores you can always hit up South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. There you can find Baccarat, Black Star and Frost, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chopard, David Yurman, De Beers, Mikimoto, Van Cleef & Arpels and of course Tiffany, all under one roof.

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 12/20/2008 2:04:45 AM
Author: EricaR
If you want to see a lot of the big name jewelry stores you can always hit up South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. There you can find Baccarat, Black Star and Frost, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chopard, David Yurman, De Beers, Mikimoto, Van Cleef & Arpels and of course Tiffany, all under one roof.

Ooh fun! That''s a great suggestion. We''ll be staying out by Palm Springs -- anyone familiar with that area?

I''d also like to visit some smaller places. I know that Single Stone has a place in the LA downtown jewelry district, and 23rd street jewelers is near Santa Monica. Any other must-see places? I LOVE antique/estate pieces and hear that LA has a very different selection than Northern California...

kimi

 

[Darthkim]

Hi Kimi,

Welcome to So Cal!

Palm springs is a about an hour away from south coast. If you want to see the fancy smancy stuff, South coast is hard to beat. Just 10 minutes from South coast is Fashion Island, with an equal amount of bling to see.

Outside of those two malls, i''m sure there are some places in LA, unfortunately i''m not too familiar with estate/antique places.

Good luck!

 

[tradergirl]

23rd Street in Santa Monica and Singlestone.

http://www.23rdstreetjewelers.com/

www.singlestone.com

 

[kimikocat]

On Single Stone''s site, it says to make appointments for the LA showroom?

Is that necessary? Has anyone gone to browse & not buy? I hate making appointments if I''m not sure I will spend.

Also, is the LA diamond/jewelry district worth a visit? Are there particularly good vendors in that area? It looks like SS''s LA showroom is located in that general area.

Has anyone visited/done business with a place called Wanna Buy A Watch? Visit or skip?

 

[kcoursolle]

Definitely visit 23rd st jewelers, and singlestone. You might also want to visit peternorman in brentwood. XIV carats in beverly hills has some lovely things as well!

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 12/21/2008 2:40:22 PM
Author: kcoursolle
Definitely visit 23rd st jewelers, and singlestone. You might also want to visit peternorman in brentwood. XIV carats in beverly hills has some lovely things as well!

Peter Norman and XIV Carats are new to me. I will be sure to add them to my address book so we can find them while we''re there.

kimi

 

[jerichosmom]

I just concluded my antique ring search. Here''s my list (but I ddin''t go to all of them so no vouching)

wannabuyawatch.com (website looks good)
antiquarius (heard that they may have closed due to fire)
sherman oaks antique mall (may have some jewelry)

google the above for reviews just in case.

I just got my ring from KFK Jewelers 2 days ago. They''re on W. 3rd by the Beverly Center. Small selection of estate stuff but my dream ring was there.....here''s a teaser...3.55 OEC in vintage setting. Pics to follow. Their website is down but you can always call...

As for SS, i''ve dropped by many times w/o an appointment. Was there on Tuesday and Ari showed me a gorgeous 3.13 OEC at a fab price. Must take this opportunity to apologize to him for ever posting that he''s expensive. Talk to them about your budget, they will make it work. They recently had a 25% off finished pieces sale in Nov. Maybe they''ll honor the sale?

As for DTLA, good for browsing. Not much antique stuff. Grace from Ericagrace lives outside of LA. Maybe she can show you something in their stock?

Happy hunting! I''ve enjoyed it immensely.

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 12/21/2008 3:24:07 PM
Author: jerichosmom
I just concluded my antique ring search. Here''s my list (but I ddin''t go to all of them so no vouching)


wannabuyawatch.com (website looks good)

antiquarius (heard that they may have closed due to fire)

sherman oaks antique mall (may have some jewelry)


google the above for reviews just in case.


I just got my ring from KFK Jewelers 2 days ago. They''re on W. 3rd by the Beverly Center. Small selection of estate stuff but my dream ring was there.....here''s a teaser...3.55 OEC in vintage setting. Pics to follow. Their website is down but you can always call...


As for SS, i''ve dropped by many times w/o an appointment. Was there on Tuesday and Ari showed me a gorgeous 3.13 OEC at a fab price. Must take this opportunity to apologize to him for ever posting that he''s expensive. Talk to them about your budget, they will make it work. They recently had a 25% off finished pieces sale in Nov. Maybe they''ll honor the sale?


As for DTLA, good for browsing. Not much antique stuff. Grace from Ericagrace lives outside of LA. Maybe she can show you something in their stock?


Happy hunting! I''ve enjoyed it immensely.

Jerichosmom,

First -- Don''t tease us! Please please please show us pix of this new beauty.

2nd -- Great recommendations! Lots of good suggestions. I had forgotten about the 25% off stock sale at SS -- will have to look into that. I love browsing Ari''s site and have contacted him before for suggestions, but have never purchased from SS.

I''ve been curious about KFK -- I read somewhere that Alanis Morisette had a ring by KFK I''m adding your suggestions to our list too. I just did a Google search for Antiquarius and it does seem like the place is closed down for now. That''s too bad -- would have been fun to see lots of dealers in one place.

kimi

 

[jerichosmom]

I didn''t allow myself to shop at every place in LA that had antique stuff simply because I knew that I''d drive myself crazy and couldn''t drag my toddler with me everywhere. I knew that the ring was a stunner and based on online comparison shopping, it was a good deal as well. I''ve only had it for 2 days and haven''t had a chance to take some pics yet. I''ll try tomorrow when my son is napping. It looks like someone rolled up some xmas lights and stuck it on my finger!

I was the poster who mentioned that KFK did Alanis Morissette''s ring. I may have even seen it on one of my visits...they wouldn''t tell me who the owner of the ring was but showed it to me to highlight their craftsmanship. It was a huge yellow radiant? in a Michael Baeudry-like setting if I remember correctly. Just remember when visiting any of the stores to never take the list price on a piece. I was always the type to just browse and never said anything about my budget only to find out that there is so much flexibility when it comes to pricing. I got a 35% off discount on my ring and never in a million years would have thought that I could afford such an extravagant piece. I think that the slow economy & proximity to the year end is also contributed to the negotiating. Keith (the owner) is a friend of my husband''s so that was also a plus.

One place that I''d also call to see what they have is Superior Auction in Woodland Hills. They recently concluded an estate jewelry auction and sold a 2ct OEC for only $3400! They had hundreds of pieces and I couldn''t make it down to the live auction and was watching on ebay, only to have ebay freeze! By the time I called, the ring had sold. I had inspected it and it would have been a steal. I spoke to an elderly man named Al who used to occupy the top floor where Single Stone is. He said that he could find me antique diamonds for a lot cheaper than what I''d pay at SS or KFK. Just an idea if you have the time & energy.

How about some pawn shops in ritzy areas like Beverly Hills? I''ve always wanted to go but never had the time....

 

[:)]

Hi Kimokat! Welcome to LA (and areas thereabout!) I need to alert you that many places listed are quite far apart.

It is indeed quite a drive from Palm Springs to LA. Are you in Palm Springs the whole time, or will you be closer to LA at times?

Once in LA, places listed are not really all in one area, so I will try to group them for you to try to maximize your possibilities...

Here we go...

Southcoast (Orange County) would probably be a separate day given the distance, and so many non-jewelry stores around to shop you can easily spend more than a day there. Not the cheapest area around for shopping either (don't know if that makes a difference to you!)

Downtown LA sounds great to go to Singlestone, but it is a decent drive (esp in bad traffic which LA seems to always have! Maybe with the holidays it will be better) from downtown to the more coastal (Bev Hills, Westwood, Brentwood, Santa Monica) areas. Frankly IMO the jewelry district down there is not the greatest place if you are on limited time (too many people trying to push things on you), and downtown LA by the jewelry district does not have a lot else to do. However a trip to Singlestone may make it worth your while! I would actually put a day in the downtown jewelry district/singlestone as a separate excursion if you are planning to go there.

Close to each other and IMO doable in a day...

Starting 'inland' (compared to Santa Monica!) in Westwood...
Morgan's Jewelers (Westwood which is UCLA) - I only suggest them to you because (although I haven't been there in a while), they carry a really nice selection of beautiful estate/older pieces) - their hours are limited so need to check first (seems like they have been closed whenever I have gone by) - Westwood is right around the corner/super close to (need to drive though!)...

Peter Norman (Brentwood) - large selection, great place to look - Not really any estate type pieces, but a large selection of very nice jewelry ... it is super duper close (around the corner but too far to hike in LA) to....

23rd Street Jewelers (Santa Monica)... then around the corner to Montana Avenue in Santa Monica...

Montana Avenue has many jewelry stores to browse and the whole street is easily walkable up and down with many nonjewelry stores too (link to store street map... http://www.montanaave.com/map/index.asp ) You can select jewelry from the search list to specifically find jewelry stores if you want... http://www.montanaave.com/store_search/results.asp
Given time limitations, I would recommend for you (given an estate type focus) looking at Montana Ave Jewelers. I was just in there and they had quite a few pieces.
If you had time (or the inclination to) create jewelry you could stop by SemiPrecious on Montana, but making the jewelry can be quite time consuming.

You could finish up the day again 'around the corner' (not really walkable on a schedule) on the Third Street Promenade for an ocean front dinner and shopping (and if you have time you could do a quick walk just over one block to 4th Street to hit Nobel Gems. This is an unremarkable store front, but the owner in there LOVES to teach about the history of jewelry (he will pull pieces out to demonstrate.) He is mostly estate pieces but does have some vintage inspired new stuff that he makes, but his passion is real vintage. He loves to show you how old jewelry techniques (such as the way platinum used to be formed for rings, bracelets, etc) are different from today's techniques. Quite an eye opener and definitely gives you an extreme appreciation for the art (esp in the 'old days') of jewelry making.


If you wanted to hit XIV carats in Bev Hills on the one day whirlwind, I would do that one right before I hit Morgans in Westwood (slightly 'inland' from Westwood)

If you are efficient I do believe you could hit all those in a day!

Sorry no experience with RFK or the Watch one you listed. By the location listed for RFK in Jerichosmom's post, that one would be slightly inland from XIV carats, so would start there and then go to XIV and then to Morgans, etc... Could do all that in one day if you really shook your behind and did not dilly dally too much. If you got delayed looking at something in particular I would recommend prioritizing your list so that you could drop locations off if you got time crunched...

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 12/22/2008 2:19:55 AM
Author: jerichosmom
I didn''t allow myself to shop at every place in LA that had antique stuff simply because I knew that I''d drive myself crazy and couldn''t drag my toddler with me everywhere. I knew that the ring was a stunner and based on online comparison shopping, it was a good deal as well. I''ve only had it for 2 days and haven''t had a chance to take some pics yet. I''ll try tomorrow when my son is napping. It looks like someone rolled up some xmas lights and stuck it on my finger!


I was the poster who mentioned that KFK did Alanis Morissette''s ring. I may have even seen it on one of my visits...they wouldn''t tell me who the owner of the ring was but showed it to me to highlight their craftsmanship. It was a huge yellow radiant? in a Michael Baeudry-like setting if I remember correctly. Just remember when visiting any of the stores to never take the list price on a piece. I was always the type to just browse and never said anything about my budget only to find out that there is so much flexibility when it comes to pricing. I got a 35% off discount on my ring and never in a million years would have thought that I could afford such an extravagant piece. I think that the slow economy & proximity to the year end is also contributed to the negotiating. Keith (the owner) is a friend of my husband''s so that was also a plus.


One place that I''d also call to see what they have is Superior Auction in Woodland Hills. They recently concluded an estate jewelry auction and sold a 2ct OEC for only $3400! They had hundreds of pieces and I couldn''t make it down to the live auction and was watching on ebay, only to have ebay freeze! By the time I called, the ring had sold. I had inspected it and it would have been a steal. I spoke to an elderly man named Al who used to occupy the top floor where Single Stone is. He said that he could find me antique diamonds for a lot cheaper than what I''d pay at SS or KFK. Just an idea if you have the time & energy.


How about some pawn shops in ritzy areas like Beverly Hills? I''ve always wanted to go but never had the time....

Jerichosmom,

You need to be my shopping partner!

So, when do we get to see those pix? Just teasing -- I know it''s hard to get QT with a toddler around.

I''ve been curious about the pawn shops, too, but I think I will skip them this trip because we''re limited in time. A great thought, though! I think we''re going to be doing more looking/considering, not sure if we will buy on this trip or not, but I''m definitely in for lots of browsing.

kimi

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 12/22/2008 12:45:36 PM
Author:
Hi Kimokat! Welcome to LA (and areas thereabout!) I need to alert you that many places listed are quite far apart.


It is indeed quite a drive from Palm Springs to LA. Are you in Palm Springs the whole time, or will you be closer to LA at times?

Hi ! We''re in Palm Springs for most of the trip, but we might be spending some nights w/ a friend in Topanga, which makes getting around LA a bit easier. I remember the traffic from previous trips... and it is not a cakewalk! It isn''t easy to get around the SF Bay area either -- I tend to fall into patterns and not let go.


Once in LA, places listed are not really all in one area, so I will try to group them for you to try to maximize your possibilities...


Here we go...


Southcoast (Orange County) would probably be a separate day given the distance, and so many non-jewelry stores around to shop you can easily spend more than a day there. Not the cheapest area around for shopping either (don''t know if that makes a difference to you!)

I don''t know how much non-jewelry shopping I''ll do -- maybe hit up the Cabazon outlets? I haven''t been for 2 years though -- are the deals there still good?


Downtown LA sounds great to go to Singlestone, but it is a decent drive (esp in bad traffic which LA seems to always have! Maybe with the holidays it will be better) from downtown to the more coastal (Bev Hills, Westwood, Brentwood, Santa Monica) areas. Frankly IMO the jewelry district down there is not the greatest place if you are on limited time (too many people trying to push things on you), and downtown LA by the jewelry district does not have a lot else to do. However a trip to Singlestone may make it worth your while! I would actually put a day in the downtown jewelry district/singlestone as a separate excursion if you are planning to go there.

I''ve been considering skipping DTLA -- unless we decide to put in a day there, but then I''d be over in the garment district, for work -- because it is so far out of the way, but would like to see SS''s selection. Decisions... Why can''t I have a longer vacation?


Close to each other and IMO doable in a day...


Starting ''inland'' (compared to Santa Monica!) in Westwood...

DH knows the Westwood area, so this would be a good place to start. We could go places for ''old time''s sake.''

Morgan''s Jewelers (Westwood which is UCLA) - I only suggest them to you because (although I haven''t been there in a while), they carry a really nice selection of beautiful estate/older pieces) - their hours are limited so need to check first (seems like they have been closed whenever I have gone by) - Westwood is right around the corner/super close to (need to drive though!)...


Peter Norman (Brentwood) - large selection, great place to look - Not really any estate type pieces, but a large selection of very nice jewelry ... it is super duper close (around the corner but too far to hike in LA) to....


23rd Street Jewelers (Santa Monica)... then around the corner to Montana Avenue in Santa Monica...


Montana Avenue has many jewelry stores to browse and the whole street is easily walkable up and down with many nonjewelry stores too (link to store street map... http://www.montanaave.com/map/index.asp ) You can select jewelry from the search list to specifically find jewelry stores if you want... http://www.montanaave.com/store_search/results.asp

Given time limitations, I would recommend for you (given an estate type focus) looking at Montana Ave Jewelers. I was just in there and they had quite a few pieces.

Thanks for the suggestion! I didn''t realize that there was so much to do in Santa Monica.

If you had time (or the inclination to) create jewelry you could stop by SemiPrecious on Montana, but making the jewelry can be quite time consuming.

Oh fun! I''m actually thinking of starting some jewelry-making classes in 2009. What are my options at SemiPrecious? We have some nice places for this sort of thing near me -- CCA is close by and fosters an artsy vibe


You could finish up the day again ''around the corner'' (not really walkable on a schedule) on the Third Street Promenade for an ocean front dinner and shopping (and if you have time you could do a quick walk just over one block to 4th Street to hit Nobel Gems. This is an unremarkable store front, but the owner in there LOVES to teach about the history of jewelry (he will pull pieces out to demonstrate.) He is mostly estate pieces but does have some vintage inspired new stuff that he makes, but his passion is real vintage. He loves to show you how old jewelry techniques (such as the way platinum used to be formed for rings, bracelets, etc) are different from today''s techniques. Quite an eye opener and definitely gives you an extreme appreciation for the art (esp in the ''old days'') of jewelry making.

Nobel gems sounds amazing. I love it when the owners take the time to share their knowledge/expertise.



If you wanted to hit XIV carats in Bev Hills on the one day whirlwind, I would do that one right before I hit Morgans in Westwood (slightly ''inland'' from Westwood)


If you are efficient I do believe you could hit all those in a day!


Sorry no experience with RFK or the Watch one you listed. By the location listed for RFK in Jerichosmom''s post, that one would be slightly inland from XIV carats, so would start there and then go to XIV and then to Morgans, etc... Could do all that in one day if you really shook your behind and did not dilly dally too much. If you got delayed looking at something in particular I would recommend prioritizing your list so that you could drop locations off if you got time crunched...

Thank you to everyone who responded to my Q''s in the last few days, and sorry that I''ve been MIA.

Holidays + Work = Aaaah!

Hope you are all getting geared up for a fabulous holiday season!

kimi

 

[:)]

Hi Kimikocat - couple of FYIs for you - with regards to KFK, make positive to check holiday hours - they close I believe it is after 12/27 and are closed from then to 1/6/09. (I had to go check them out since I hadn't heard of them before! I saw the holiday hours posted on the door and made a mental note for you)

Went to Singlestone - Amazing - super nice with gorgeous pieces. If you skip going down there, keep them in mind for custom!
They had an utterly stunning Tiffany solitaire ring (no joke it actually grabbed my eye in the case) - I am going to post about it in a minute because someone who seriously loves jewelry needs to have it.

Montana Ave Jewelers is having 10-40% off all pieces (signs posted in store)- I had gone back b/c I am on the verge of purchasing a necklace (I will likely purchase tomorrow), and they offered me 30% off - it is a really good price so maybe their prices on other estate pieces are just as good!

Great your BF can be your tourguide! Lots to do in Westwood!

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 12/23/2008 10:27:47 PM
Author:
Hi Kimikocat - couple of FYIs for you - with regards to KFK, make positive to check holiday hours - they close I believe it is after 12/27 and are closed from then to 1/6/09. (I had to go check them out since I hadn''t heard of them before! I saw the holiday hours posted on the door and made a mental note for you)


Went to Singlestone - Amazing - super nice with gorgeous pieces. If you skip going down there, keep them in mind for custom!

They had an utterly stunning Tiffany solitaire ring (no joke it actually grabbed my eye in the case) - I am going to post about it in a minute because someone who seriously loves jewelry needs to have it.


Montana Ave Jewelers is having 10-40% off all pieces (signs posted in store)- I had gone back b/c I am on the verge of purchasing a necklace (I will likely purchase tomorrow), and they offered me 30% off - it is a really good price so maybe their prices on other estate pieces are just as good!


Great your BF can be your tourguide! Lots to do in Westwood!

hi ! Merry Christmas!

I might only be browsing in the bigger stores. I realized that a lot of indie places will be closed down for the holidays, so definitely a good idea to call and find out if they''re even open.

Great tip on Montana Ave jewelers. Did you pick up your necklace?

Westwood is cute, isn''t it? Should be pretty quiet w/ the undergrads all home for the holidays -- it''s sort of my favorite time bc/ UCLA is shut down and I feel like I have the area to myself.

kimikocat

 

[jerichosmom]

kimikocat, there is one more place that i''d recommend, especially for larger stones. Francis Klein off of Rodeo in Beverly Hills has some gorgeous pieces (with the prices to go with them).

There was an interesting article in the LA times yesterday about pawn shops in BH. one of them has a ton of diamond jewelry. I remember in the early 90''s (pre-internet) when Las Vegas pawn shops rivaled Tiffany''s. One store had armed security and the largest selection of diamond rings outside of BH! However, that''s all changed now as the internet has opened up a whole new way to move the jewelry & watches. Here''s the article....http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pawn25-2008dec25,0,4228591.story

I want to take my husband (who collects expensive watches) to the 2nd pawn shop listed to see if I can get him a nice (discounted!) watch!

what is it in particular that you''re looking for? if it''s a larger stone, SS showed me a gorgeous 3.13 OEC (loose) last week. it was $25K. It''s the little cousin to my new 3.55. Sorry, still no photos.

there is a place in SF if you''re ever there, called Lang antiques (?) that has a ton of rings on their site. Prices were high but once again, the price you actually pay is usually discounted from the tagged price.

where have you been so far? can you give us a review of the places?

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 12/27/2008 8:51:31 PM
Author: jerichosmom
kimikocat, there is one more place that i''d recommend, especially for larger stones. Francis Klein off of Rodeo in Beverly Hills has some gorgeous pieces (with the prices to go with them).


There was an interesting article in the LA times yesterday about pawn shops in BH. one of them has a ton of diamond jewelry. I remember in the early 90''s (pre-internet) when Las Vegas pawn shops rivaled Tiffany''s. One store had armed security and the largest selection of diamond rings outside of BH! However, that''s all changed now as the internet has opened up a whole new way to move the jewelry & watches. Here''s the article....http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pawn25-2008dec25,0,4228591.story


I want to take my husband (who collects expensive watches) to the 2nd pawn shop listed to see if I can get him a nice (discounted!) watch!


what is it in particular that you''re looking for? if it''s a larger stone, SS showed me a gorgeous 3.13 OEC (loose) last week. it was $25K. It''s the little cousin to my new 3.55. Sorry, still no photos.


there is a place in SF if you''re ever there, called Lang antiques (?) that has a ton of rings on their site. Prices were high but once again, the price you actually pay is usually discounted from the tagged price.


where have you been so far? can you give us a review of the places?

Hello Jerichosmom,

We took a little detour to the Foothills to visit my MIL, so we''re not in the area yet. I will definitely take notes and photos (if allowed) and share on PS after my trip. The LA Times article about pawnshops was a fascinating read, if a little sad -- hard to imagine selling off personal items but I guess if I had enough to make my 100K payroll each item might not be exactly sentimental...

I think you will be able to find a gorgeous watch for a good price.

I used to work fairly close to Lang Antiques. I stopped in a bunch of times w/o any intent to buy and Barbra always put up with me. They have some beautiful pieces, but I''ve never tried to negotiate, always been a little turned off by the high tag prices & the return policy isn''t very generous. They let me try on a 4 ct OEC that''s fabulous -- it''s on their site right now and it''s on p.1 of the Engagement Rings section.

As for what I am looking for -- I am quite undecided and am hoping that this little trip will help me make up my mind. I want a simple solitaire, something with fluid lines like a Mark Morrell or the classic Tiffany (like the one you found at SS), but I can''t decide if I want a fancy yellow oval for a center stone, or a warmer-colored RB (like an ACA or a Crafted by Infinity). I''m hoping if I see enough options I''ll be able to make up my mind and forward with this project. I change my mind every 2 mins so it''s kind of a drag!

kimikocat

 

[jerichosmom]

oops, I totally misread what you wrote previously. I thought that you said that you were only going to see the larger STONES, not larger STORES! I didn''t mean to re-post about the OEC that ARi at SS showed me.

I love the rings at Lang Antiques and the 4 ct ring looks gorgeous. I can be honest and say my 3.55 cost less than half of what they''re charging for their 4ct! And it''s one colour higher!

Orignally, I wanted a chunky cushion and had Jon at GOG send out 2 cushions for me to look at. Once I had them I realized that I wanted a specific look and that look only came from a real antique stone. My new OEC was one of the first rings I saw and I just lost my mind! I never wanted a round stone, I liked squarish ones but the faceting structure was more important. I hate the look of arrows (weird, I know) and love seeing trapezoid & triangular flashes of colour, not white light. I tried to make an effort to find something cheaper (it was way over my budget). But after thinking about it for another month or so, my husband decided that it was a good deal and I would never get an upgrade so he''d splurge. In the end, Keith made the price work and now it''s mine! There is such a difference between a RB and my OEC - I wish I had a really good video camera to capture it.

There really is no way to narrow down your choice unless you see the stones/rings in person. Each cut has a different personality so you really need to judge with your eyes. I orignally loved OMCs but the light/colour play didn''t speak to me as much as an OEC.

Next time you come to LA we should try & meet up. I''m in Encino so I''m not far from your friends in Topanga. Grace (from EricaGrace) is a little north from me and she''s come over with her jewels so that we could ogle them over breakfast. Maybe we could do IHOP (take-out) or pizza at my place and play dress-up!

One thing that I learned about my search is to take as many pictures as you can (if they let you). I orignally was looking at a much smaller diamond at KFK and took photos of it alongside the OEC. Photos captured light play that my eyes couldn''t and it was clear that the larger stone had total light reflection from every angle. Take side by side, the smaller stone had a lot more contrast under the table which I didn''t like. I don''t know if that''s a good or bad thing as a modern RB has contrast so that you can see the arrows, but that was not the look I wanted. At the store & outside, the stones looked identical to me. Just a thought. The photos are on a missing memory card but once I find it, I''ll post them so that you can see what I''m talking about.

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 12/28/2008 3:45:24 AM

Hi Jerichosmom!

Author: jerichosmom
oops, I totally misread what you wrote previously. I thought that you said that you were only going to see the larger STONES, not larger STORES! I didn''t mean to re-post about the OEC that ARi at SS showed me.

Oh, it was fun to hear about your jewelry experiences! Please don''t apologize. I''m a sucker for seeing everything and anything cool that a store has to offer. I''m either the best or the worst customer depending on the SA''s perspective, because I will spend hrs looking around and playing with the stock.

I love the rings at Lang Antiques and the 4 ct ring looks gorgeous. I can be honest and say my 3.55 cost less than half of what they''re charging for their 4ct! And it''s one colour higher!


Yeah, that has always been my opinion of Lang -- that they charge a pretty penny for their stock. I suppose the overhead must be high -- they''re in a great location near Union Square, and you can walk from Lang to Tiffany''s to Shreve to De Beers, Cartier etc. all down the same street. But it''s better to spend less AND get a beautiful piece. Things look better to me if I feel like I was given a fair price.

Orignally, I wanted a chunky cushion and had Jon at GOG send out 2 cushions for me to look at. Once I had them I realized that I wanted a specific look and that look only came from a real antique stone. My new OEC was one of the first rings I saw and I just lost my mind! I never wanted a round stone, I liked squarish ones but the faceting structure was more important. I hate the look of arrows (weird, I know) and love seeing trapezoid & triangular flashes of colour, not white light. I tried to make an effort to find something cheaper (it was way over my budget). But after thinking about it for another month or so, my husband decided that it was a good deal and I would never get an upgrade so he''d splurge. In the end, Keith made the price work and now it''s mine! There is such a difference between a RB and my OEC - I wish I had a really good video camera to capture it.

I kind of had the same experience as you did! I thought I wanted an OMC or a cushion, but the OMCs that my jeweler called in for me were often off-round/funky in ways that didn''t appeal to me -- I guess I like a bit of symmetry -- and I looked at a few fancy yellow cushions that didn''t have the sparkle. They looked lifeless to me -- small pinpoints of light and they had that crushed ice appearance at the center that a lot of radiants also share. I learned from the experience that I like a certain crispness and sense of geometry in my diamonds. You know, you''re not the only one who says they don''t like arrows. I''ve heard a lot of folks express the same opinion. Maybe it''s too much contrast, or maybe you just don''t like seeing "spokes" in the center.

Keith and your hubby are both heroes, IMO, for helping you get your OEC.

There really is no way to narrow down your choice unless you see the stones/rings in person. Each cut has a different personality so you really need to judge with your eyes. I orignally loved OMCs but the light/colour play didn''t speak to me as much as an OEC.

Ain''t that true!


Next time you come to LA we should try & meet up. I''m in Encino so I''m not far from your friends in Topanga. Grace (from EricaGrace) is a little north from me and she''s come over with her jewels so that we could ogle them over breakfast. Maybe we could do IHOP (take-out) or pizza at my place and play dress-up!


Oh, that would be fun -- jewelry + breakfast! I would love that. Encino is beautiful. In Northern California we definitely miss that sunny Mediterraean feeling.

One thing that I learned about my search is to take as many pictures as you can (if they let you). I orignally was looking at a much smaller diamond at KFK and took photos of it alongside the OEC. Photos captured light play that my eyes couldn''t and it was clear that the larger stone had total light reflection from every angle. Take side by side, the smaller stone had a lot more contrast under the table which I didn''t like. I don''t know if that''s a good or bad thing as a modern RB has contrast so that you can see the arrows, but that was not the look I wanted. At the store & outside, the stones looked identical to me. Just a thought. The photos are on a missing memory card but once I find it, I''ll post them so that you can see what I''m talking about.

Jewelry is such a personal, intimate aesthetic choice. You can get two side by side, and they will be drawn to completely different things.

Were the jewelers understanding about taking photos? I have had mixed experiences. Tiffany''s freaked out when I pulled out my camera. Shreve, however, was very understanding and let me set up my photos, put things side by side. But my camera''s macro mode was bad and the photos were blurry.

Next time you are up in the Bay, we have to get together. I think the vintage/estate pieces here tend to be pricier than in Southern California, esp. LA -- the dealers here used to tell me to source in SoCal, not around me, especially for the finer 20s/30s settings -- but I like the folks who run the estate counter at Shreve and it is a sentimental place for me b/c it was where my "promise ring" came from... which is another story entirely! My promise ring was pearl and my boy didn''t know that you can''t wear pearls as a ring day in/day out... Too funny. But it is a gorgeous pearl and Shreve did right by him.

kimi