Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Would love some advice on a setting I'm considering!

S

samtab

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
16
Hello! I posted a while back and got some great feedback. I'm planning on proposing as soon as I have the ring in hand, and my original goal was to find either an old mine cut or an old european cut diamond (at least 1 carat) and have this setting custom made. This is what I wanted the ring to look like:

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/63/d5/6c/63d56cb86a4c28faf9baa26bf9c071f6.jpg

I got an estimate from 3 jewelers here in southern california that work closely with antique rings/gems. Depending on the what metal I wanted and how much detail (whether a lot of work would have to be done by hand), it would cost anywhere from $800-$2,000.

Being a recent college grad, I'm limited to a budget, and though I would still love to have that ring custom made, I don't want to sacrifice the quality of the diamond for the setting. I then stumbled across a company on eBay that sells replica antique rings from the moldings of antique rings. They sell settings with the diamonds and also settings by themselves. I found one that I liked (the setting, not the diamond) and thought had similar characteristics to the original ring I wanted. This is what it looks like:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151240411863?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I contacted them and was told that they sell the setting separately. They have 14k White Gold available for $185, or if I wanted they could make one in 18k White Gold for $270, and a Platinum one for $510.

Is there any reason that going this route would be bad? I don't obviously have experience with this, but I don't want to get something that seems cheaply made or anything. Also what is your opinion on what metal I should choose? Would going with white gold give it more of an antique look? Or would platinum be a safer metal to go with so that the details of the ring don't get messed up if the ring is bumped against something. Thank you for your time and responses, and sorry for the long post!!!
 
You might want to ask specifically about the vendor, diamondzone on ebay. I'm pretty sure I've read good reviews about them here on PS.

I just wanted to point out that both doverjewelry.com and antiqueengagementrings.com also offer both actual antique rings, and reproduction settings based on antique rings. You might want to check them out if you'd like a wider range of settings to choose from.
 
I would not buy and engagement ring from Dover. Their adds are COMPLETELY unrealiable and near as I can figure they use a dart board for their stats. Or their grader is stone blind.

Too risky.
 
What's your budget over all, including stone and setting?
 
Gypsy, I'm trying to stay around $3,500-$4,000. I know that sounds extremely low, especially since I'm aiming for a 1 carat. but luckily my girlfriend actually prefers some color in the diamond. Though everyone is chasing for the most colorless diamond, she preferred the look of diamonds we saw in the L/M range, which is perfectly fine by me ;)

The past few days I've also been playing around with the idea of downgrading to a .90-.99 diamond, to get a higher quality diamond and possibly save some money. She would honestly be thrilled with whatever I give her, she's not expecting a 1 carat diamond or any special setting, but I really want to give her a ring she'll love and be proud to show off.
 
I am so GLAD to hear that.

Here are my recommendations:

1)
Lovely stone: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/11304/

You could get that lovely setting in platinum even. She'll be thrilled and dazzled. http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=4831

2) Also lovely: http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/0-90ct-loose-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-l-vvs2/ Same setting. (I honestly think I prefer this stone because it's more round than the GOG one). The faceting is just amazing too. This would personally be my choice.
 
Thanks Gypsy, definitely will consider that. Do you have any advice though on 14k white Gold vs Platinum? I know for a fact she like the faded, vintage look, not the typical super shiny high polished finishes on most of todays modern rings. Will 14k white gold give me that? Which metal would be safer to preserve the detail of the ring incase of getting bumped somewhere?
 
If you can afford it platinum is better. Platinum develops the 'patina' you are saying she likes over time (and not much time, a year should do it). Gold will not develop that. And gold requires dipping to keep it white (which will brighten it up again).

As for dings, a bad ding is going to nick either. But for the most part gold is harder so it will resist better. But... those scuffs and dings are what your lady WANTS if she wants the patina, from platinum. And platinum is stronger (though softer) so it rolls with the punches better than gold. :wavey:

I really like that 90 point stone I posted for you. Can you put it on hold for a couple days so it doesn't get snatched up?
 
That .90 stone gypsy pointed you to is really lovely.
 
Thanks Gypsy, all of that info has been super helpful!!!

I really like that .90 as well, and though it is a VVS2, is it priced fairly? It might be because I'm comparing diamonds that I've been looking at which were mainly VS-SI clarity, but it seemed a bit pricey for that size and color. But what do I know, I'm new to this game...
 
Hey OP, have you ever heard the expression "you get what you pay for" ? The jewelers you went to see want $800 to $2000, and the ebay seller is just $150-$500. You can't possibly expect the ebay seller to give you the quality you want. Listen to Gypsy, she is very wise.
Best of luck.
 
samtab|1393982430|3627634 said:
Thanks Gypsy, all of that info has been super helpful!!!

I really like that .90 as well, and though it is a VVS2, is it priced fairly? It might be because I'm comparing diamonds that I've been looking at which were mainly VS-SI clarity, but it seemed a bit pricey for that size and color. But what do I know, I'm new to this game...
Click to expand...


A lot of pricing has to do with how nicely cut a diamond is and how well it performs. As it is such a gorgeous transitional I think the pricing is very fair because the stone is GIA graded (make it more expensive as GIA trades at a higher price because they are very reliable and accurate, which is what you want), very bright with gorgeous faceting, and faces up very well for it's carat weight in terms of dimensions. And has no girdle issues (rare for true antiques) so you can actually set it in one of the settings you are considering without fear.

Here's a 90 pointer from Old World Diamonds; http://www.oldworlddiamonds.com/detail.php?ID=3125&SHAPE=any L VVS as well. But it's from EGL which means it trades at a very large discount because quite frankly their grading is highly unreliable (no where near as good as GIA). Plus there is no picture. AND it's smaller (dimensions, not weight).

So yes, I think the Jewels by Erica 90 pointer is a very fairly priced for a GIA stone that is so lovely and bright and faces up so nicely in terms of dimensions.
 
It's an EGL diamond. I don't recommend them. They are poor values. And the color listed as M could be a R with thier track record. And if you look at the dimensions it's smaller than the L I posted for you. YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT DIMENSIONS NOT CARAT WEIGHT.

I really do urge you to go with the nicest stone you can afford, and that L 90 pointer before is really up there in terms of being awesome.

If you want something less expensive, then there is this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/130786120040?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Again, the dimensions are smaller than the L even though it weighs more. But it is a very lovely stone. And it is a GIA graded stone. And I think the faceting is nice. BUT the seller's feedback rating gives me pause. So make sure you send a message confirming that if you don't like the stone for ANY REASON you can return it in the 2 week period. AND you will absolutely need to get it appraised IMMEDIATELY after receiving it.

I still prefer the L stone though. And you get the certainty of working with a reputable vendor.
 
samtab|1393994339|3627717 said:
Thank you Gypsy. Just did some searching on eBay and stumbled across time diamond. I know the clarity and color is lower, but it's ever so slightly larger, also it's a conflict-free diamond (definitely a plus). It's almost $600 less too. Opinion?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-0-9...3410594?pt=Loose_Diamonds&hash=item5d49ff0e22
Click to expand...

This diamond might way a touch more than the .90, but it also faces up a bit smaller than the .90, indicating that it's cut deeper. It's also EGL-certified, which is less reliable for color, so the color could actually be two or more grades lower than the .90. Also the symmetry rating is low - and in fact, you can see the poor symmetry in the photo provided. I'd go with the Jewels by Grace diamond. It will cost you a bit more, but you're getting far more than $600 worth of additional value - and visually, it's a stunning stone.

ETA - both of these are antique diamonds. Neither of the sellers could possibly guarantee anything about the diamond's origins!

Oops - cross-posted with Gypsy. Hi Gypsy! :wavey:
 
As for conflict free. All diamonds sold in the US are conflict free now. By law. There is no other option.

And ask VR pointed out. The original origins as both are older than 2003, because they are antiques are not something anyone can verify. So the ebay seller is full of it.


HI VR :wavey:

Buying vintage is a way of avoiding diamonds that are recently conflicted though.
 
Thanks VR and Gypsy! That GIA .95 you posted looks very nice and I feel more comfortable with the price of it, especially because it'd leave me with enough to have the original setting that I wanted custom made with the details done by hand. Though the face is slightly smaller than the .90, do you think the diamond you showed me on eBay is going to perform as well as .90 vvs2? The .90's pictures/video look amazing (maybe because it was shot outside vs inside like the .95), do you think the .95 is going to be similar in person? So sorry for all the questions, you don't know how much I appreciate your time and responses!!!
 
I don't know anything about the 95 point diamond other than what is posted on that listing. And I can't guess how it will perform. Because OEC's are very unpredictable.

I AM concerned about the seller's rating. It's low. Also you will need an appraiser to look at it as soon as you get it.

The 90 point L is a top quality stone though. And there is a lot of information on it. So it's a much safer choice. And it has great performance.

And if you pair it with that really lovely setting: http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=4831 either in platinum or in white gold you will have a beautiful ring.
 
Gypsy is the diamond expert, but I'll take a stab at this.

FIrst, the being a GIA-rated VS2, the inclusions shouldn't be noticeable to the naked eye at a normal viewing distance. That means that your primary concern would be whether the inclusions could endanger the diamond structurally, especially during setting. The plot seems to indicate that 1) they're all very small (I suspect they'd fall under the "fleabite" category :wink2: ), and 2) they're all on or near the girdle. In other words, the chips are minor damage caused by wear and tear of prior settings. It also looks like they could all be covered with prongs, especially if you use the antiqueengagementrings.com setting that has tab-style prongs. I would ask Grace a couple of things: 1) how current is the GIA report, i.e., has the stone been set and unset since the report was issued? Is it eye-clean? In her opinion, would any of the inclusions affect the diamond's durability.
 
I agree with VR. Call Grace and chat with her.
 
Gypsy and VR. I ended up talking with them and during my time of communication over email and considerations, someone else purchased it :/ So now I'm back to step #1.

I know I've bothered both of you enough, but I was wondering what you guys thought of this stone:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400676767054?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I know it's an EGL and not a GIA, but I figured at worse it would be a VS2? The color is an N, which as I've mentioned, which I thought might be too yellow, but after watching the video, I actually thought it looks really nice. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tAaJye4sFQ&feature=youtu.be

I emailed the jeweler and I'm in discussion right now, but I believe I can get it for $3,200. What do you think? Is it a good stone? Is that an ok price? Thank you once again!
 
Thanks gypsy. I remember you showed me that earlier, but my only concern was that the report said it had a feather. I asked the seller about it and he didn't email me back, which sort of concerned me.
 
How about this lovely diamond:
http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/0-94ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-k-vs1/

ACT QUICK before another lurker buys it out from under you, put it on hold and give a deposit if you have to. You have NOTHING to worry about with VS1 clarity.

Only thing you have to do ask if it can be prong set because the girdle (as is common with OECs) is very thin.
 
Edit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top