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JohnnyRnR posted:It's a little high, but a lot of times that's just the cost of supporting an independent artisan. The difference between a $1,400 ring and a $1,200 ring can mean paying rent for a small independent.
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Jan 6, 2013 08:59
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Sab0921 posted:I'm curious to know if I got screwed on the engagement ring I bought. That's a great price assuming everything checks out as represented.
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Jan 7, 2013 01:59
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My honey won't tell me how much the engagement ring he presented me with is. It's a tiny blue diamond, surrounded on a cluster of diamonds a little smaller than the blue. His mother purchased it on his behalf in the Caribbeans, supposedly at wholesale. I think the metal is white gold, and it comes from Sophia Fiori in the islands. How much did this baby range around, and by going to the Caribbeans, did he support conflict diamonds or get a shody diamond?
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Jan 7, 2013 05:28
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I'd ask him. The rest of us could only guess, and we would probably be way off! 
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Jan 7, 2013 05:56
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I want to buy myself a simple silver ring, but I don't know where to go. I had a look around at jewellers' windows today and all the things on show seem to start at €100 or so and they're fancier than what I'm looking for. If I go "lower end" than that it's places that have mostly costume jewelry and claim things to be silver. Which is something I would have doubt with. I'd like to know I'm buying something genuine and well made (as well made as a basic ring can be.) Is there a specific type of jeweller I should look for? I read online that there's a silversmith somewhere around here but I don't know if I'd be below their level.
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Jan 7, 2013 21:50
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Mrenda posted:I want to buy myself a simple silver ring, but I don't know where to go. I had a look around at jewellers' windows today and all the things on show seem to start at €100 or so and they're fancier than what I'm looking for. If I go "lower end" than that it's places that have mostly costume jewelry and claim things to be silver. Which is something I would have doubt with. I'd like to know I'm buying something genuine and well made (as well made as a basic ring can be.) Is there a specific type of jeweller I should look for? I read online that there's a silversmith somewhere around here but I don't know if I'd be below their level. If you're just looking for a plain silver ring, you can buy very simple bands made of sterling silver cheap online off of Amazon or Ebay. Silver isn't a particularly expensive metal so 100 Euros for one seems excessive, although that's not taking into account any designs/stones on the ring.
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Jan 7, 2013 22:22
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Vitamins posted:If you're just looking for a plain silver ring, you can buy very simple bands made of sterling silver cheap online off of Amazon or Ebay. Yeah. What I meant was the rings are fancier and start at €100, and they don't seem to have the basic ones on display. Possibly because they don't stock them. Another aspect is I'd like to go to somewhere reputable. And the final aspect is I can think of a number of different ways that even a basic silver ring could be styled and I'd quite like to see them.
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Jan 7, 2013 22:41
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my darling feet posted:My honey won't tell me how much the engagement ring he presented me with is. It's a tiny blue diamond, surrounded on a cluster of diamonds a little smaller than the blue. His mother purchased it on his behalf in the Caribbeans, supposedly at wholesale. I think the metal is white gold, and it comes from Sophia Fiori in the islands. How much did this baby range around, and by going to the Caribbeans, did he support conflict diamonds or get a shody diamond? You could google other people's experiences with buying Sophia Fiori and cruise jewelry in general, or get the ring appraised. But if you think it's a beautiful ring and you are happy with how it looks, it might be better just to enjoy that and not be looking to make yourself dissatisfied with something you are planning to keep anyway. Unless you just aren't sentimental about the import of this particular ring having been given to you, and you want something that you've picked out yourself.
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Jan 7, 2013 22:43
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JohnnyRnR posted:Since there is still some interest in this thread I thought I would post something unique I recently acquired. This gemstone is amazing. I wish I could make it into a necklace! Saint Fu posted:Thank you for the advice. I don't mind supporting an independent artist, good to know that it isn't a blatent rip-off. Yay supporting independent jewellers! Despite the cheesy names (which happens a lot on etsy) some of the work in that shop is absolutely fantastic.
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Jan 9, 2013 19:57
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Claes Oldenburger posted:Yay supporting independent jewellers! Despite the cheesy names (which happens a lot on etsy) some of the work in that shop is absolutely fantastic.
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Jan 10, 2013 15:54
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Costello Jello posted:You could google other people's experiences with buying Sophia Fiori and cruise jewelry in general, or get the ring appraised. But if you think it's a beautiful ring and you are happy with how it looks, it might be better just to enjoy that and not be looking to make yourself dissatisfied with something you are planning to keep anyway. Unless you just aren't sentimental about the import of this particular ring having been given to you, and you want something that you've picked out yourself. I like the ring but I don't love it. I love more what it symbolizes. I want to pick out my bridal ring with him so I get a ring I love entirely (It's a pretty setting if only it didn't jut out and get in the way of pretty much everything practical, and asymmetrical, which I flat out don't like in jewelry). To the OP: I want to get a drop necklace for my dress that matches the ring very well. Blue diamonds are pricey, and so I've looked at alternatives that from a few inches away can't be noticed. Can you tell me about London Blue Topaz, and how much difference in color and appearance it can go from one stone to another? I'm looking on Amazon and overstocked for about $70 for a half carat, but then $300 at Ross Simmons. Does this sound about right?
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Jan 13, 2013 19:13
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I have a ring being built now for the spinel I showed a page back. Here are a couple renders of the design.  It won't be ready for another month, but at least it's in process.
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Jan 25, 2013 06:05
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Christ that's attractive. Hey Johnny, sorry for not getting back to you yet about that ring, I'm kind of considering something slightly more custom (I've got a particularly attractive and uncommon piece of material to work with for myself).
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Jan 25, 2013 18:24
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JohnnyRnR posted:I have a ring being built now for the spinel I showed a page back. Here are a couple renders of the design. Amazing as usual! I love those circles of white stones around the outside, a beautiful frame for larger coloured stones.
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Jan 25, 2013 23:29
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Hey Claes, you still doing any custom stuff?
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Jan 26, 2013 00:24
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WAFFLEHOUND posted:Hey Claes, you still doing any custom stuff? On and off, school is still crazy but if you have something in mind PM me! I get my 3D printer next month and that's going to change a lot for my turnaround time and what I can do.
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Jan 26, 2013 14:56
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I'll drop you a message.
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Jan 26, 2013 22:12
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I found a treasure in the lost and found box at work a couple weeks ago. It's a bracelet, made of sterling silver (925 stamp) and set with these opaque blue stones I can't identify. They run in a teardrop-oval-teardrop pattern. What I really love is that it's a chain, but instead of being interlocking loops the chain is made with little hinges! It's just beautiful and the color is wonderful. Can you tell me anything more about it? Here's a photo: http://imgur.com/Aj6Yv18
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Jan 31, 2013 17:19
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That's very pretty. The stones looks to be cobalt glass cabochons with some type of opalescent texturing. It's a very wearable bracelet, but you might want to have a jeweler replace the clasp with something more secure. Or someone else might be finding it in the lost and found. 
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Feb 1, 2013 04:19
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This was a fortunate time to find this thread. I don't know how to deal with a potentially valuable ring passed down to us. It's not tied to any emotion; we were told we could sell it if we could get a good price for it, or keep it and just get it repaired. It would probably be a waste of time to visually describe it and I don't have a picture handy just yet, but the ring is a vintage engagement ring with multiple, small diamonds ranging from approximately 1/8-1/3 carats (speculation from retail workers). The ring is 10k white gold and the cut of the diamonds are, as we were told, basically unheard of since the 1920s; which is why we believe it's old (it's also an antique style, which has been commented on by repair shops). The ring requires a bit of repair, mostly straightening of two tips and re-tipping(re-dipping?). We've had two quotes for the repair: one for ~200 by a local repair shop and one for 150 by a chain (Helzberg's) and some weak quote from Zales that we basically walked out on because Helzberg's actually sat with us in a small office and went over the damage versus Zales who opened a book and clearly didn't know poo poo about jewelry, and quoted a higher price anyway. Regardless, I don't know what to do at all from here. We'd like to entertain selling the ring if the value is nice. Should we bother with the repair first? We've been given multiple repair options by one store and I'd hate to repair it in a way that lowers its value. And then how do we go about selling it or maximizing what we get from it? Do rings have more value if they're antiques and how can we prove that (the ring lacks any marks or brands that would make this easy)?
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Feb 1, 2013 06:28
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ElNiffi posted:I found a treasure in the lost and found box at work a couple weeks ago. On second thought, they could also be dyed lapis. Hard to tell from the photo. MJBuddy posted:... but the ring is a vintage engagement ring with multiple, small diamonds ranging from approximately 1/8-1/3 carats (speculation from retail workers). The ring is 10k white gold ... Antique rings are generally worth a premium if they're a fantastic example of the style, from a well collected designer (very few), or associated with someone famous. A photo would help. I would encourage you to have the ring repaired. Estate jewelry is going to be the next hot fashion statement.
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Feb 1, 2013 06:38
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JohnnyRnR posted:Antique rings are generally worth a premium if they're a fantastic example of the style, from a well collected designer (very few), or associated with someone famous. A photo would help.    Somehow I got a quality drop when I hosted it; hope this is good enough.
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Feb 1, 2013 06:52
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I got my hands on a pair of the most brilliant moonstones I have ever seen. They did cost a bit (sorry student loans!  ) but I'm going to set them into a pair of earrings with some small diamonds and hopefully sell them.Here they are, I've been lucky enough to find a gemstone dealer in Toronto who deals with almost completely untreated/unaltered stones. Sri Lankan Rainbow Moonstones  I love moonstones and I LOVE these. They look like little raindrops with a huge flash of a range of colour. I'll post more pictures when I make them into earrings!
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Feb 1, 2013 14:51
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MJBuddy posted:Pictures of ring It doesn't look like this would be a major piece. I'd encourage you to have it repaired as the sale price would likely be about the same as the repair costs. Claes Oldenburger posted:I got my hands on a pair of the most brilliant moonstones I have ever seen. Those are great! Be sure to show us the earrings when you finish them.
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Feb 1, 2013 15:09
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Claes Oldenburger posted:moonstones Those are pretty! The cuts look a bit lopsided, is that just the picture? I have a bunch of moonstones if you're interested... 
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Feb 1, 2013 15:19
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JohnnyRnR posted:It doesn't look like this would be a major piece. I'd encourage you to have it repaired as the sale price would likely be about the same as the repair costs. I certainly will! WAFFLEHOUND posted:Those are pretty! The cuts look a bit lopsided, is that just the picture? Yea it's just the picture, it makes them look like little kidneys! I tried to get the best example of the flash that I could :P Let me sell some of my gems first then i'll get back to you :P
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Feb 2, 2013 02:02
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Fifteen years ago I commissioned a ring from a local hobbyist/small business lapidary. It was a deep red garnet, and I explained that I liked emerald-cut (meaning square) stones. He showed me a shape he'd always wanted to cut, called something like "barillion"? (no, not "beryllium".) Instead of having a flat table, it was faceted all the way to the top. I loved that ring to pieces and wore it often. Well, five years ago our house was burgled and that ring was stolen. I tried to get in touch with the lapidary (no longer local to me; we'd moved across-country) but he was long gone, no forwarding address. Can anybody on this thread guess what the cut might actually have been, or suggest similar cuts?
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Feb 6, 2013 05:08
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Arsenic Lupin posted:Fifteen years ago I commissioned a ring from a local hobbyist/small business lapidary. It was a deep red garnet, and I explained that I liked emerald-cut (meaning square) stones. He showed me a shape he'd always wanted to cut, called something like "barillion"? (no, not "beryllium".) Instead of having a flat table, it was faceted all the way to the top. I loved that ring to pieces and wore it often. Seems like a long shot, but could it have been a bar cut stone?
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Feb 6, 2013 07:31
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Aha! Thank you, that was the clue I needed. It was a barion cut.
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Feb 6, 2013 17:42
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My boyfriend is getting me a ring and letting me choose it myself! I went to a local jeweler that I know (he's a client at my office and a friend of my co-worker's), he owns his own jewelry shop and worked with me in finding something that I liked based off of a picture I showed him. I want to know if he's giving me a good deal or if I am paying too much. The stone is a .60c, round cut, Bellataire diamond, E color ($2225) The setting was separate: 14k white gold with small diamond accents all around the stone and on the sides, and a tiny hidden diamond on both sides of the setting (can't see it in the photos). I can't remember the brand name of the setting, not sure if that is important. The total he gave me was $3740 with an interest-free financing option. Any opinions on the pricing or the ring? Would I be able to get the same quality stone without the brand name and spend less money? The stone hasn't been set yet so that's why it looks abnormally elevated. This is as close as I could get with my camera phone and still stay in focus, sorry about that.  
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Feb 17, 2013 01:09
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The only question I have for you is: Are you aware that a Bellataire diamond is HPHT treated to improve the color? If so, go for it - The total price is fair for a designer setting. HPHT diamonds are a permanent process and a great way to get a much finer looking stone, but HPHT diamonds are still a bit of a niche product and typically take a hard hit on resale. Just something to think about if you would ever like to sell it to put towards a different ring in the future. I'd advise you to avoid financing if at all possible. The math is such that it raises the prices considerably.
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Feb 17, 2013 05:31
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I promised an update when the spinel ring was ready, and it's finally finished. I'm very happy with it.  In photographing the ring I noticed something unusual. The color looked a little more purple than it had before. The photo lights weren't full spectrum so the spinel's greatest effect was lost: Red spinels from Burma react with ultraviolet light and in the presence of UV they look like they're glowing with an inner light. Just goes to show that you have to see a stone in all lights to know what you're getting.
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Feb 17, 2013 07:48
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You're killing me Johnny. Between that ring and the ridiculously gorgeous cushion sapphire you have on your site, I have never wished more that I was a billionaire.
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Feb 17, 2013 15:16
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JohnnyRnR posted:I promised an update when the spinel ring was ready, and it's finally finished. I'm very happy with it. Absolutely AMAZING! I did not know that about Burma spinel and that is very cool. Do you write the GIA cert inside all your rings with large stones?
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Feb 17, 2013 15:34
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Rurutia posted:You're killing me Johnny. Between that ring and the ridiculously gorgeous cushion sapphire you have on your site, I have never wished more that I was a billionaire. Thank you. Sad to say, but I had to raise the price on that sapphire because at market rates I couldn't afford to replace it once it sells at the old price. The finest quality gemstones in the big names (sapphire, spinel, ruby, alexandrite) have been steadily going up in price. I just sourced next year's supply of sapphire and was dismayed that the new wholesale prices are the same money that I was selling them for retail a year ago.  Ultimately, there just aren't enough top quality gemstones to go around and scarcity is pushing prices up. It can be very tough to top gem gemstones when you need them.Claes Oldenburger posted:Absolutely AMAZING! I did not know that about Burma spinel and that is very cool. Do you write the GIA cert inside all your rings with large stones? I do. It's a new thing I started a couple years ago. I engrave any certificate numbers inside the jewelry and have the engraving filled with a coloring agent so it is easy to read. Even if there isn't a certificate I will engrave the gem varieties and weights. Customers appreciate it, but it is mostly for my reference.
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Feb 17, 2013 17:38
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JohnnyRnR posted:Thank you. Sad to say, but I had to raise the price on that sapphire because at market rates I couldn't afford to replace it once it sells at the old price. I actually noticed that because I seriously lust after that sapphire and look at it quite often. It really does seem like to me good quality gemstones with deep coloring are just more worth the money than diamonds ever are to me even from an objective market standpoint. But that just might be my bias showing.
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Feb 17, 2013 22:40
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I don't suppose it's possible to get a plain ring of pure iridium? From what I hear it's a pain in the rear end to work with, not to mention expensive, so I'm guessing the odds are low.
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Feb 18, 2013 03:39
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Kaedric posted:I don't suppose it's possible to get a plain ring of pure iridium? From what I hear it's a pain in the rear end to work with, not to mention expensive, so I'm guessing the odds are low. Here you go, first google result for iridium ring. http://www.americanelements.com/irmwb.html
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Feb 19, 2013 23:47
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Wondering if someone could just talk at me about my idea. I want to take three family rings to a jeweler to unmount the three main stones (~.25 round diamond, ~.75 marquise diamond, and a marquise-shaped emerald about 7mmx3mm) and design a custom necklace using them. I think I want them just aligned vertically, like this admittedly terrible picture: If the jeweler has any ideas to use the tiny rounds or baguettes that would be great too. Firstly, anybody got recommendations for custom jewelers near Dallas? What kind of price can I expect? Probably depends on materials, so what metal should I request? How long can I expect to wait for it to be completed? I hope to wear it to my wedding in just under three months.
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Mar 1, 2013 16:12
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Rough guess... anywhere from $500-$2,000 depending on the materials and construction. Would take 3-6 weeks depending on the intricacy of the design.
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Mar 2, 2013 04:30
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