#JOTW 1.50ct Navette Ring Rescue

[yennyfire]

That's amazing! Congrats!!

 

[ac117]

Absolutely beautiful find!!!! Why can't I get lucky like this?!?!?

 

[JLW05]

A great find. Congrats. It's beautiful!

 

[stonewell]

Goodness, been away today and came on to find so many sweet comments from everyone - Thanks so much!

I spent the day in LA and made a visit to DK. He confirmed the quality/color and suggested some of the stones were better than advertised. I needed to size it up a bit and have it undergo a professional cleaning, so I left her for a spa visit. Can’t wait to see how she looks when she comes back!

 

[MarionC]

Is there anything more fun than a great find?!
And the clean up is so satisfying, like unearthing treasure.
It's really beautiful!

 

[missy]

Amazbling!Sweet find!

 

[doberman]

Wow, talk about a makeover! It looks great on you.

 

[JmeeMrie]

Gorgeous! I always dream of finding these types of hidden gems on my travels. Enjoy

 

[Catmom]

Holy cow, what a difference a good cleaning makes! It's a gorgeous ring. What a great find!!

 

[Marissa Stewart]

I can't believe they wouldn't clean it before listing it! That is an AMAZING find! It's GORGEOUS!!!

 

[stracci2000]

I love the before and after shots!
Beautiful OECs!

 

[Diamond*Dana]

Wow! That is gorgeous!

 

[LorettaB]

That ring is gorgeous! I bought an old 7-diamond cluster ring from a pawn shop last year and if you can believe it, it was even worse than your ring. Totally black underneath and my jeweler had to steam it clean, but it turned out really nice. There really is treasure under the crud sometimes.

 

[Cinderella]

wow what a great find and cleaned up beautifully!

 

[steviedsgirl]

You did a wonderful job! Please post photos when she comes back from being professionally cleaned.

 

[stonewell]

After a long week away on a spa visit, she’s back! It’s amazing what a professional cleaning and polishing will do. I still need to take her in for a more formal appraisal, but based on the measurements taken by DK, the total carat weight is closer to 1.68cts.

As some of you have requested, here are some of the latest photos and a quick video

Late yesterday, just before sunset




I absolutely *love* the small tables and super tall crowns.

Today is a bright, sunny day in SoCal!

As an aside, I did a bit more research and learned that many “purists” of vintage/antique jewelry prefer to have all the “aging or patina” remain on these sorts of pieces. So, I suppose I may have committed a mortal sin by restoring her to her former beauty. Oh well, I think this is a much better look and more fitting for a piece like this than her former state.

 

[September_Blue]

Absolutely any chance you could share your vendor?

 

[marymm]

FWIW I absolutely adore this vintage ring of yours, all clean and shiny and high-polish - it is such a special ring (and a great find) - I had bookmarked a similar not-as-nice ring some years back as an inspiration design, but yours is the prettiest, most elegant ring I've come across in the navette design - wear in happiness!

 

[ac117]

Wow, what a beauty!!! The cleaning really did her even more justice!!

 

[KiloSierra]

What a difference some TLC had on such a special ring! I love the romanticism that comes with truly antique pieces and your find is amazing!!

I always cringe when I see rings that look tired and dirty. So much sparkle is lost under years of built up gunk and dirt and grime!

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Beautiful- and I would ignore the purists and step back in time to the moment the original owner first saw this beautiful ring in all its clean and shiny glory.

 

[stonewell]

Absolutely any chance you could share your vendor?

Sure... it was webuy376. Apparently they’re a large pawnbroker in NY, so they sell all sorts of items, from shop tools to Chanel bags!

FWIW I absolutely adore this vintage ring of yours, all clean and shiny and high-polish - it is such a special ring (and a great find) - I had bookmarked a similar not-as-nice ring some years back as an inspiration design, but yours is the prettiest, most elegant ring I've come across in the navette design - wear in happiness!

Awww, thank you @marymm! I’ve picked up some other pieces recently, but this is definitely a special one

Wow, what a beauty!!! The cleaning really did her even more justice!!

What a difference some TLC had on such a special ring! I love the romanticism that comes with truly antique pieces and your find is amazing!!

I always cringe when I see rings that look tired and dirty. So much sparkle is lost under years of built up gunk and dirt and grime!

Thanks guys! Isn’t it amazing what some cleaning will do? I was worried when I read keeping the original patina was important - but that lasted only a minute once I saw the end result. lol

 

[stonewell]

Beautiful- and I would ignore the purists and step back in time to the moment the original owner first saw this beautiful ring in all its clean and shiny glory.

Amen! These are my thoughts exactly. I can’t help but imagine who her owner(s) may have been and wonder about the history of it all. While it was sad to see it in somewhat of a neglected state, I’m happy to give her a good home.

 

[cushioncutnut]

Beautiful! I too have been lucky enough to come across one or two "gunky" pieces that I knew was a hidden treasure! Glad you made it even more beautiful again!

 

[fioratura]

Great find!!!! I love a good rescue story!

 

[LoveRed]

I’ve read several stories of fabulous finds folks have come across unexpectedly, so thought I would share mine. It’s definitely a tale of not judging a diamond ring by its cover.... of gunk and grime.

I was perusing through ebay and came upon an auction for a platinum navette ring. What caught my eye was there are sizable OECs that make up the ring for a total of 1.50cttw. The two central OECs were listed as an estimated .50ct each. The color range of the stones were estimated high too, ranging from G/H/I.

However, the pictures showed a really dull and drab ring. I figured it was worth the risk since the seller offered returns. It arrived today and here’s how it looked:






Needless to say, I was wondering what I was thinking in purchasing it. There must have been decades of gunk and grime built up. However, after a couple of hours of gentle scrubbing and several rounds in the ultrasonic cleaner, I think I may have a winner!
Underside looking much cleaner now...



And... here she is!

Gorgeous ring, it’s all about the hunt!!

 

[apacherose]

Wow, this is an incredible beauty! So glad you saw the potential!

So, I love patina.... but this gal needed her diamonds to sparkle. Amazing I love it.

 

[stonewell]

Gorgeous ring, it’s all about the hunt!!

So true! It’s so addictive too

Wow, this is an incredible beauty! So glad you saw the potential!

So, I love patina.... but this gal needed her diamonds to sparkle. Amazing I love it.

Thank you! I’m still thrilled to have uncovered such a beautiful piece under all that gunk. It certainly has caused me to evaluate items like this differently - and not quickly dismiss them at first glance.

 

[petite_singe]

What a great find and what a transformation! Enjoy it.