A most perfectly imperfect find

[JPie]

A while ago, I fell for this ring at Sin City Finds, but I took too long to pull the trigger and it was sold to someone else.


Imagine my surprise when I came across this eBay listing two weeks ago!


It’s definitely not the same ring, as the pearl and diamond are smaller. The diamonds also looked pretty terrible to me, but I hoped it was just the photos. The seller, BlueRibbonRarities, has a no questions asked return policy, so I figured it could be worth the risk to see it in person. I placed my bid 20 seconds before the auction ended, and it was mine for $891 after taxes!

 

[Matthews1127]

Very close replica, I must say!

 

[JPie]

The ring arrived very quickly and the moment I saw it, my heart skipped a beat. It definitely looked much better in person, though it’s a bit of a Monet. (Shoutout to all the other Clueless fans!) She looks great from far away, but up close she’s a mess.

This is what I see when I put it under a loupe. The girdle’s a mess, and there’s a crack in her crown. Judging by how a lot of the rough parts of the girdle are under prongs, I don’t think they’re due to wear and tear. I think someone over 100 years ago picked a very flawed piece of rough to facet.

Of course, this is just my opinion and I’m no professional!

 

[JPie]

She’s also had some work done, if you know what I mean. At some point in the last 100+ years, she lost some rosies and had them replaced with tiny OMCs.

 

[pearaffair]

Gorgeous!!

 

[JPie]

At this point you might be wondering why I didn’t return this ring the same day. After all, that diamond is deeply flawed, the setting isn’t all original, and pearls are so delicate.

What it comes down to is that we don’t view life under a 10x loupe. If we did, then I would’ve missed this.

 

[JPie]

Sheltering in place makes me verbose. Who knew?

Last but not least, video!

 

[JPie]

@Matthews1127 & @pearaffair thank you!

 

[syd33]

Gorgeous ring!! I personally own and love some seriously flawed and included stones—some chipped by loved ones that owned them previously and some purchased with their issues. I agree the enjoyment in jewelry has nothing to do with the perfection of the piece—for me at least....

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I love it! Oh my goodness though how do you bid 20 seconds before the end?? I just can't do it but I know that's how you snag a deal.

This ring is just glorious, forget the loupe, it's amazing In those "real life" shots.

 

[JPie]

Gorgeous ring!! I personally own and love some seriously flawed and included stones—some chipped by loved ones that owned them previously and some purchased with their issues. I agree the enjoyment in jewelry has nothing to do with the perfection of the piece—for me at least....

I would love to see yours!

 

[Niffler75]

@JPie I think this is wonderful! Congrats, hope you get much pleasure from wearing it.
I think I have said before on these forums, IMHO, you can chase perfection and never find it!

 

[JPie]

I love it! Oh my goodness though how do you bid 20 seconds before the end?? I just can't do it but I know that's how you snag a deal.

This ring is just glorious, forget the loupe, it's amazing In those "real life" shots.

With sweaty palms and a racing heart! I suspect I could’ve gotten it for cheaper if I waited closer to 12 seconds before it ended, but I don’t think my nerves would’ve tolerated that. I felt like I ran a marathon after!

I remember way back when, internet connections were too unreliable to risk bidding in the last seconds, so I used a free tool called Auction Sniper to do it for me.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Wow she's just stunning and I'm so glad you went for it! What a beauty! <3

 

[JPie]

@JPie I think this is wonderful! Congrats, hope you get much pleasure from wearing it.
I think I have said before on these forums, IMHO, you can chase perfection and never find it!

Thank you! I’ll definitely wear it with care. The pearl looks to be cemented on, but I’m not pushing my luck!

Wow she's just stunning and I'm so glad you went for it! What a beauty! <3

Thank you! Seems that we’re both on a pearl kick.

 

[ForteKitty]

I was watching that as well and just knew the diamond was going to be a sparkler. Who cares if some melee have been replaced and what it looks like under the loupe, the ring looks great IRL!

 

[winnietucker]

That’s gorgeous!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

At this point you might be wondering why I didn’t return this ring the same day. After all, that diamond is deeply flawed, the setting isn’t all original, and pearls are so delicate.

What it comes down to is that we don’t view life under a 10x loupe. If we did, then I would’ve missed this.

OMG its a stunner on your finger
Dont loup it ever again !

 

[foxinsox]

Love your perfectly imperfect find! Just gorgeous and clearly meant to be

 

[syd33]

I would love to see yours!

Well I lack your ability to photograph via loupe or I would happily share photos. I have inherited stones with inclusions and chips. Most of my chipped stones are currently bezel set to protect them. Most are also lower quality stones—it doesn’t detract from their beauty in my eyes... My 10 year anniversary band was purchased second hand and had included stones one black and eye visible...I thought it was fitting for 10 yrs since all flaws are visible at that point. There are others but Basically I never rule out a piece I love because there are some flaws. I have established relationships with two very good jewelers (one local for easy or weird things and one across the country for everything else) so I feel like I can scavenge, restore and repair as needed.

 

[JPie]

I was watching that as well and just knew the diamond was going to be a sparkler. Who cares if some melee have been replaced and what it looks like under the loupe, the ring looks great IRL!

Thanks! I hope that someday that I’ll develop a good eye like you. I still struggle with telling when a diamond will perform IRL or not, so good return policies are my friend!

That’s gorgeous!

Thank you!

OMG its a stunner on your finger
Dont loup it ever again !

Well, she’s definitely not eye clean, but I promise to be forgiving of her faults.

Love your perfectly imperfect find! Just gorgeous and clearly meant to be

Thanks!

Well I lack your ability to photograph via loupe or I would happily share photos. I have inherited stones with inclusions and chips. Most of my chipped stones are currently bezel set to protect them. Most are also lower quality stones—it doesn’t detract from their beauty in my eyes... My 10 year anniversary band was purchased second hand and had included stones one black and eye visible...I thought it was fitting for 10 yrs since all flaws are visible at that point. There are others but Basically I never rule out a piece I love because there are some flaws. I have established relationships with two very good jewelers (one local for easy or weird things and one across the country for everything else) so I feel like I can scavenge, restore and repair as needed.

I have a clip-on macro lens for my iPhone, and I just put my loupe in front of that to take the super magnified shots. I think you might be able to play around with using your phone’s zoom and a loupe if you’re feeling inclined.

Regardless, your collection sounds lovely! I like the sentiment behind your anniversary band. My husband and I have been married for over 10 years so I understand what you mean.

 

[Slickk]

Wow! What an elegant piece that looks stunning on your pretty hand. It looks like a ring from another age..a truly romantic piece. You certainly found a very close replica of the one that got away. Kudos! Enjoy wearing your gorgeous new ring.

 

[MissGotRocks]

So unique and pretty and I love your attitude about the ring. Things don’t have to be perfect to be treasured! Enjoy your new ring!

 

[peppermintpatty]

Who needs perfection when your ring is truly unique and beautiful. What a great find after missing out on the first one. Congrats!!!

 

[tyty333]

What a beautiful ring...a tiny piece of history for your finger!

 

[AuntKiki]

SO PRETTY!!! Diamonds, pearls and bows, all my favorites! Enjoy this darling ring!

 

[JPie]

Wow! What an elegant piece that looks stunning on your pretty hand. It looks like a ring from another age..a truly romantic piece. You certainly found a very close replica of the one that got away. Kudos! Enjoy wearing your gorgeous new ring.

Thanks! If I had to guess, I’d say this is Edwardian

So unique and pretty and I love your attitude about the ring. Things don’t have to be perfect to be treasured! Enjoy your new ring!

Thank you!

Who needs perfection when your ring is truly unique and beautiful. What a great find after missing out on the first one. Congrats!!!

Thanks! I feel like the bling gods smiled upon me.

What a beautiful ring...a tiny piece of history for your finger!

Thank you!

SO PRETTY!!! Diamonds, pearls and bows, all my favorites! Enjoy this darling ring!

I will, thank you!

 

[alittlelight]

So lovely, so unique, such history. Enjoy your gorgeous find. It was meant to be yours!

 

[OdetteOdile]

You have such an eye for detail! It was fun to hear the whole story and to see the close up pictures. But my goodness, the picture of it on your hand shows just how stunning it is! I love the detail of the bow. I think this is a beautiful, feminine piece.

 

[Dandi]

It's amazing and looks perfect on your pretty hand! Love it!