Antique Diamond Necklace & Pin

[ilovesparkles]

OMG those are so GORGEOUS

there are no words of description to bring justice to the elegance of those pieces. I think it is so depressing tho that your family wants to sell them! Even if they are not worn all the time, it would be such a nice tradition to have the women of your family wear them on their wedding days! It sounds like a few people just want the money which is sad! Oh well at least you get to wear them on your wedding! just breathtaking!

 

[SoonIHope]

Hehe, sorry MoonRiver, I hope you''re recovered now!

Thank you Widget & SuzyQZ! I know; it just breaks my heart to have to part with these...but having to pay my aunts for their shares of it is pretty sobering.

ETA: Widget - I have been thinking it would be great to get to wear the pin too! I''m not sure if they''re going to want to sell that right away since I''m requesting they wait on the necklace, but if they''re willing to wait I''ll probably try to figure something else, or make my mom wear it even if she doesn''t want to!

I''m thinking it will probably get cold as the evening progresses, so maybe I could use it to pin a shawl in place or something?

But that might be a little TOO much diamond on one person.....

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 4/4/2006 3:00:13 PM
Author: albicocca
Hehe, sorry MoonRiver, I hope you''re recovered now!

Thank you Widget & SuzyQZ! I know; it just breaks my heart to have to part with these...but having to pay my aunts for their shares of it is pretty sobering.

ETA: Widget - I have been thinking it would be great to get to wear the pin too! I''m not sure if they''re going to want to sell that right away since I''m requesting they wait on the necklace, but if they''re willing to wait I''ll probably try to figure something else, or make my mom wear it even if she doesn''t want to!

I''m thinking it will probably get cold as the evening progresses, so maybe I could use it to pin a shawl in place or something?

But that might be a little TOO much diamond on one person.....

I like that idea a lot. What an amazing necklace and pin!!!!

 

[SoonIHope]

OH, one other thing! What kind of earrings do you think I could wear with that necklace?? I was originally planning to splurge (hehe or make my fiance splurge

) and get some simple diamond leverback earrings in white gold or platinum, but I don''t think that would go with the necklace now!! The problem is that I NEVER wear yellow gold though, so I don''t want to spend very much on yg earrings, but I still want to have something with a little bit of presence. I found a bunch of victorian cluster earrings that I thought would look nice, but they''re all at LEAST $1,000 and I can''t justify that for something I''d really just wear the once. Do you think I could wear platinum/wg with this necklace if there wasn''t much showing? Do you think regular prongs would look weird next to the elaborate ones in the necklace? Do you think I could just get some sort of no-diamond gold chandelier earrings that would work?

 

[didiamond]

What incredible pieces to find with such a history! I am truly saddened that they will have to be sold when there is someone like you who would love to keep them in the family. Especially the pin that is engraved. BUT I am thrilled you will be able to wear them at your wedding! You might have to fight your mom and aunts to get those carats off your neckline!!!!!!!! Enjoy them while you can and try to convince your family to keep them. It''s such a part of your family''s history.

I can''t wait to see a neck shot!

 

[jcrow]

oh wow~~!!! what a wonderful "something old" to wear!!

i think the heads of the pin would make a wonderful e-ring head!!! hum...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I am not sure if someone also suggested this (I just glanced at the other posts) but I LOVE when girls us a pin at the top of their bustle. It is such a cool look!

 

[SoonIHope]

Thanks everyone!

Date: 4/4/2006 3:07:12 PM
Author: jcrow
oh wow~~!!! what a wonderful ''something old'' to wear!!

i think the heads of the pin would make a wonderful e-ring head!!! hum...

Hehe, yes, it''s my something old AND my something borrowed! And I totally had that thought about the pin!! I LOVE the heads!!

Tacori - That is SUCH A COOL IDEA!!!! I''m not sure if I''m going to have a bustle or not (outside wedding so I might have them cut the train) but if I do, I think that''s going to have to be the use for it!

 

[Kaleigh]

Here''s a thought on the earrings. Buy a pair of lever backs in yellow gold and then rhodium plate them after the wedding?? Just a thought....

 

[mrssalvo]

I agree with those who said to try and find a way to keep them. My parents sold my greatmother''s 2.21 OEC ring that she had inherited from an aunt. The amount they received was about 1/3 of the worth so they took a big hit in the resale as well as the history now lost. I hadn''t found PS yet or I would have stopped it

.

Both pieces are just gorgeous and I''m glad you will at least get to wear the necklace for your wedding. I''d figure out a way to include the pin to if possible (maybe even keep at least that one since it''s inscribed)

 

[bstraszheim]

Oh, those are wonderful heirloom pieces. How lucky for you to be able to wear them at your wedding, they definitely qualify for the "something old" tradition! With the presence of the necklace, you may want to do a simple gold stud and let all the focus be on the fabulous necklace. I just don''t see being able to match a modern piece to the necklace.

I wish you well,

Bridget

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 4/4/2006 3:13:16 PM
Author: albicocca
Thanks everyone!

Tacori - That is SUCH A COOL IDEA!!!! I'm not sure if I'm going to have a bustle or not (outside wedding so I might have them cut the train) but if I do, I think that's going to have to be the use for it!

I am getting married outside and am having a train (but I love the look of both a train and bustle) if not you could always pin it on your back (if it comes to a point or something) or pin it on the ribbon on your flowers OR put it in your hair....oh the ideas are just flowing.

 

[SoonIHope]

Date: 4/4/2006 3:13:45 PM
Author: kaleigh
Here''s a thought on the earrings. Buy a pair of lever backs in yellow gold and then rhodium plate them after the wedding?? Just a thought....

I thought of that! Is it really that easy to do?? I don''t know how rhodium plating really works, but can they just plate a completely yellow gold piece and it will look like white gold from then on?

MrsSalvo & a lot of the rest of you

- The problem is that my family is very big on saving EVERYTHING old, so we have multiple storage units full of antique furniture and books and clothing and jewelry etc from the past couple hundred years of my family.... It is really really cool and I LOOOOVE having it to look at, but when you''ve been paying monthly storage room and safe deposit box fees for years, it gets a bit old, especially for things like this which really have no practical use. I feel like everyone is so upset that we''re losing such an important piece of family history, but we really do have a million other things with the same amount of sentimental value - it''s just a lot easier to justify not selling a seed pearl ring engraved with my great great great aunt''s engagement date where I can actually WEAR it sometimes, whereas things like this have been sitting in the bank for 60 years and if I didn''t want to wear it in my wedding, would continue to do so forever. I agree that it is a shame, and if money was no object we would definitely keep them, but there''s a bit too much upkeep involved to really justify it at this point.

Hehe, but maybe once everyone sees me wearing the necklace at my wedding they''ll have a change of heart!

 

[Sundial]

Albicocca those are really extraordinary and magnificent pieces that will add a nice touch to your wedding! Thanks for shaing them with us. I also like the idea of YG leverback earrings for the ceremony and then having them plated later. You will probably have to have them replated every now and then.

 

[AndyRosse]

WOW, they are absolutely gorgeous!! And the detailing is just amazing!!!

 

[BrightSpot]

Albi, the necklace & pin are just stunning!

I''m sorry to hear you won''t be able to keep them in your family, but how wonderful that you can wear them on your wedding day!

Do you know anyone who has a pair of diamond studs set in yellow gold you could borrow for your wedding? You wouldn''t need much bling on your ears with that fabulous necklace!

 

[SoonIHope]

Thanks Brightspot, Sundial & Rascal!

Date: 4/4/2006 3:33:39 PM
Author: BrightSpot
Do you know anyone who has a pair of diamond studs set in yellow gold you could borrow for your wedding? You wouldn''t need much bling on your ears with that fabulous necklace!

I don''t think I do...my mom had ~.25 tcw studs but she thinks she lost one, and I think I''d like them to be a LITTLE more blingy than that anyway. And apparently my rich ancestors didn''t wear earrings.

I kept hoping my mom was going to pull out another box and say, "And here are the matching earrings that go with the necklace!" but no luck.

 

[selflove]

Absolutely fabulous!!! How''s that for "something old"?!!?!

Will your family adopt me? hee hee!

 

[KristyDarling]

Good lord, diamonds truly fit for a princess!!!!

How wonderful that you''ll be able to wear them at your wedding -- you''ll be stunning! What is your wedding dress like?

I agree that it''s sad that you won''t be able to keep them (what a great family legacy that''d be!), but every family has different ways of handling inheritances and I know you all have lots of other wonderful keepsakes. How great that your family was able to keep heirlooms over so many years!!!

 

[widget]

Date: 4/4/2006 3:22:14 PM
Author: albicocca

my family is very big on saving EVERYTHING old, so we have multiple storage units full of antique furniture and books and clothing and jewelry etc from the past couple hundred years of my family....

wow....I''d sure love to be able to rummage around in those storage units!...especially the safe deposit boxes!

widget

 

[KittenKat]

Oh my goodness!!!

Such gorgeous pieces. Enjoy them!

 

[SoonIHope]

Date: 4/4/2006 3:46:30 PM
Author: widget

Date: 4/4/2006 3:22:14 PM
Author: albicocca
my family is very big on saving EVERYTHING old, so we have multiple storage units full of antique furniture and books and clothing and jewelry etc from the past couple hundred years of my family....

wow....I''d sure love to be able to rummage around in those storage units!...especially the safe deposit boxes!

widget

Hehe, yeah, the best part is actually the house (where we''re getting married!) in the Adirondacks which was built in 1848 and is still furnished almost exactly the way it was originally! So there are a million little trinkets and photos sitting around from that first generation that lived there, and my great great great grandfather''s Civil War uniform etc. And then all the really valuable ($-wise) stuff is locked in storage, but the stuff in the house is what I love the most!

 

[Rhapsody]

Oh my! I''m not a yellow gold girl either but it would be worth changing my mind over for that necklace.

You are going to look stunning with all your bling.

I''m not sure I would pick a dangly earring with that necklace. A stud might look best. If you cant get diamond studs I would consider CZs, they''ll look just as good and you wont have guilt over spending a ton of money on something you''ll never wear again

I''ve had really bad luck rhodium plating yellow gold. It never stayed white looking for long. Maybe I just have bad luck and always get the old contaminated crappy rhodium solution.

And, uh, would you mind if I invited myself to your wedding? I would LOVE to see that house

 

[flopkins]

albi thanks so much for sharing these, they''re amazing pieces!!!!

Have you thought about maybe breaking up the necklace to each aunt/sister? The necklace looks like each diamond pair droplet could be separated... then each member could keep part of it?? They look like different sizes but one might get two of the smallest for earrings or soemthing, You might even be able to wear a droplet as a pendant regularly, it wouldn''t be so much bling!!

So sad to sell something w/so much history!

 

[jcrow]

i don''t know if someone has suggested it or not, but you could use your pin on your bouquet.

 

[Dancing Fire]

WOW!!!

beautiful pieces.

 

[ilovesparkles]

I really like the idea of wearing the pin in your hair! Of course I would make sure to find a secure way to keep it in there I also really like the idea of having your mom wear it so both of you are wearing a piece from the ancestors. My mom and I are reading this thread simultaneously and just so sad about it having to be sold after the wedding! I hope it all works out for the best! And of course can''t wait to see shots of you in the necklace and dress

BTW I really like the idea of simple studs and plating them afterwards. I didn''t know you could do that to yg ....

 

[MissIndecisive]

Wow Albi! Thank you for sharing those with us! They are both gorgeous and you will look stunning wearing that necklace on your wedding day!

How special!

I loved reading your other post too about the old house your getting married in! You''re very lucky to have all that history from generations and generations!

I think these ideas are fab....

Date: 4/4/2006 2:43:51 PM
Author: widget

ETA: And the pin is engraved with your great-grand parents wedding date??? It just doesn''t get better! Could you wear it in your hair, or on a shoe, or something?

Date: 4/4/2006 3:10:10 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
I am not sure if someone also suggested this (I just glanced at the other posts) but I LOVE when girls us a pin at the top of their bustle. It is such a cool look!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 4/4/2006 5:20:04 PM
Author: flopkins


Have you thought about maybe breaking up the necklace to each aunt/sister?

Now that''s an idea! There is a terrific pendant & earrings set in the necklace with minimal modification required. And those would be orders of magnitude more wearable.

If any part gets sold after all, you could persuade the family to get an appraisal and advice - it is quite easy either to get old cuts heavily discounted or the opposite, depending how and where they get sold. It is shame to part with them, but to do so for and get the short of it !

On the bright side... you are going to be a glamorous bride! That can''t be bad. Maybe your mother could wear the goin at your wedding?

You would not be the only family who saves a set a ''wedding jewelry'' through generations. Is there such a tradition in the US at all?

 

[Miranda]

Wowee...Truly amazing pieces!!! I''m not a YG fan, but, I really think it adds to the charm of the pieces. I''m sad for you that you can''t keep them. It''s hard to believe that some folks would rather have cash than jewelry...Can''t understand it myself! They will be so beautiful at your wedding.