Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

My 1st purchase ever... is it worth buying? - What do you think of this vintage opal/diamond/tsavorite garnet ring?

V

vintagecharm

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Messages
32
I saw this beauty online and am considering buying it, but am nervous since it's my first purchase ever. I've only ever bought the very cheapest sterling silver that James Avery and David Yurman puts out. I'm nervous I'll buy something that I'll regret for one reason or another.

I've been wanting an opal & diamond ring for over 15 years, and now I can finally buy one for myself to celebrate my 40th birthday and finally graduating college (and starting grad school).

I love the look of the ring from a top / straight-on view, but the side view isn't ideal to me. The opal looks great from the top, but doesn't seem to throw much fire from the side view. The intricate (enough) gold design won me over. The green stones almost look a little too light or cheap, but the overall charm of all of the design elements won my heart over a little. It'll be about $650 after taxes, so it's my largest jewelry purchase of my entire life. The priciest I've ever bought before was a $250 sterling silver and prasiolite ring, so this is a big purchase for me. It looks like that value to me, and I like the vintage charm of it. I would appreciate your thoughts on if this ring looks like the opal is a nice stone, if I should keep looking, if the design looks good from the side, or if the green stones look a little too light to you, or what you think about the design/style itself.

I would love expert opinions here. I've lurked on this site for over 15 years on and off, and remembered this site tonight when I was also searching for a replacement side diamond for a gold bangle bracelet I have. I joined this day 15 years ago... 2/15/2010... funny how life flies but some things stay the same or we do the same things on the same day many years later.

I don't know if the side view of the ring will always bother me (I like it looking directly at it, but don't like the side view). I'm also not sure if it the opal really throws much fire or sparkle. I know my budget is very low, so perhaps I'm expecting too much.

I also worry that the opal setting being so high would make it very easy to knock it on a table and break or damage the opal. I'm a bit hard on jewelry.

What do you think of the ring in these photos?
 

Attachments

  • s-l1600 (5).webp
    s-l1600 (5).webp
    65.1 KB · Views: 29
  • s-l1600 (8).webp
    s-l1600 (8).webp
    73.7 KB · Views: 30
  • s-l1600 (7).webp
    s-l1600 (7).webp
    103.5 KB · Views: 26
  • s-l1600 (6).webp
    s-l1600 (6).webp
    64.2 KB · Views: 27
  • s-l1600 (9).webp
    s-l1600 (9).webp
    65.4 KB · Views: 30
Last edited:
Welcome back!

I am probably unfamiliar with your market. Where I am, that price point would not get you much of anything.

I think it is brand-new and not antique/vintage. I think it's crafted for maximum bling for a modest investment. For me, it's too little value in the center stone and too much attention paid to the distracting pave. The green (tsavorite, you say?) should "pull out" the green in the opal, which I am really not seeing.

I don't love the opal. I suspect it will look mostly white. My issue with opal photos is that they are always taken at the precise angle and instant of maximal color and you wonder if it will ever look that good in your hands. This is an example where you hope it will look much better when you get it -- and they never, ever do.

All that said, I can't point you to anything for $650 that will knock your socks off. I am not confident that it will scratch the itch for your first piece of finer jewelry. But I would definitely go vintage.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Good point about this one looking more new. It says it's pre-owned in the listing but I tend to assume "pre-owned" means vintage or antique. The busy design around the stone does make the ring stand out to me since I love antique-style designs. I can see why you think it looks like maximum design impact for cheap and with a cheaper center stone. I don't expect anything in my < $1000 budget to knock my socks off, but I would like to see a little fire in the opal. This one might lack that since the side photos look white.

Perhaps I should really be (way) more realistic and look for small opal only rings that have a better opal without diamonds around it, maybe in sterling silver. My taste greatly outweighs my budget lol.

My grandmother had a stunning antique opal diamond ring that had a very fiery opal with every color of the rainbow and sparkly white eye clean diamonds that I always loved. The opal looked like glitter to me as a child. I know I won't have anything like that, but a tiny bit of a "glitter" look would remind me enough of that.

I'm glad to get feedback... I've wanted an opal ring so long that I probably jumped the gun on this one a little.
 
Congratulations on your birthday and graduation! Whether it’s this or something else, I hope you find something you love to commemorate your achievement!

About this ring though… I’m not crazy about the setting/opal combination. The opal seems to be sitting on top of the setting rather than being an integral part of the ring. And I’m concerned that the opal might be rather lifeless in real life. I also suspect that the ring is new and not vintage.
 
There are quite a few opal and diamond rings on eBay within your price range - which makes me think they might not be that hard to find! Happy hunting!

www.ebay.com

Vintage 14K Gold Opal Diamond Ring Size 4 Hallmark 5.63 Grams | eBay

Stamped 585 hallmark. Weights 5.63 grams.
www.ebay.com

www.ebay.com

14 K gold opal and 2 K + diamond ring Vintage Stunning Showpiece 7,5 Size | eBay

<p>14 K gold opal and 2 K + diamond ring Vintage Stunning Showpiece. </p><p>Can be sized very easaly</p>
www.ebay.com

www.ebay.com

Vintage 14kt Yellow Gold Natural Opal and Diamond Halo Ring size 7 1/2 4.7 g | eBay

The colors are very lively and vibrant.
www.ebay.com

www.ebay.com

14K Opal, Ruby & Diamond Cocktail Ring-LARGE-White Gold-3.5tcw-Natural-Vintage | eBay

DRAMATIC 14K White Gold Opal, Ruby, and Diamond Cocktail Ring-Beautifully Crafted! This Glamourous and Over-the-Top Ring features an Absolutely Stunning Opal Center Gemstone with a Striking Rainbow Sheen. Surrounding the Opal Center are Natural, Earth Mined Diamonds and Rubies that Add Extra...
www.ebay.com
 
Last edited:
Thanks, I'm happy to get to commemorate my milestones a little. :)

Interesting that it looks new to you too. The opal is so tall in this ring it almost looks out of place from the side view. I was worried I would hit it on a counter and that be that. The lighting and angles do look very carefully chosen in the photos.
 
I love that ruby, diamond, and opal ring. Thanks for helping me dig through ebay! I'm not much of a white gold person since I usually sway gold or just go with sterling, but it works in that design. That opal has some "glitter" that I was hoping for too. It's on my list of contenders!

This tanzanite ring was another ring I was looking at last night but have tried to talk myself out of-- opal, diamond, and tanzanites. It's marked THL for Samuel Aaron, Inc. It goes against my better judgement since it's 10K gold and since I can't imagine those white stones being natural diamonds for so cheap ($250).

The ruby ring you found looks much nicer though.
 

Attachments

  • s-l1600 (10).webp
    s-l1600 (10).webp
    85.1 KB · Views: 13
Last edited:
According to Dr. Google, tsavorite wasn’t used in jewelry until 1974, so the ring you originally posted most likely is newer than that.
 
A few yellow gold options:

www.ebay.com

Vintage Garland 14k White Gold Opal & Diamond Cluster Ring Size 6 | eBay

Vintage Garland 14k White Gold Opal & Diamond Cluster Ring Size 6. Excellent condition. Please see all photos closely as they are part of the listing description. Thank you for looking.
www.ebay.com

www.ebay.com

Eye Catching Vintage Estate Italian 18K Gold Opal Diamond Floral Halo Ring 5.5 | eBay

The ring is stamped '18K' and 'Italy' and tests for 18k gold. The diamonds are +/-1mm. The ring is in excellent condition with only very light wear. The ring has been resized. We back this up with many photographs, all with a close-up zoom option for detailed inspection.
www.ebay.com
 
Just wanted to make sure the original poster knows that opals need some extra TLC. They aren't like diamonds or corundum (ruby/sapphires) which are fairly hardy and forgiving. The owners of opals need to be careful -- what they expose them to, how they clean them, and how they store them. I personally adore opals, but you need to baby them a bit. I've seen a few lovely opals "die" in the wrong hands. Just wanted to make sure OP knows that.

Cheers!
 
I’m no opal expert, but… looking at the first of your photos, I can see a reflection of the camera flash. That tells me that that’s what the opal will look like at its best, and under strong lighting.

Not much colour visible in that shot. As other posters have said, I’m afraid the opal will just look like a plain white stone.

It’s so much fun to finally be able to purchase a special piece of jewellery. I’ve had that feeling of excitement myself.

Sometimes it’s better not to rush, educate yourself about the gem in question, wait a bit, and get something that really wows you.

If you REALLY want to get spoiled about opals, check out the videos at “Black Opals Direct” . Very educational.

Good luck in your quest!
 
Last edited:
The ring you originally posted is some sort of modern replica. It’s not well-made. I would not buy it. The gems are not good quality in the fabrication of the ring is poor.

You can definitely find true antique or high-quality vintage rings for around the price you’re suggesting. But I always try to buy the best quality I can for the budget that I have your budget is not really enough to buy a nice quality ring with an opal and all those extra stones. It could definitely purchase you a beautiful gold band like a five stone ring, or a simpler style. I just think it’s important to adjust what you’re purchasing to your budget so that you can get something truly high-quality with sturdy fabrication and high-quality gems.

I understand that this is a large purchase for you and you haven’t bought yourself something nice before. I just want you to get good value for your money. If you can increase your budget I would recommend that you do that because it would allow you to buy a better quality piece where you would really feel like you got your moneys worth. Or buy a simpler design in your budget.
 
People post all kinds of goodies in this thread that are within your budget. Most are high-quality.

YadaYadaYada

Thread 'Somebody's Gotta Buy This Piece!'

It's about time a thread was started to showcase some amazing treasures that need new homes.

I'm going to start with this amazing sapphire ring from the Victorian era, chunky mine cut diamonds on either side set in rose gold :kiss2:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/667892...wer-ceylon?ref=shop_home_active_5&pro=1&frs=1


IMG_2483.jpg IMG_2486.jpg IMG_2487.jpg
  • Like
 
As someone who also keeps a lower budget, the best call you can make is to wait. Don’t jump on stuff if you’re unsure, save that money until you find something you know you love and know you will use.
Also, if you can, try to save up to around USD$1500. It will get you a surprisingly larger distance than a flat 1000.
 
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