my grandmother''s diamond

[palegirl888]

Hi Everyone,
I haven''t been on here that long and i am still learning about this whole process, but here is my story. My bf and I have been talking about getting engaged for a while now. My grandmother passed away around 4 years ago and left a ring for my mom. My mom gave it to me and now my bf and I want to use the diamond from the center of the ring and re-set it. This ring is really old and from Argentina, where my bubbie was born. The ring is platinum I think and very ornate with 5 baguettes going around the outside on one side and 3 tiny round diamonds set in a paisley shape on the other side. It is set VERY high on many long stalks and the diamond in the center, set even higher than the other setting for the other stone, is set with 6 prongs. I think the diamond in the center is around .80 ct. Anyway, we don''t have enough money to buy a new diamond so we are using this one but part of me wants to get it appraised just to know what exactly it is and what quality. I am sure the quality isn''t very good because it''s a little dark, but it might just need to be taken out of the setting and cleaned.
We have a jeweler that my family is friends with but I don''t think we are going to use him for the setting. We found some really nice antique-like settings at Claude Morady at Antiquarius on Beverly Blvd. but I am scared to give someone the diamond if i don''t know all about it. What if something happens to it? Or what if it is switched? i am a little nervous about the whole thing and my bf doesn''t know ANYTHING about diamonds. Should I ask our family jeweler about it even though we aren''t going to use him to design the setting? (We want one that has a marquis or pear shaped diamond on either side with pave going down the band and maybe around the basket to make it nice and sparkly.)
Any input would be appreciated. I can try to take a picture of the ring tonight, but I can''t make any promises because I have to go to my parents'' house and use their camera.
Thanks for reading and I welcome any advice.
Simone
santa monica, ca
p.s. i posted this earlier today but no one has responded

 

[AndyRosse]

Hi

What I would do is bring the ring to an independent appraiser, particularly one who has some knowledge about antique pieces similar to yours. I would have the appraiser remove the stone (if you are definitely set on removing it) and have him do a complete analysis on it...i.e. color, clarity, dimensions, table, depth, and most importantly, have him/her draw you up an inclusion graph of your diamond. Remember, inclusions in your diamond are like birthmarks. I''m sure the appraiser will be able to show you how to spot some easy identifable inclusions so that if you drop the stone off at the other jeweler, you will be able to verify it yourself upon picking it up. Also, a good jeweler will also draw you out a chart or show you how to identify your diamond. Remember, most jewelers don''t want any question or fear about diamond swapping, because it could potentially really hurt their business.

Okay, well I hope this helps you a little. But like I said, the most important thing to do is find an INDEPENDENT appraiser (you can use the search on this site to find one near you) and have them give you your diamond''s stats!

Good luck, and remember, I want to see pics of this ring!!!!!!!

 

[websailor]

You have a lot of alternatives - depending upon how you feel about it, you could do something to use the main stone now, and plan for an upgrade in the future when you can return the stone to the current setting and have a RHR.

I''d have a good talk about your feelings on this subject with your hb-to-be.

 

[solange]

Sometimes old settings can be quite beautiful. I believe someone mentioned here that old stones are more valuable in situ ( in original setting) than reset.
You should bring it to an appraiser to find out what the specs are on the stone. If you do decide to have it put in a new setting, keep the old one. Make certain that the person who is removing the stone knows what they are doing.
I decided to have my mother''s engagement ring made into a three stone ring. Unfortunately they clipped the prongs off and the setting is unusable now. Sometimes it may be unavoidable to damage the setting when taking out a stone but at least make sure that the person doing it is experienced and knows that you would prefer to keep the setting intact. You can always put a colored stone in the old setting and have another ring.