Old Ring - New ACA!

[Old Carbon]

This is my original wedding set (circa 1980). Whiteflash has set an ACA (0.58, E, VS1) into my original setting. This summer, I discovered that the loose diamond my husband had purchased, was switched out by the jeweler who set it! The original diamond was 0.68, I, SI2. The diamond I had a goldsmith remove this summer, was 0.57. So I sent it off to GIA to obtain a Diamond Dossier report, which showed the diamond was 0.57, F, SI2 with a laser drill hole! Not the diamond my husband had purchased for the ring. My husband is sentimental about this setting (although we upgraded to another ring a few years ago). So we decided to give it the diamond it deserved - an A Cut Above! Hope you like the pictures.

 

[Patty]

Very nice, Old Carbon! You can't go wrong with an ACA!




My original diamond in 1979 was 60-something points. We discovered an eye-visible inclusion in it so we had the jeweler replace the stone. I always felt like the new stone was not as big as the first one. We later discovered it was .54c. I now have a stone that I love in my wedding ring (a SuperbCert). Nothing like correcting the past 25 years later, eh?

 

[MelissaSue]

ooh.. How nice! Horrible story about your original stone though. The new stone is just STUNNING though. I like your setting as well!

 

[njc]

Thats a pretty cool setting! Love the bands on either side. And congrats on the awesome new diamond!

 

[sevens one]

What a great thing to do. Love that stone.
Glad to see you were able to use the original setting.

 

[Lynn B]

LOVELY!

Absolutely LOVELY!

Do you have the specs of your gorgeous stone?! Is the ring two-tone gold?

Mmmmmm, thanks for sharing!
Lynn

PS Around these parts, we love hand shots! (hint, hint!!!)

 

[Old Carbon]

"Nothing like correcting the past 25 years later" is right Patty! I had no idea I was wearing a laser drilled diamond all those years. I would have been mighty unhappy had I known. I soaked and cleaned the diamond all the time, but it just didn't sparkle. The independent jeweler who did the setting (and switching) is now 82 years old and retired. It's not worth my time and energy to pursue the matter.

The ring is both yellow gold and white gold. At the time (1980), the Prime rate of interest was at it's historical high of 21.5%, and the price of gold was also extremely high. All of the engagement settings back then were very thin and flimsy, I can't imagine many of them could last a lifetime! We shopped around, until my fiance spotted this setting at Baily Banks & Biddle. We liked the contemporary style, and it looked a bit more substantial than other rings at that time. If you notice the cut-outs on the ring (which add interest), I think the real reason was to save on the expensive gold!

My fiance obtained the diamond through a friend who was just getting into the jewelry business. (Hubby got a very good deal on that diamond.)

When we took the ring and diamond to the independent jeweler for setting, I recall he commented that the cutter really knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, the diamond he actually set in the ring is trash - according to GIA the depth is 63.3% and the table is 63%, with the comment "crown angles are less than 30 degrees."

Per Lynn's request, the specs on the ACA diamond are as follows:

Carat: 0.580
Color: E
Clarity: VS1
Depth: 60.8
Table: 56
Crown Angle: 35
Crown %: 15.5
Pavilion Angle: 40.9
Pavilion %: 43.1
Girdle: Thin
Polish: Ideal
Symmetry: Ideal
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: Negligible
Measurements: 5.42-5.44 X 3.30

 

[Patty]

That's a shame about the stone being switched, Old Carbon. In my case, it was just that the jeweler replaced the stone with a better clarity but smaller size. Not quite as sinister as what yours did, but like I said, 25 years later, all is fine. It led to my obsession with diamonds and that can't be bad, right?




I remember the price of gold in 1980! I had a 4mm band on my solitaire and I had it filed down to 3mms. I remember my mom saying, "Why in the world would you get rid of any gold?!" Is that ring one ring or two put together? I love the two toned look...that's very popular again now.

 

[Jennifer5973]

I love it!

The setting looks almost Art Deco. It's really cool. Gorgeous with the new ACA!

I can't believe the switch of stones-unbelievable!

 

[sevens one]

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On 10/12/2004 4:10:11 PM Lynn B wrote:

LOVELY!

Absolutely LOVELY!

Do you have the specs of your gorgeous stone?! Is the ring two-tone gold?

Mmmmmm, thanks for sharing!
Lynn

PS Around these parts, we love hand shots! (hint, hint!!!)

----------------

Yeah WE do love hand shots Lynn!!!

(tell your son that inquiring minds need to see hand shots!)

 

[Old Carbon]

The ring was originally three rings - the yellow gold engagement solitare, and the two flanking white gold bands which actually interlocked with the solitare. A few months after the wedding, I finally parted with the rings to give them to the jeweler to have them joined together. I figured that if I continued to wear them loose, they would rub on one another and wear down. Permanently joining the three rings into one was a good idea, just one ring to clean and keep track of instead of three!