Opinions/speculations welcome re diamond rings from pawn shop

[Lovesparklesparle]

Hi all, we

I am trying to decide between two bridal sets in a pawn shop, however they have no information about the stones other than total carat weight. Which would you pick?

If you please, if you can, please offer comments and observations about their possible quality, centre stone and characteristics. I understand it’s almost impossible from a few pics, but I would like to try and pic the best looking one and get value for money. Any insight is appreciated

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

My feeling is the princess one? I took a video of them but can’t figure out how to upload it yet. They are both on hold until tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[Karl_K]

Your right impossible to tell from the pics.
I know someone locally that got married with that exact same set with the round stone, they purchased it at walmart.
You might check and see if its on their website to get a price comp.
I would not be surprised if the other one is there also.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

First instinct, do they both look poor to you?

 

[jadesilver]

Great choice buying diamonds from a pawn shop! You can get some great finds at pawn shops.

Let me share some of the ways I decide whether or not to buy an antique diamond with no cert and I have to judge just by looking at it.

Neither of the diamonds you posted seem to be of great quality. You should completely ignore the top price - the actual price on “sale” is the true approx value of each set, so these diamonds really aren’t on “sale”. The princess cut may appear to have a higher TCW and thus it’s almost twice the price, but baguettes are also slightly less sparkly than round diamonds.

If I were you, I would keep looking and ordering antique rings off ebay and Etsy with a good return policy. Paying for return shipping would be worth it to get the very best ring and value possible.

https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/190494868/si12-g-size-6-estate-14k-white-yellow gosh I love this one but maybe you’re not a size queen like me (the diamonds are smaller but set in illusion settings)
https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/554046086/size-5-estate-14k-white-gold-90ct (Could get a separate band, diamond doesn’t look great but hey might be worth looking at it in person cause it is huge)
https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/564920381/ladies-vintage-estate-14k-yellow-gold
https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/561989480/ladies-vintage-estate-14k-yellow-gold This princess cut looks better, worth looking at in person but I don’t really like the ring design

Here are some similar pieces to show you that the pawn shop isn’t pricing those rings at a particularly cheap price, there are a lot of these vintage diamond engagement sets available on the market. I am sure that some of these are not appropriate/may not be the best choices but just to give you an idea of pricing and availability. I searched for “estate diamond set” and filtered for around $700-$800. Prices are often negotiable. Most of these stores have return policies.

My strategy for cultivating an ability of figuring out a “good” and a “bad” diamond is to look at A LOT of diamonds in natural light next to a window and compare them. Avoid jeweller or pawnshop store fluorescent lighting. Take the ring in a pawnshop and stand at a window to look at it in shaded sunlight.

Natural light will show you decent sparkliness versus a more dull diamond. I have a diamond that exhibits decent sparkliness and is clearer next to a window in natural light, and another is more dull and a bit cloudy. Both look AMAZING under pawnshop lighting. My sister now has the second and every time we are at a restaurant, it’s a bit sparkly and eye-catching under the fluorescent lights. Yet it’s definitely a poorly cut diamond and has obvious problems.

So once you have compared a whole lot of pawnshop diamonds at a window, and maybe even borrowed a friend’s diamond ring to compare the sparkliness and the way all the diamonds look at the window, you’ll probably start to be able to “feel”/“see” when a diamond is particularly dark and dull, or at least not very exciting or well-cut.

It looks like there are many dark areas in the princess cut you posted, but it’s hard to tell. The dark areas will certainly light up at some angles, but the point is that technically we would hope for a diamond that doesn’t have too many dark areas in terms of cut.

Also bear in mind that if you want to get the rings to look more modern and if you happen to like white gold, you can easily get them plated in white gold, or you can get them polished and plated in yellow gold and they can look brand new (depending on the original condition, but I have estate jewellery that was polished and plated to look brand new).

Ultimately, when buying estate/vintage pieces, I feel that it’s about the way you feel when looking at the diamond. If the design is THE ONE and you are totally in love with it and you find the diamond sparkly, then get it (check first in natural lighting). I personally am able to “feel”/“see” clearly when a diamond is dull/not-so-good cut when I compare them at a window, so I would avoid those immediately. But if the sparkle is decent and the diamond is not clearly yellowish and not downright dark, then hey why not. Nothing wrong w a yellowish diamond either as long as you are aware of it.

Like if you super love either of the options above, then why not if you find them sparkly to you and you really like the design. Most estate diamonds are of a very average cut anyway. My strategy is kind of a lot of work because I would be digging frantically on Etsy and eBay for the biggest carat weight and biggest (but still sparkly, somewhat clear and whitish) center stone I could get for my budget of US$700. By the way, you can bargain with the pawnshop and bargain on Etsy/eBay, so I would look for sets around $800 and attempt to negotiate.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

Thanks for the great info- should the princess cut ideally have no dark areas except for contrast when looked at under shop lighting?

I will go in again tomorrow and look in natural lighting.

 

[jadesilver]

If the pawnshop has other diamonds for sale and they are pretty expensive (not that that says much), then it might be helpful to compare a more expensive, round white diamond to the other two diamonds that you are looking at. Then you can sort of compare diamond color and amount of sparkle and how a more expensive diamond should look in terms of how clear/dull the other two stones look in natural light. Not a great comparison but may help you gain information through comparing.

I’m very sorry, I don’t know anything exact about princess cuts I just know that somehow these diamonds look a bit deep(?) to me and in some pictures have more light leakage than a more desirable princess cut but that could really be my imagination.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

That is a great idea- I didn’t think of that! Comparing others in the shop that is

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

So I’ve been searching EBay and Etsy as suggested and found some lovely pieces. Now there are too many I like the look of...these are my favourites. Thoughts?

I love old cut diamonds! But again don’t know much about them.
https://www.etsy.com/au/?ref=lgo





This one is an auction and under $200! 25 points
https://m.ebay.com.au/itm/VINTAGE-1...D-RING-APPROX-25-CARAT-SIZE-P-Q-/173031474511







Above: top light brown



15-18 points centre stone, total approx 25 points
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/546367597/unique-vintage-diamond-engagement-ring?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=diamond%20vintage%20ring&ref=sr_gallery_27




This is top light brown. I know they are less valuable, but maybe not so bad.
https://m.ebay.com.au/itm/100-GENUI...GEMENT-RING-WITH-VALUATION-2450-/122738776400

 

[jadesilver]

I love some of your picks! That first diamond cluster looks super pretty. Way nicer than your first two pawnshop options.

For the one under $200, I would always try to imagine - this is cheap, but someone is selling it at a profit. That means that someone paid even less for it. I think that in general you get what you pay for, and smaller round antique stones also tend to have a higher chance of being low-quality and poorly cut, especially if the ring is priced cheaply. So I want a deal, but I don’t want to go too cheap because I worry that it’s representative of the actual quality. When something is super cheap you gotta ask yourself if there’s a reason for it. Also, that ring is really tiny.

AUD549 - that’s pretty!

Last one with the top light brown - I think it would be a gamble but it looks good to me, I love the design. Maybe worth ordering if there is a return policy. I would definitely ignore the appraisal valuation because it’s usually rubbish to me and part of a sneaky sales tactic to make you think that you’re getting a deal.

Some of these just blow the pawnshop options out of the park.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

Do you think the old cut one looks a bit shallow(?) with the dark circle in the middle?

Agreed. These have way more character than the mall pawnshop ones!

 

[GearGirly]

I also love some of your picks, I like the brown one if you can return it, and I actually find the under $200 one very charming at least in pictures, But I would think a return possibility would be an important tjing for either. You want to love it no matter the price. I don’t care for the current pawn shop choices. I doubt they were much more if even that new.

 

[doberman]

Cool! The swirly ring looks to be from the early 80s. The princess may be a bit newer. For comparables, only use the "sale" price to compare, and forget total carat weight and concentrate on the main stone. Different stones sparkle in different ways, with round being the brightest. Have you visited more than one store? If not, I would do so. Pawn stores can actually mark pieces high, so if you really like one, see if price is negotiable.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

I have visited a few stores in my city and it’s really barren...

Two places have a return policy, I asked if the one with the brown stone would make an exception for me.

Thanks for all the ideas and opinions.
After looking into eBay and Etsy I’m really over those I saw in the pawn shop

I also found this one which I think is my favourite - EBay auction. It’s up to about $350 aud, I was thinking of going up to but not more than. $500?

Do you think this is a better choice than the old cut cluster?

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

I received some more pics in natural lighting of the cluster ring. I’m a bit concerned about the big dark patch in the centre, but could be head shadow? The centre diamond looks about 4.5 mm so about 36 points?

Do you think $480 aud is a fair price? As compared to the post above with Oec and side accents. I realise this amount is peanuts compared to the beautiful stones here, but I do love researching about diamonds.

They have both agreed to allow returns! Thanks again

 

[tyty333]

I like the .55 OEC with the side baguettes...is the center stone .55 or is it total weight .55?

 

[ringo865]

I think it's total. I prefer that one to the cluster. That main cluster stone appears dark at every angle.

 

[doberman]

It says the center stone is .45. They always list total carat weight in these listings.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

This one is more expensive but I think the diamond looks beautiful. Postage is about$50.
It’s difficult to compare it to the baguette accented one as all those photos are in full lighting. Thoughts on this one for the price?


This one has .5 centre stone and she reckons its the most beautiful stone she’s ever seen!




It’s .45 centre stone.

The more I look at the cluster the less I like the dark....

 

[foxinsox]

I like this one immediately above - I’m a sucker for a fishtail prong setting with side stones especially two-tone! It does look good from those pictures. Can the seller send you any more in natural light etc?

 

[rockysalamander]

Some options from a known vendor. Some of these are not GIA stones, so assume the actual color and clarity my be 1-2 lower.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2CT-ROUN...TE-COCKTAIL-/152827347219?hash=item2395384113
https://www.ebay.com/itm/EXCELLENT-...GREE-ESTATE-/401462530372?hash=item5d79081144 {if they say eye-clean I'd trust them}

Stone: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-OL...-ANTIQUE-OE-/152833575323?hash=item239597499b
Setting: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-19...TRO-14K-5MM-/152831985549?hash=item23957f078d

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I agree with Foxinsox, love that fishtail set one. The old European with the baguettes with the baguettes is also pretty.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

I like this one immediately above - I’m a sucker for a fishtail prong setting with side stones especially two-tone! It does look good from those pictures. Can the seller send you any more in natural light etc?

I think I’m liking this one most. From what you can tell do you think it’s a fair price?

Thanks

 

[foxinsox]

Yeah I probably would cos it's a pretty setting and the stone looks sparkly. I have a fishtail setting with a 7mm stone and the prongs help make it look quite sizeable!
I was actually coming here to say I'd forgotten to mention Maejean Vintage on Etsy who have a decently large selection of vintage/retro rings in your budget (I'm assuming sub AUD$1000). They do lots of pictures and seem to have a good eye for nice pieces.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

Update: Hello everyone! I’m very excited as I just purchased the ring with the fishtail setting

Thank you so much for your time and advice on making the decision with confidence. Much appreciated!

Merry Christmas!

 

[foxinsox]

Update: Hello everyone! I’m very excited as I just purchased the ring with the fishtail setting

Thank you so much for your time and advice on making the decision with confidence. Much appreciated!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Please come back with handshots when it arrives!

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

Hello again! My OEC arrived today! Without me commenting just yet, what are your initial thoughts on the cut, clarity, colour, overall quality and price please?

I actually paid $350 USD (plus postage of course), and have included the description that was advertised on eBay. This is my 2nd ever diamond ring (3rd including wedder).

I have done a lot of research into old cuts, this was listed as flawless clarity and D colour, ideal cut. I crudely measured the width with a dressmaking tape measure and the spread was about 4.5mm. I believe this is about right for a 50 point diamond? Tcw was listed as 0.74.

The other ring in the shot for reference is a 80 point E I1 very good, albeit graded by a lab that isn’t GIA or AGS, and from a mall store. It measures 5.76x5.73x3.69. The wedder is a .35tcw F-G vs from Musson in Sydney.

Photos were taken on a cloudy day in the late afternoon


Thank you

(Please excuse my horrible nails )

 

[foxinsox]

It’s really pretty! What’s it like under a tree on a sunlit afternoon? It looks like it’ll be sparkly and rainbowy and it’s got a nice high crown on it so should be good for fiery sparkle.
I’d be dubious of their colour claim if it’s not a GIA or AGS graded stone. In your pics it looks warmer than your E. That’s not a terrible thing tho - it’s a really pretty nicely faceted stone and the setting it beautiful. One of your pictures seems to show a teeny wee table - is it as wee as it looks?

 

[Bron357]

It’s lovely but I doubt it is flawless or a D without having certification, that said, it’s still a lovely ring for a good price. And btw the eBay listing carat weight (in the top section of the eBay page) is a category range for when you list ie carat weight between .50 and .74. The two accent stones would only be a few points each. So the total carat weight isn’t listed as .74 carat. A few lines about that is the line “Total Carat Weight (TCW) and the seller has indicated .50 carat there.
When buying on eBay, unless there is actually certification shown or a jewelers /gemologist valuation / report, it’s just going to be the sellers opinion, which may or may not be accurate.
Enjoy your lovely new ring.

 

[dkata]

Yeah I probably would cos it's a pretty setting and the stone looks sparkly. I have a fishtail setting with a 7mm stone and the prongs help make it look quite sizeable!
I was actually coming here to say I'd forgotten to mention Maejean Vintage on Etsy who have a decently large selection of vintage/retro rings in your budget (I'm assuming sub AUD$1000). They do lots of pictures and seem to have a good eye for nice pieces.

I’ve just looked through this shop!! They have a lot of beautiful items! What a nice find!