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I found an antique step cut at Parks Fine Group in NY a couple of months ago. Alex Park (SUPER nice guy!) had gotten an estate ring, dismantled it and send the stone off to GIA. When it came back the poor thing sat lonely and unloved. Called a carre on Alex's site, but I think really a baguette since it's rectangular and not square. And everything about it ON Paper sounded terrible! M color -- and faint brown no less! Crazy shallow! Is it chipped? No; that's an indented natural right on the corner. VS2... but I can see the inclusion if I turn the stone just right in bright light. Slightly large open culet that looked like a black hole in pics. Ugh. Who wants such a thing?! Well... I watched the video about a zillion times and decided that maybe *I* did.
By the time I contacted Alex he'd sent the ring off to be set because he thought it would sell better as a ring since it wasn't moving as a loose stone (and with paper like that, it's pretty clear why!). The setting was NOTHING like I would have ever chosen myself: teeny tiny pave in ROSE GOLD (I'm Irish for god's sake -- RG is not a good color on me!) and set as high as the Eiffel Tower. BUT, I needed it to be in some setting (any setting) to insure it through Travelers anyway, so I was willing to take the entire ring as-is if I liked the stone. Alex was nice enough to hold the ring for me for a week and I hopped a plane and went to see it in person. That thing wasn't even out of the case and it was MINE. MINE, I say, MINE! All that stuff "wrong" and yet really beautiful. A UNICORN! I bought the diamond and not the paper.
Now what to do with it... ? I had some ideas but I wore it around for a while to learn the stone's personality. I'm drawn to art deco style and the stone agreed with me so that's what I decided to go for. I reached out to all the usual suspects, but something about DK and I just clicked. He took my list of stuff and did a CAD. I made two small tweaks and sent the stone off. I thought it would be 6-8 weeks before I had anything to look at, but TWELVE DAYS after David got the stone, I received an email with a video. When I opened it I figured it would of a be a wax, but Holy Sh!t -- There's My RING!!! My Real Honest To God RING!!!
Of course the usual panic ensued... Is the halo too big? Should the traps be raised up out of the band? Is The Mother Ship going to overwhelm my hand? Auuuuggggghhhhh?!?! But I had faith that David would create something fabulous so I decided to just wait and see it in person, and I'm glad I did. It's AWESOME. Photos and the video made the stone look weird (in reality it sometimes seems pink to me, but not The Demon Peed On It like it appeared in the video) and the halo is chunky, but on my hand this thing is nothing short of stunning. The milgraining (DOUBLE milgraining, oh la la!) is so very very fine in person that if I didn't know what was going on there I might miss that gorgeous subtle detail. And being as low set as it is (which was one of my specific requests) makes it very wearable, even with the corners.
I really just couldn't be happier with how it turned out!
By the time I contacted Alex he'd sent the ring off to be set because he thought it would sell better as a ring since it wasn't moving as a loose stone (and with paper like that, it's pretty clear why!). The setting was NOTHING like I would have ever chosen myself: teeny tiny pave in ROSE GOLD (I'm Irish for god's sake -- RG is not a good color on me!) and set as high as the Eiffel Tower. BUT, I needed it to be in some setting (any setting) to insure it through Travelers anyway, so I was willing to take the entire ring as-is if I liked the stone. Alex was nice enough to hold the ring for me for a week and I hopped a plane and went to see it in person. That thing wasn't even out of the case and it was MINE. MINE, I say, MINE! All that stuff "wrong" and yet really beautiful. A UNICORN! I bought the diamond and not the paper.
Now what to do with it... ? I had some ideas but I wore it around for a while to learn the stone's personality. I'm drawn to art deco style and the stone agreed with me so that's what I decided to go for. I reached out to all the usual suspects, but something about DK and I just clicked. He took my list of stuff and did a CAD. I made two small tweaks and sent the stone off. I thought it would be 6-8 weeks before I had anything to look at, but TWELVE DAYS after David got the stone, I received an email with a video. When I opened it I figured it would of a be a wax, but Holy Sh!t -- There's My RING!!! My Real Honest To God RING!!!
Of course the usual panic ensued... Is the halo too big? Should the traps be raised up out of the band? Is The Mother Ship going to overwhelm my hand? Auuuuggggghhhhh?!?! But I had faith that David would create something fabulous so I decided to just wait and see it in person, and I'm glad I did. It's AWESOME. Photos and the video made the stone look weird (in reality it sometimes seems pink to me, but not The Demon Peed On It like it appeared in the video) and the halo is chunky, but on my hand this thing is nothing short of stunning. The milgraining (DOUBLE milgraining, oh la la!) is so very very fine in person that if I didn't know what was going on there I might miss that gorgeous subtle detail. And being as low set as it is (which was one of my specific requests) makes it very wearable, even with the corners.
I really just couldn't be happier with how it turned out!
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I love your story @Dee*Jay... I also have to share that I gasped out loud when I saw your ring posted on DK's IG! My DH looked over at me and said "Uh oh... what did you find now??" 
Uni is fantastic in all its step cut glory... just stunning!
Uni is fantastic in all its step cut glory... just stunning!
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Thanks all for the comments -- it's nice to know I'm not crazy for loving this stone!
Stonewell, you weren't the only one who gasped when you saw the video, hahahahaha! But my gasp was swiftly followed by a bracing drink and a "an oh god, what have I done?!"
Alex, I don't know if the stone is perfect, but it IS pretty awesome.
Lissy, I find I am drawn to the not-so-normal, and I'm glad this leap of faith worked out well. (I've got plenty of examples where that hasn't necessarily turned out to be the case!
)
Thanks AC! BTW, I'm hoping to get to NY for the antique jewelry show in October -- wanna go?!
Kindred, the stone is 8.99 X 6.37. I don't recall the dimensions of the whole thing right now, but if you want me to look for the measurements with the halo let me know.
Stracci, "huge" and "awesome" are definitely two words that fit here!
Simone, giving this poor unloved stone a home was like adopting the runt of the litter, LOL.
Sharon, now I've got that Abba song "Take A Chance On Me" running through my head!
Missy, it's too bad I didn't get it a little sooner or I would have had it when we met up!
Austina, I was happy to be with Missy while Bea/Bella was getting ready for her trip across the ocean to you! And Bella (!) looks fabulous on you -- you've got a winner there!
Stonewell, you weren't the only one who gasped when you saw the video, hahahahaha! But my gasp was swiftly followed by a bracing drink and a "an oh god, what have I done?!"
Alex, I don't know if the stone is perfect, but it IS pretty awesome.
Lissy, I find I am drawn to the not-so-normal, and I'm glad this leap of faith worked out well. (I've got plenty of examples where that hasn't necessarily turned out to be the case!
)Thanks AC! BTW, I'm hoping to get to NY for the antique jewelry show in October -- wanna go?!
Kindred, the stone is 8.99 X 6.37. I don't recall the dimensions of the whole thing right now, but if you want me to look for the measurements with the halo let me know.
Stracci, "huge" and "awesome" are definitely two words that fit here!
Simone, giving this poor unloved stone a home was like adopting the runt of the litter, LOL.
Sharon, now I've got that Abba song "Take A Chance On Me" running through my head!
Missy, it's too bad I didn't get it a little sooner or I would have had it when we met up!
Austina, I was happy to be with Missy while Bea/Bella was getting ready for her trip across the ocean to you! And Bella (!) looks fabulous on you -- you've got a winner there!
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EarlyBirdAsscher
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That’s an M?!? GAH!! She’s gorgeous!! Such great presence, even without the setting!!
Welcome home, Uni!!! You look spectacular in your new clothes!!
She looks so great on your hand, @Dee*Jay!! Congratulations on such a fabulous find!!!
Welcome home, Uni!!! You look spectacular in your new clothes!!
She looks so great on your hand, @Dee*Jay!! Congratulations on such a fabulous find!!!
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