Question Persian turqouise ring
QUESTION: Hello Thomas! I appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge! At an estate sale recently I discovered a lovely ring which I now believe to be a Persian turquoise surrounded by 22 older-cut diamonds(?),though I purchased it believing it to be a costume piece. Further examination after I got the ring home revealed the "750" mark plus an unknown makers mark.The quality clear stones (diamonds??) are all prong set in a very secure and well made setting. However, the turquoise has a faint crack line running about halfway around the edge of the stone. The crack does not show on the backside of the stone. I am wondering if this can be fixed somehow, like buffing, as it is not a deep crack. Would it be worth having the stone replaced if repair is not feasible? Can the ring continue to be worn as is without worrying about further damage or losing the stone? Thank you so much for your time!
ANSWER: Hi, Lavonne. Thanks for the question and really thanks for the picture.
This is a fine question and one I cannot truly answer without the ring in hand. I would hope what you thought was costume jewelry may turn to be the genuine article. Wow, that would be a great sale find. Such finds are not common but do happen once in a while.
The first order of business is to have a reputable jeweler with at least GIA credentials to see the ring. This should answer the question of diamonds and turquoise in 18k or simply a very nice costume ring purchased at a price with which you were comfortable. If the ring is not the genuine article, you have not gained but certainly from the description have not lost from what you thought originally to have and if it is costume I believe this is a quality piece.
First, take a good look at the stones which may be diamonds. Here is a link to help a bit in knowing how older cuts look. Copy and paste is the method on allexperts:
http://www.topazery.com/antique-diamonds.htm
If the stone is turquoise and of the nice Persian color of blue and clean, you may have a winner. If this is glass you may have a wiener but still lovely to see. If the real stone, polishing away a surface blemish is pretty easy with turquoise. The secret for which we do not have an answer is about the blemish. Is this a surface scratch or an actual break in the stone? Breaks tend to extend deeper than you would ever expect. Surface scratches may be buffed away by someone who knows how to sand a polish turquoise. (They must first be sure buffing away the blemish will not make the stone too small for the original setting..if so, leave it alone.) What sort of life the stone will give you is anyones guess and I am in the least favorable position to offer a guess and will not do that.
The fine picture you sent makes me think fake stone..no, no getting mad at me here. That is what the picture makes me think but I am not seeing the stone in my hand. Look for some flaws in the side stones, the possible diamonds. You might need a loupe or magnification to see all well. If dirty, clean gently in mild dish detergent then look at the side stones. To have all perfectly clean and clear stones simply does not happen..well, once in a totally very, very rare case but for most of us it does not happen. Some stones will show internal flaws like wispy things and white or dark colored inclusions within the stone.
You will want a jeweler to see the ring. It the ring is gold and diamonds and turquoise, ask about the polishing of the turquoise. Be sure to ask about the setting for the stone since to polish a blemish at the edge will likely mean removing the stone from the ring to do that work. Will the prongs handle that bending or need new work? If a lot of new work will be needed, you may be best leaving all as is.
Well, there is an answer. I do hope this helps you in some way.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. August 4, 2008. 9:04pm
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QUESTION: Hello Thomas!
Thank you very much for your previous answer. It has been quite some time since I asked my initial question,but I have finally been able to get the ring in question to a GIA jeweler. He tested the gold and one of the clear stones. He told me that the ring is indeed solid 18k gold, but the stones -as you suspected!- are not diamonds, nor did he believe the turquoise to be real. He did not say if they were paste, glass or what. Now I am left wondering why they would have set fake stones into such a high quality gold setting? BTW - I am certainly not disappointed with your opinion, which ended up being spot on! At todays gold prices, how can you beat a big, heavy vintage 18k gold ring for $1?? Thanks again for sharing your time and knowledge!
Lavonne
AnswerLavonne, I am no expert on vintage jewelry but in business have seen many older pieces with simulated gemstones mounted in gold settings. Why this was done? I really do not know. There was a time when gold was certainly at much lower pricing but it still seems odd.
The place I worked previously( a few years ago) was an old jewelry business with many old "parts" left around from the early part of the 1900's. Included with the old watch parts, etc., were many simulated gemstones. Some of these were glass and others were doublets, meaning glass on the bottom and gemstone on the top(garnet most of the time). The hard top gave the added durability of a genuine stone while the color of the glass lower half colored the stone. Interesting...
Very glad the ring is a good one, stones or not. : )
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
