LITTLE BIRD
  • HOME
  • SERVICES
    • r i n g s e r v i c e s
    • r i n g g a l l e r y
  • ABOUT
    • t e s t i m o n i a l s
    • p r e s s
    • f o u n d e r s t o r y
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT

Into the World of the Antique Ring Hunter - Buying Tips From a Top Pro

1/29/2019

20 Comments

 
How to Pick an ANTIQUE or VINTAGE Engagement Ring! A quick guide by Little Bird Engagement Ring Consultants, www.littlebirdtoldyou.com
In order to offer the best possible support for the engagement ring shoppers, Little Bird maintains a wide network of experts and insiders in all parts of the diamond industry. One of our FAVORITE experts is Marilyn Weiss, a national estate and antique ring specialist. Marilyn buys and sells vintage, estate and antique diamond engagement rings.  Some samples of her current collection are shown here.  At any time, she will have close to 100 completely unique pieces. She doesn’t generally sell them directly to retail customers, but she’s always happy to meet privately with Little Bird clients. Her clients include some of the finest retailers in the US known for antique fine jewelry. Let’s just say it’s good to have a friend like Marilyn. 

Little Bird: So you’ve specialized in all sorts of jewelry over your many years in the industry, from semi-precious to precious. When did you get into antique and estate fine jewelry?
Marilyn Weiss: About 13 years ago I walked into a used bookstore,,,
Picture
and found book on vintage costume jewelry. I bought the book because the jewelry was so beautiful. I started buying vintage costume pieces at first and then eventually gold-filled, then gold, silver - everything from the Victorian era on up. It was a really natural progression to buying estate and antique diamond engagement rings.

LB: Tell us more about your diamond and precious gemstone antique ring collection.
MW: It’s so much fun! The collection is really amazing, and always changing. I buy Georgian, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco.
LB: Do you have a favorite era?
MW: Well, yes. But it’s a span. I’m partial to Victorian, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. I found some fabulous silver and moonstone Arts and Crafts pieces...
LB: Side question, If you found a gorgeous Arts and Crafts piece with a moonstone that was badly in need of polishing would you polish it or not risk it and leave it alone?
MW: I would polish it. I have an excellent lapidary in San Francisco who takes care of the polishing for my antique ring collection.
LB: Are there any eras or types of jewelry that people should avoid?
MW: Victorian rings with seed pearls or tiny turquoise cabochons. But that is only because they could fall out. I LOVE old mine cut diamonds from the Victorian era. I buy as many as I can. Also, with antique rings the shank [the band of the ring] can be thin.  (LB ADVICE: Marilyn is right. It’s a good idea to have a jeweler that is familiar with antiques check your ring and possibly re-tip worn out prongs or shanks.) If you find a ring that is 14K or 18K white gold you might want to rhodium plate it to bring the whiteness back to the metal.
LB: What advice would you give someone looking for an antique to use as an engagement ring?
MW: It’s nice to have the secure feeling that what you are getting is good quality - so if you’re not in the jewelry business it can be really hard to know what you are looking at. You don’t have the trained eye.
LB: So hire Little Bird!
MW: Well yeah!
LB: But seriously, most people don’t know to check and see if [the person you are shopping for] has a metal allergy, and so many antique rings are platinum on the top but they have been re-shanked with white gold so they are stamped one way but there are other metals in there.
MW: So many people are allergic to the zinc that is alloyed into white gold. Also, with antiques sometimes the marking isn’t there at all.

Picture
LB: Where are the best places to look for antique jewelry?
MW: The thing that is important is that you see a selection, you compare, you have the choice right in front of you. Without seeing the diamond, you are depriving yourself in some way of understanding what you are really getting. You have no way of figuring out what your preferences are. You want to see five or six or ten rings, as many as you can. But you also want to try them on, see it on your hand and really get a feel for the ring.
LB: Yeah, and it doesn’t work to just pay more and hope you get a better diamond. You have to be drawn towards one diamond or another.
MW: Absolutely. You can have a lot of diamonds with the exact same color or clarity and they are going to face up SO differently. (Note: Marilyn is talking about the unique characteristics each diamond displays when viewed from the top) One might have different fluorescence, or a different cut… that changes the life of a diamond, the thing that draws you in and makes it exciting. You can’t really see that on the internet.
The internet is good for research. You can get a sense of the styles that a store carries. But then you should go into the brick and mortar store. If you can familiarize yourself with how the rings look in person you will have a much better chance of finding the ideal ring for your beloved.
Also, it is often the case with antiques that the website can’t give you the exact specifics of the diamond because they would have to remove it from the setting to weigh/measure it and that’s simply not practical to do with an antique piece.
LB: Why is it acceptable for antique or estate rings to not list the exact carat weight, color & clarity of the diamond? Or to not have the diamonds certified by a gemological lab like GIA?
MW: Certification costs quite a bit of money. It is going to add to the cost of the ring. And removing the diamond and then putting it back can be very problematic and damaging to the ring. Most jewelers who sell antique rings can take a look and tell you the basic range of carat weight, color and clarity. You really can’t be 100% certain of the characteristics of an antique diamond that is set into a ring unless you have it unset. So you need to speak with an expert you trust and then go with what looks good to you.
LB: Yeah, I guess it can be a chicken and egg thing. Whatever the ring is, that is how the diamond was cut, that is how the ring came out… You wouldn’t take a classic car and compare it to a prius. It is apples and oranges.
MW: And remember, back in the Victorian era when they cut these diamonds, they didn’t have electricity! All the rose cuts and old mine cuts were done by hand with no electricity.  

LB: How do consumers gauge value with antique pieces?
MW: You can compare prices of 14k, 18k and platinum. You pay less for 18k gold than platinum and less for 14k than 18k. You can look at the carat weight of the diamonds, you have to also ask the store the color and clarity of the the center diamond as well as any surrounding or accent diamonds. The intricacy of the setting is also a factor, as well as the condition of the ring. You are looking for a combination of your emotional response to the ring as well as your analytical assessment of the quality for the price.
LB: So once someone finds something they like, how do they deal with certification issues, statements of value? Antique ring appraisals? Insurance?
MW: Jewelry stores usually work with an appraiser, so you can get it insured for appraisal value. Some stores will let you bring in an independent appraiser so there is no bias. That will allow you to insure your ring. 

LB: Any other advice for people looking for a special ring?
MW: Yes, steer away from soft stones. For engagement rings you want diamond, ruby or sapphire. Nothing softer than that. Amethyst, Aquamarine, Emerald, Garnet, Opal...all of these gems are much softer and can be easily damaged if worn every day.

Picture

LB: Yeah, you just know that you are going to get attached to that emerald and get your heart broken when you realize you’ve chipped it.
MW: If you want green, get a green sapphire. Don’t get anything below a 9. (On the Mohs hardness scale) Not for everyday wear.

LB: What are some of the special care considerations around antiques?
MW: Prevention! On a yearly basis have a jeweler check the prongs, bezels, and shanks to make sure your prongs are holding the diamond securely and the ring is structurally sound.
LB: Marilyn, thanks again for a lovely and incredibly informative interview. We can’t wait to see all the incredible rings you find in the years to come!

As the founders of Little Bird - Diamond & Engagement Ring Expertise, we can state with confidence that the world of antique engagement rings is complicated - even to us. So it is no surprise that finding the perfect ring, perfect diamond, perfect style, and best metal seems almost impossible to the non-expert.
We understand if you want an antique ring and nothing else will do. We understand if you have a strong vision of your future ring, or maybe not. Whatever the challenge, Little Bird is always here to help you find the ideal antique engagement ring or help reincarnate an antique ring design by custom-creating a new ring from scratch. We will coach you through whatever stage of the journey you’re in.

Warmest wishes and good luck on your search!
The Little Birds

Follow Little Bird - Engagement Ring Consultants's board Antique Engagement Rings on Pinterest.
20 Comments
minelab metal detector australia link
9/14/2016 10:54:02 pm

Great tips about the rings........

Reply
Retro Rings Lover link
2/9/2017 05:22:53 am

Hi Danielle, what an excellent interview. I really enjoyed reading it :)

Reply
Danielle, LITTLE BIRD
2/10/2017 12:21:43 pm

Thank you, Retro Rings Lover! We enjoyed the process of creating this post. <3

Reply
Edwardian Jewelry fan link
5/22/2017 08:29:14 am

Hi Little bird, love your blog post and good point about not wearing softer gemstones daily :)

Reply
LITTLE BIRD
5/22/2017 08:34:35 am

Thank you for coming by! This is one of our favorite interviews. So glad you enjoyed.

with care,
Danielle

Reply
Max Jones link
7/17/2017 12:43:13 pm

I've been wanting to get into antiques with my wife, and I think that your article about what goes into being a unique ring specialist was really informative. I think that it would be really neat to be in that sort of situation where you could have around 100 unique antiques at any given time that you don't necessarily just sell to retailers. I think that antique hunting and learning what to look for when we go out would be good knowledge for us, and hopefully we can find success in it! Thanks for the tips!

Reply
Daphne Gilpin link
6/24/2019 10:57:49 am

Thanks for the tip to find a jeweler who's familiar with antiques to look at antique rings. I recently found some old pieces of jewelry that need a few repairs. Your tips should make it easier to find the right jewelry service to take a look.

Reply
LITTLE BIRD
6/24/2019 11:04:29 am

Fantastic, Daphne! Glad to be of help :)

Reply
Vivian Black link
10/8/2019 06:18:52 pm

I love your tip about how diamonds of the same color or clarity are going to face up differently. My brother is going to propose to his girlfriend next week and I will refer him antique rings. These tips will be helpful when choosing a professional to buy from.

Reply
LITTLE BIRD
10/8/2019 07:26:00 pm

Yay! Glad you found this helpful, Vivian!

Reply
kate hansen link
2/21/2020 01:58:06 pm

I like how you said to look at as many rings as you can. My son is wanting to propose to his girlfriend in a couple of weeks, and he told me about how he wants to find a vintage ring because he told me that his girlfriend loves vintage style. I'll make sure to pass these tips along to him as he searches for a vintage engagement ring!

Reply
Rosy link
4/30/2020 10:49:58 pm

Thanks! actually I wanted to know ........ and this article has helped me in understanding this. Keep Writing!

Reply
LITTLE BIRD
5/1/2020 12:36:53 pm

Thank you for the kind words, Rosy!!

Reply
Reema A. link
6/5/2020 03:41:39 am

With the storied past of jewelry and humanity, there are countless eras, traditions, and cultures that can be identified..

Reply
LITTLE BIRD
6/5/2020 02:24:26 pm

Agreed! Endless :)

Reply
Taylor Anderson link
1/27/2021 11:58:31 am

I like how you mentioned that even though diamonds have the same color and clarity, they may look completely different. I've been thinking of getting married soon, so these tips could really help me pick out a ring. Thanks for the great tips for choosing an antique engagement ring.

Reply
Kristofer Van Wagner link
7/27/2021 02:31:43 pm

I appreciate that this post stressed that it is important for us to choose the right establishment when looking for an antique jewelry auction. The other day my wife mentioned she is looking to buy a vintage engagement ring. I will definitely remind her to look at the legitimacy of the establishment before moving forward.

Reply
John Carston link
7/8/2022 05:28:54 pm

It's interesting that you mentioned that appraisal value is necessary when you work with a store. My best friend told me yesterday that he was planning to sell some of his estate jewelry for investment purposes, and he asked if I had any idea what would be the best option to do. Thanks to this informative article, I'll be sure to tell him that he can consult a well-known estate jewelry as they can answer all his inquiries and will surely provide a fair possible price.

Reply
Chase Johnson link
11/15/2022 02:55:33 pm

Avoid stay house anyone among plant. Usually crime surface. Yeah letter election.
Address employee during write camera. Community save morning knowledge card wind let.

Reply
menghraj link
1/14/2025 09:00:33 am

I reviewed the article and wanted to say that you have beautifully described about the jewellery collection, and I just have to say – I’m absolutely in love! Each piece is stunning and so thoughtfully designed. You can tell a lot of care goes into choosing the materials and crafting every item. What I particularly love is how the designs are elegant but also timeless, perfect for any occasion. I have also a similar blog related to jewellery site. I truly believe this site offers some of the best jewelry I’ve seen online. If you’re looking for something special, I’d highly recommend checking out the collection. Plus, the customer service is amazing, which makes the shopping experience even better!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    the LITTLE BIRD blog, by Danielle Mainas

    Ever wonder how to figure out her ring size? Select the perfect center stone? Pick the ideal jeweler? Read on, my friends. 

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2021
    August 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    August 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    Alternative Engagement Rings
    Antique
    Antique Jewelry
    Artists
    Bay Area Jewelers
    Birthstones
    Buying Advice
    Buying Guide
    Celebrity Engagement Ring
    Consignment
    Custom Design
    Customer Stories
    Diamond Conflict
    Diamond Facts
    Ethical Origin Engagement Rings
    Expert Interview
    Giveaways
    Halo
    Heirloom Diamonds
    Holiday Engagements
    Jewelers
    Lab Created Diamonds
    My Engagement Ring Story
    New York Jewelers
    Precious Metal Education
    Press & Media Mentions
    Proposal Ideas
    Reselling
    Services
    Topaz
    Wedding Resources

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
HOME        SERVICES        RING GALLERY        TESTIMONIALS        PRESS        ABOUT        CONTACT        BLOG
 ​

Check out Little Bird - Diamond & Engagement Ring Expertise on Yelp

415-320-8359
[email protected]

YOU'RE A DESIGNER? LEARN MORE HERE
Little Bird - Diamond & Engagement Ring Consulting, LLC
  • HOME
  • SERVICES
    • r i n g s e r v i c e s
    • r i n g g a l l e r y
  • ABOUT
    • t e s t i m o n i a l s
    • p r e s s
    • f o u n d e r s t o r y
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT