[Heidi]

Originally Posted by danachit

Thank yall so much for all this info....

A new tool & equipment catalog came today and the presidium multi tester caught my eye. It will read diamonds, moissanites, similants and such. And it's so small it'd be easy to whip that bad boy out while looking at estate jewelry.

Would sellers be offended or okay with the testing the authenticity of the stone? Are these thermal & conductivity testers reliable?

Have you learned anything more on this? (Please forgive me and point me in the right direction if this discussion has continued on a different thread.)

On stone authenticity testing: Any reputable dealer should be fine with you coordinating an appraisal from an unbiased expert. If you're looking to invest in a big stone then the 70-80 bucks is worth it.

Something to keep in mind regarding cut: There have been trends over the years and the era that your ring is from generally prized luster over brilliance. The use of platinum is part of that aesthetic. What this means in current market terms is if you go for one of the older cuts that doesn't stand up to today's brilliance standards you will get more clarity, better color and higher carat weight for your dollar. The new "name" cuts will not net you a great result in an older setting, anyway because the metalwork wasn't designed to maximize that kind of cut.

From an overall value point of view, keep in mind that tampering with the original design will reduce the appraised value of the ring in the end. Not that it really matters if you love the piece, but if you think you ever want to re-sell it's a factor. If you prize the aesthetic of the ring and want to put your money toward the stone and style matchup that feels better to you, you may consider commissioning a copy redesigned for a bigger stone.

Do you have an appraiser's description of the setting and the stones? Now I am thoroughly curious.

**EDIT** I just sent you a PM so that we don't clog up a pearl forum talking about something that's not a pearl. I apologize to the group for not thinking of that sooner!!!

[danachit]

Well...truth be told...I'm going to the Scott antique market tomorrow, here in Atlanta, which is where I purchased my platinum/diamond engagement ring.

They deal in lots of estate jewelry so I'll have fun at least trying on some larger stones. (All the while repeating "I will NOT buy a big fat diamond ring. I will NOT buy a big fat diamond ring.")

Now...back to talking about pearls.