Featured Gorgeous Victorian 14k diamond + opal ring. Decision to make!

Hey guys this is another ring I purchased not long ago. It is absolutely beautiful. Mine cut diamonds in the original setting along with an opal. 14k gold with white gold setting. I love this ring because of how old it is and is still all original in great condition. I doubt I will find anything like it again. Several jewelers along with what is online date it to around 1880-90s. However, I was made an offer of $800 for it but am torn because it is so awesome!! I have no need for the money but I feel it is a decent offer. What would you guys do? Keep or sell?

 

First, beautiful ring. I'd have trouble parting with it too, if it fit me. Second, great photos; opals aren't easy. Third, I would never have said late 19th century for age. Have you had any explanation from any of your sources as to what that assessment is based on? I think vintage, perhaps getting on for antique, but not Victorian.

 

That's what the jeweler told me and they have more experience than I do and this is what they do for a living haha so I assumed they were right

 

YA...but we don't do this for a living.....so we'll tell you the truth !!

One day, u may have a gal who's worthy of it.......or by then...it may be worth more..... so keep it !!!

& get it a written appraisal...

 

Too much reflection on the diamonds to tell anything.Date..... probably after 1920 if it actually has white gold..... https://www.langantiques.com/university/white-gold/

Never trust a jeweler who is not GIA certified and has not actually studied history of the products.

 

The white gold does say 1920s and it does have white gold as the setting, hard to see in the pictures

 

Decent compared to what you paid? Or decent compared to what it is worth? If a jeweller made the offer, suspect that means they think they can sell it for twice that, at the least.

 

3 to 4 times..............

 

Were you provided any info on the quality of the diamonds when you bought it?

 

& it helps..... for the long game...to find someone you trust.
My jeweler / watchmaker..... studied jewelry...but left it to focus on being a watchmaker like his dad.
I showed him a ring...nice ring I bought at auction..... sapphire & diamonds....nice, but even I didn't believe the $7500 appraisal that came with it.
He looked it over with great interest and then said the sapphire was a very fine stone , & thought the ring should be in the $10,000 range.......... without knowing what it was appraised for !!!!!!

I'll take his word on anything I put in front of him !

 

Came from a scrap pile and weighs 4 grams... and yes I am aware they wanted to try to sell it for $2000+ since I like it I'm leaning towards keeping it! I'd hate to get rid of something I paid little for

Also would you guys leave as is or get the opal polished and one of the prongs fixed? The opal is worn to where it is dull

 

Can't really see the condition of the opal,if it's not scratched bad they are easy to polish.The prong could be a problem since opal is fragile and the wrong move can damage the stone.

 

leave it......looks great from here...

 

Not a Victorian setting or cut to my eye. I'd have thought 20s or 30s. If you like it, keep it, at least for now.

 

It is a gorgeous ring, but I'm with the others, not Victorian. Victorian rings would have the diamonds set in silver.
Here in Continental Europe white gold began to replace silver for settings in the 1910s, I suspect North America followed a little later.
If the diamonds are old mine cut, they could come from an older jewel.

Keep! It is a beauty and $800 is not enough.

 

I think we started using platinum settings in the early 20th too.

 

Sure it is worth more than 800$ in retail
For polishing the opal, I had acceptable result with a 4 faces nail buffer, then a little rub with the Chinese insect wax used on jade. I bought a parcel of that stuff years ago from China, it looks like solid paraffin pieces. Rub a cloth against it and rub the material which need to shine. It saved old jadeite beads which lost their polish, pearl necklace with poor luster, and ivory too!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_wax
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/highest-quality-Chinese-insect-wax-for_60610306222.html

 

Yes, platinum for the more expensive pieces. As long as it was white precious metal to make sure the colour of the diamonds was not influenced by yellow or rose.

 

Aha. I've an old bit of amber which has dulled, must get some insect wax.

 

Yessss! I love the shine it gives, maybe solid pure paraffin (as the one for covering home made jam pots) can make the job!
Remember, only use a soft rag on which you had rub the wax piece!