Kapi
Forum Supporter
Short version:
Day one: Found a ring I thought was fake, turned out to be 18K with flawless diamonds that jewelers actually want to buy.
Day two: Found my first 22K band!
Long version:
Day one started with a trip away from home and some not so bad detecting. Larry and I were finding mostly clad coins until I found this diamond ring but it looked SO BAD when I first found it that I was sure it was plated (It's not-though it is heavily oxidized) and the stone looks so good that I thought that can't be real. I showed it to Larry from about 10 feet away as he approached me and he had this look on his face like "AGAIN!?" <giggles> and I said "No no it's fake." and then I put it away.
Later when we got to where we were staying I tested the stone thinking surely this is fake but it tested real. I still was not convinced as it has a look to it like I've never seen before. INSANE SPARKLE. Plus the outside of the gold literally looked like it was peeling off so I kind of half jokingly rubbed it on the acid test stone and was shocked when it held to 18K acid. I thought no way....
Anyway I was heading home later the next day so I figured I'd get a couple jewelers opinions when I get home.
Then came day two. Day two started as a miserable hunt! We tried our first spot again for 30 minutes but found no targets so we hit a new spot and then we walked 2 hours and heard 3 targets each roughly. I then got the urge to do something I usually don't do anymore and that was to go check the dry sand. In what seemed like less than about 3 minutes I hit this 22K band. My first 22K gold ring. Thank you God. That was all that we'd find that day though and I was happy!
So then I headed home excited to have my first 22K band and what I thought was a junker in my pouch. On the way home I stopped at the my friend Danny's jewelry repair shop and showed it to him. He quickly confirmed it was indeed 18K and heavily oxidized. After spending quite some time getting the encrusted sand out from behind the stones he then looked at the center stone quite a long time and then told me the following. 1. It's real 2. It's really REALLY nice 3. It's .41 karats. 4. It's flawless 5. It's special cut. I think he called it brilliant round but with beveled edges. He went on to explain that usually only the very top quality stones are cut like that. 6. That this style 'cut' was only done after 1940 and 7. HE WANTED IT BADLY. He said he thought the stone alone might retail for 1,200 dollars in a high end jewelry store. He offered me 300 for it and said he planned to sell it for 500 to 600. (just the stone) I told him I'd keep him in mind if I ever sold it and headed to jeweler number two.
Jeweler number two is a very high end diamond place here and almost always tells me my finds are worth way less than they actually are but they have a great gemologist there so I take things there from time to time. The owner of this nice store looked at the diamond for a long time as well then said to me "You have a really nice find here." He then went on to tell me it was flawless and super ideal cut that usually only the very best diamonds get. He then did something that surprised me. You see I've been showing him diamonds for years and always he says 'those are worthless to me'. I once asked him why and he said "I get better quality ones wholesale why would I want to buy a lower quality one etc.." But this time he said "I want this stone, I'll give you 400 dollars for it." I asked him why was he so interested and he said 'This diamond is one of the best diamonds I've ever seen." Wow? I thanked him and told him I'd consider it and went on my way. Then came jeweler three. This woman knows her diamonds but is about to retire. She told me the same thing, "You have an amazing diamond here. Don't take less than 500 for it from anyone." Sweet!
Now as you look at the pictures YES I am aware that the ring looks plated but NO it is not plated it's seriously heavily oxidized.
Interestingly enough they said this stone was so nice that even though the ring itself was damaged and worn the stone itself was worth having appraised.
In doing some research this evening I found that a half karat diamond that is color D, flawless and a super ideal cut retails for around 5,000 dollars. That's for just the stone.
Anyway as people who find diamonds a lot we have grown to know that most of them are pretty worthless. So it was a different experience to have jewelers gushing over one little .41 karat stone. I have to say again though I love diamonds but this one... WOW... This one is a keeper! If I ever get it appraised I'll post and update on exactly what it was and it's value.
Day one: Found a ring I thought was fake, turned out to be 18K with flawless diamonds that jewelers actually want to buy.
Day two: Found my first 22K band!
Long version:
Day one started with a trip away from home and some not so bad detecting. Larry and I were finding mostly clad coins until I found this diamond ring but it looked SO BAD when I first found it that I was sure it was plated (It's not-though it is heavily oxidized) and the stone looks so good that I thought that can't be real. I showed it to Larry from about 10 feet away as he approached me and he had this look on his face like "AGAIN!?" <giggles> and I said "No no it's fake." and then I put it away.
Later when we got to where we were staying I tested the stone thinking surely this is fake but it tested real. I still was not convinced as it has a look to it like I've never seen before. INSANE SPARKLE. Plus the outside of the gold literally looked like it was peeling off so I kind of half jokingly rubbed it on the acid test stone and was shocked when it held to 18K acid. I thought no way....
Anyway I was heading home later the next day so I figured I'd get a couple jewelers opinions when I get home.
Then came day two. Day two started as a miserable hunt! We tried our first spot again for 30 minutes but found no targets so we hit a new spot and then we walked 2 hours and heard 3 targets each roughly. I then got the urge to do something I usually don't do anymore and that was to go check the dry sand. In what seemed like less than about 3 minutes I hit this 22K band. My first 22K gold ring. Thank you God. That was all that we'd find that day though and I was happy!
So then I headed home excited to have my first 22K band and what I thought was a junker in my pouch. On the way home I stopped at the my friend Danny's jewelry repair shop and showed it to him. He quickly confirmed it was indeed 18K and heavily oxidized. After spending quite some time getting the encrusted sand out from behind the stones he then looked at the center stone quite a long time and then told me the following. 1. It's real 2. It's really REALLY nice 3. It's .41 karats. 4. It's flawless 5. It's special cut. I think he called it brilliant round but with beveled edges. He went on to explain that usually only the very top quality stones are cut like that. 6. That this style 'cut' was only done after 1940 and 7. HE WANTED IT BADLY. He said he thought the stone alone might retail for 1,200 dollars in a high end jewelry store. He offered me 300 for it and said he planned to sell it for 500 to 600. (just the stone) I told him I'd keep him in mind if I ever sold it and headed to jeweler number two.
Jeweler number two is a very high end diamond place here and almost always tells me my finds are worth way less than they actually are but they have a great gemologist there so I take things there from time to time. The owner of this nice store looked at the diamond for a long time as well then said to me "You have a really nice find here." He then went on to tell me it was flawless and super ideal cut that usually only the very best diamonds get. He then did something that surprised me. You see I've been showing him diamonds for years and always he says 'those are worthless to me'. I once asked him why and he said "I get better quality ones wholesale why would I want to buy a lower quality one etc.." But this time he said "I want this stone, I'll give you 400 dollars for it." I asked him why was he so interested and he said 'This diamond is one of the best diamonds I've ever seen." Wow? I thanked him and told him I'd consider it and went on my way. Then came jeweler three. This woman knows her diamonds but is about to retire. She told me the same thing, "You have an amazing diamond here. Don't take less than 500 for it from anyone." Sweet!
Now as you look at the pictures YES I am aware that the ring looks plated but NO it is not plated it's seriously heavily oxidized.
Interestingly enough they said this stone was so nice that even though the ring itself was damaged and worn the stone itself was worth having appraised.
In doing some research this evening I found that a half karat diamond that is color D, flawless and a super ideal cut retails for around 5,000 dollars. That's for just the stone.
Anyway as people who find diamonds a lot we have grown to know that most of them are pretty worthless. So it was a different experience to have jewelers gushing over one little .41 karat stone. I have to say again though I love diamonds but this one... WOW... This one is a keeper! If I ever get it appraised I'll post and update on exactly what it was and it's value.
PS Barb, don't worry about who's it was, 
if you loose sleep over it send it to me, i need a nice stud for my left ear howboutit 
Very nice!
Remember when you first started? Not that long ago! Your 'career behind the coil' would make for a great study for others so inclined ...Congratulations!
