'nother diamond question

[RayP(MI)]

Few weeks back wife was working in the sheep pasture. One of the rams butted her in the hand, dislodging the diamond from her ring, (actually my late mother's ring, which I had given to wife.) No way of finding lost stone. Am wanting to replace, but an not an expert in gem stones or prices. How much should I be looking to budget for say a quarter carat, fairly good quality stone? Yeah, it isn't very big, but was all Dad could afford when they bought it, a number of years into their marriage. Ours was even slightly smaller, but all I could afford when we were starting out. (Doesn't fit anymore, so why she was wearing mom's.) Mom's ring won't hold a much bigger stone, anyway. Afraid when I walk into some swanky jewelry shop, they'll be seeing me coming!

 

[D beatty]

What you will pay will depend on shape of stone and clarity of the diamond. I bought my wife's 1/2 carat engagement ring mounted in white gold in 1968 for $250.00. She had it last appraised about 10 years and it was appraised at $2,500.00.

 

[PaGlenn]

You could try locating the diamond in the pasture. Go out late at night and shine a light over the spot you lost the diamond. If the grass is high run a hand mower over spot or let the sheep graze it first. Rake lightly over spot while running the light. I would think the diamond will sparkle with the light. Can't hurt trying.

 

[D beatty]

He could try it but as small as a 1/4 carat diamond is it would be like looking for a needle in a hay stack.

 

[case 430]

I own my own jewelry store in a small town. My best advice is to search out a small mom and pop store in an town near you. Stay away from large retail outlets and chain stores. Most of the larger stores don't have a jeweler in house. They usually send all of their repairs out of the store to be done. That being said, there is a large price difference depending on the quality and shape of the stone. Most likely the prongs are worn, or the stone would not have come out. You are probably looking at $300-600 for the diamond. I would figure on approximately another $100 for repair to the prongs to make sure it doesn't happen again. Hope this helps!!

 

[D beatty]

You guys that run your own mom and pop jewelry stores are becoming a thing of the past. We have only one left in town and only deal with private owned store.

 

[Deutz Lover]

Many diamonds will fluoresce under uv light. You might have to hand clip an area as big as 5-10 feet square and vacuum up the grass. If it is in the clippings and not on the ground use a running trough tilted to let the grass go out the end while the diamond drops to the bottom.

 

[Deutz Lover]

Another way out idea. Diamond burns at 900 degrees C. Kill the grass in the area with a burndown agent. Wet the ground with water enough to be well damp, but not soaking wet then flame the top. The diamond should be on the top of the soil if it has not been trampled in.

 

[GeneMO]

Deutz, I think you have the plan.

My first wife went to church one evening. I picked her up, we went to a local Hardees, came out and she noticed the main diamond in her ring was gone. We went back in Hardees, looked in the car seat, floor board, in parking lot, etc.

Finally, we went back to the church. A Nun was there tidying up, wife and Nun looked while I looked with a flashlight in the parking lot. After about a half hour she came out with the diamond. Nun and her were crawling around looking under the pews when the Nun yelled out "Praise the lord" ! She found it on the floor.

So odd things do happen.

Gene

 

[Ultradog MN]

Ray,
I suggest you go to pricescope.
A bunch of really helpful folks there who are just as nuts about diamonds as we are about old tractors.
Like this place, they aren't in it for the money.
They're just really like diamonds.
Who would have thought...
2 1/2 years ago I was pulling my hair out,
Trying to learn all about those much coveted stones.
Then I found pricescope.
They helped me select the stone I linked to in the thread yesterday.
You have to register to post but that's pretty painless. Just tell them what you wrote here and they will get you on track.
Good luck.
click here

 

[RayP(MI)]

Not only that, but it has been well trampled in the mud. She was wearing gloves, and took glove off to see if she had injury to hand, never noticed missing stone, until she came into house. Checked gloves, and all over where she had been in house, etc. As tiny as that stone is, it's most probably a lost cause.

 

[Roy in UK]

A guy that I know his wife lost her engagement ring, she suspected that it had fallen off in the car park at the place she worked. Anyway, they hurried back to her workplace, by the time they got there it was already dark. However when they got to the car park the diamond glinted in the car's headlights. Phew what a lucky find!

 

[JerryS]

So, Ray, now you know what your next step should be. Know any nuns?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

d beatty,
The best place to buy a diamond ring was an antique store in town. Come to find out the guy was knowing bought stolen merchandise. Then the cops shut him down and took all his merchandise, froze all his assets, even took his house. The man lost everything except for his SS. He went from the penthouse to the outhouse overnight. geo

 

[NDIHC]

I had a similar issue with my grandmother's ring a few years ago, the diamond popped out while my mom was gardening and there was no way to find it after that. Shopping for a replacement was kind of overwhelming at first since I didn't know much about grading or how much to expect for something around a quarter carat. I found that quality can make a big price difference, even for small stones, but you can get a nice-looking diamond in that size for a few hundred dollars, depending on clarity and cut.

Looking back, doing a bit of research online about diamond jewelry options really helped me feel confident about what to look for and what was worth the extra cost. There are guides and price breakdowns out there that made things way less intimidating when it was time to walk into a store.

10 year old thread. I doubt he's still looking to buy a diamond.

 

[SkipperII]

What you will pay will depend on shape of stone and clarity of the diamond. I bought my wife's 1/2 carat engagement ring mounted in white gold in 1968 for $250.00. She had it last appraised about 10 years and it was appraised at $2,500.00.

Bought Linda's in '65, about the same price. We have never had it appraised. We have an agreement, If she wants a bigger diamond, I will buy her a new ring, to wear on another finger. Her engagement and wedding rings will always stay where they belong. (That agreement hasw cost me a couple times!!)

 

[spacechem]

I'm sorry you lost your heirloom, but I hope you- and all reading- have learned a lesson: Neither of you should be wearing the bands you slipped on each other's fingers way-back-when if you're working. It's a safety issue, as well as now a financial one. There are some really attractive silicone bands out there. Save the hardware for going to town.

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

Went on a weight loss plan a couple of months ago. I noticed after about a month into it my wedding ring had gotten very loose on my finger. I meant to remove it but, i forgot about it. A couple of days later i noticed it was gone. I looked all over for it with no luck. A week or so back i was getting the trash can in the shop ready for the garbage truck to pick up the next day. I happened to glance into the bag before removing it from the can and guess what? My ring was lying on a greasy rag i had thrown in.

 

[SweetFeet]

I'm sorry you lost your heirloom, but I hope you- and all reading- have learned a lesson: Neither of you should be wearing the bands you slipped on each other's fingers way-back-when if you're working. It's a safety issue, as well as now a financial one. There are some really attractive silicone bands out there. Save the hardware for going to town.

True. When our daughter travels or does yard/garden work, she wears a silicone wedding band... and leaves her wedding set at home.

 

[moresmoke]

True. When our daughter travels or does yard/garden work, she wears a silicone wedding band... and leaves her wedding set at home.

I haven’t seen my wedding band since the day after the wedding. I’m sure my wife has it somewhere. She wears hers on a chain around her neck anymore. Don’t have to worry about a diamond as her engagement ring was a horseshoe nail fashioned into a ring. And a horse to go with it. Thankfully the marriage has been more successful than the horse was.