I went to the commission and was dumbfounded by the prices I saw for jewelry with Soviet diamonds. I was sincerely surprised how many of them have survived to this day and what a variety of stones can still be found in modern second-hand jewelry stores.
I was especially delighted by the number of people interested in buying antique diamond accessories, as well as the way gems are priced, which, in my opinion, is seriously different from the valuation of modern diamonds.
example. Soviet ring with diamonds. example. Soviet ring with diamonds.
Previously, I, like many ordinary clients, believed that Soviet gold was much better than modern Russian gold, that diamond processing was much better then, and jewelry from those times that has survived to this day must necessarily cost more than modern ones.
And on the one hand, in the thrift store, I received full confirmation of this.
But on the other hand, I learned that some of the real Soviet diamonds are worth nothing, even if they are real and well preserved.
Why is this happening and why can a Soviet ring with a large diamond cost less than its analogue with cubic zirconia? Let’s explain.
example. Shine of the Soviet diamond. example. Shine of the Soviet diamond.
The method of evaluating Soviet diamond jewelry seemed a little strange to me, but at the same time very fair.
According to her, a ring with a large natural mineral can cost the same or even less than a ring with a smaller stone.
This is because, before 1970, most gemstones were not cut to provide the maximum brilliance and light reflection of the 57 facets used today.
Even many large diamonds in older jewelry look dimmer than their modern 57-facet classic-cut counterparts.
This is what affects their value, significantly reducing the price of the stone.
The next factor is the shape of the gemstone.
shapes and types of cutting. shapes and types of cutting.
Today, many of the then classic cuts of Soviet stones are simply not fashionable. People simply don’t want to buy diamonds that are oval, pear, or marquise.
The consumer is ready to pay for the classic in the form of a perfect round cut with 57 facets and excellent line. From this, the cost of the remaining stones suffers greatly and some of them are either not sold at all, or cost much less than their “perfect” counterparts.
By prices. Prices for Soviet diamonds depend primarily on the main characteristics of the mineral: weight, color, clarity, cut. Their cost is often about 30% of the price of a similar stone in a new piece of jewelry. If the stone is larger than 0.5 carats, its price also often rises to 50% of the price of a new similar diamond.
If you sell jewelry with diamonds up to 0.3 carats, then in most cases, they either don’t offer anything for such stones at all, or the price is so low that it’s simply a pity to part with such jewelry.
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