I'm wondering about another piece of jewelry it's a garage sale find about a half inch across set in a mirrored silver setting and cut like an emerald or a prism. How long has cubic zirconia been around? This is from the 30's or 1940's. I was able to make a big scratch on a pane of glass with it and diamonds can cut glass but so can quartz.Could a lead crystal cut glass?

No lead crystal cannot cut glass as it is not hard enough. Zircons have been around a long time. Would suggest you take this piece to a jeweler and ask them what this could be. I used to make jeweley (in Fla) and spent many happy hours at the Diamond Exchange in NYC on my lunchhours years ago.

I already tried that but they gave me the bum's rush like I'd stolen it or something. I don't want to sell it--just know if it's anything nice or just old costume jewelry.:eek:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wildandblue

I'm wondering about another piece of jewelry it's a garage sale find about a half inch across set in a mirrored silver setting and cut like an emerald or a prism. How long has cubic zirconia been around? This is from the 30's or 1940's. I was able to make a big scratch on a pane of glass with it and diamonds can cut glass but so can quartz.Could a lead crystal cut glass?

---

Forms of CZ's have been around for years. The 1930's and 1940's were an ara of wonderful costume jewelry. Odds are the stone is a white sapphire because of the ablility to scratch glass. I would take it to another jeweler to get their opion.

I am not GIA certified but have worked for two private jewelers for the last five years.

Sounds like you have made a good find!

Give me the details about dimand stones like emerald ruby nilam topaz

Most jewelers have a diamond tester that will measure the heat coming off the stone. Diamonds have a higher heat index than other stones. If you do have a white sapphire then hang on to it because they are rare. Also, are there any stamps on the gold? Most diamonds are not set in silver because the metal is too soft. Silver will be stamped 925 on the inside of the ring shank. The metal could also be white gold (stamped 14k or 18k) or platinum (stamped 950). Both white gold and platinum would be strong enough to hold a diamond.

Thanks for your reply. This is actually a pendant, the large center stone is in a setting with those prongs and surrounded by smaller stones also in tiny pronged settings, I've heard that older diamond jewelry was often set in silver. No actual stamps or markings anywhere that I can see. I know it is at least from 1930's--1940 because the lady who owned it originally is wearing it in her high school graduation photo and also later on at her wedding. I thought it was silver because it has a shiny almost mirror like backing in the setting, not an open one but it doesn't seem to tarnish.

Guys it is a five carat diamond!! I also found out some more about diamonds while trying to research it. Listen to this:
One of the world's most famous diamonds, the Jonker diamond was found in 1934 by a farmer named Jonker walking across his fields in South Africa. It was 726 carats and as big as a hen's egg. He mailed it to England by ordinary mail for 64 cents. It later sold to a diamond merchant for $700,000. The diamond was widely displayed drawing huge crowds to come to look at it. A diamond cutter in New York City cut the large rough diamond into eleven emerald cut diamonds, the largest of which was 125.65 carats and that large stone then became known as the Jonker diamond. It was last seen in 1959, but much later in 1972 it reappeared in Hong Kong where it was sold to a Japanese businessman.
So fashionable young ladies around 1934 or later all wanted emerald cut diamond jewelry like this to make people think they had the actual famous Jonker diamond.