wolftress
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2006
- Messages
- 847
I started my hunt for an OEC a few months ago, when I realised that I kept going back to the pictures of Facetfire''s, Surfgirl''s and ecf8503''s rings. I already have a rb ering, and though I love it, I wanted something that really made my heart beat faster the way only an OEC can.
I came up with several duds, mostly because I had limited ''play money'' and access to antique jewellery stores. In the end, I had to resort to ebay. Gaaah, all I can say is it took a LOT of patience and misses to finally get a passable stone. If I did have more funds available, I would have definitely gone to Ari at Singlestone.
Anyway, last weekend, I went to the only antique jewellery store I know of. A lot of PSers have said that one actually needs to see an old cut diamond in person to find out if it''s really what they want, so that''s what I set out to do. I saw two rings in the window that were most likely OECs. They were about 2 carats? Anyway, they were large enough that I could see the blocky kite shaped facets and small tables that OECs have. I walked into the store and politely explained to the sales assistant that I was interested in old cut diamonds and wondered if I could have a look at some. There were two sales assistants there and only one other customer in the shop, so they weren''t run off their feet. The sales assistant said, "I''m sorry, we don''t have anything like that." This is an antique jewellery store, mind you. I persisted and said, "But I think I saw two rings in the window that were old European cuts." and pointed to the rings. She said, "Oh, those are very expensive." The penny dropped and I turned around and left feeling like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she gets snubbed by the snooty sales assistants, only I''m not nearly as pretty as she is, and I couldn''t go back the next day with Richard Gere''s platinum credit card and buy those rings!!!
Despite the rude sales assistant, I''d seen enough OECs in the shop window to know that the cut just captivated me, so I bit the bullet and gave ebay one last try. I bid on a .90ct K (looks more like an L or M to me), SI2 OEC and it arrived in the mail today.
When I first opened the package, the diamond was wrapped in blue paper. I looked at it and gasped. How could they call this a K? It''s an I at the very least! It''s so white! But lo and behold, as soon as I took the diamond off the paper and put it in my hand, it showed its true colours (so to speak) and it was very warm. It''s sort of a beigy, lemony sort of warm, and it looks almost green in certain lights. It really doesn''t look right next to the F coloured diamonds in my wedding ring, but I figure I''ll just turn my wedding ring around to hide the diamonds if I wear my OEC with it. Its light performance is completely different from my round brilliant. It seems to be much more reflective, and the fire under halogen lights is breathtaking. I almost blinded myself playing with the diamond under my study lamp (haha, you know how people say playing with something can make you go blind? They must mean diamonds).
Anyway, you''re not here to listen to me ramble
Here are the pics. I''m sorry they''re so horrible. The diamond is much more beautiful in person and I would really appreciate any photography tips on how to take a good picture of it! I have a Casio Exilim, if that helps!
I came up with several duds, mostly because I had limited ''play money'' and access to antique jewellery stores. In the end, I had to resort to ebay. Gaaah, all I can say is it took a LOT of patience and misses to finally get a passable stone. If I did have more funds available, I would have definitely gone to Ari at Singlestone.
Anyway, last weekend, I went to the only antique jewellery store I know of. A lot of PSers have said that one actually needs to see an old cut diamond in person to find out if it''s really what they want, so that''s what I set out to do. I saw two rings in the window that were most likely OECs. They were about 2 carats? Anyway, they were large enough that I could see the blocky kite shaped facets and small tables that OECs have. I walked into the store and politely explained to the sales assistant that I was interested in old cut diamonds and wondered if I could have a look at some. There were two sales assistants there and only one other customer in the shop, so they weren''t run off their feet. The sales assistant said, "I''m sorry, we don''t have anything like that." This is an antique jewellery store, mind you. I persisted and said, "But I think I saw two rings in the window that were old European cuts." and pointed to the rings. She said, "Oh, those are very expensive." The penny dropped and I turned around and left feeling like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she gets snubbed by the snooty sales assistants, only I''m not nearly as pretty as she is, and I couldn''t go back the next day with Richard Gere''s platinum credit card and buy those rings!!!
Despite the rude sales assistant, I''d seen enough OECs in the shop window to know that the cut just captivated me, so I bit the bullet and gave ebay one last try. I bid on a .90ct K (looks more like an L or M to me), SI2 OEC and it arrived in the mail today.
When I first opened the package, the diamond was wrapped in blue paper. I looked at it and gasped. How could they call this a K? It''s an I at the very least! It''s so white! But lo and behold, as soon as I took the diamond off the paper and put it in my hand, it showed its true colours (so to speak) and it was very warm. It''s sort of a beigy, lemony sort of warm, and it looks almost green in certain lights. It really doesn''t look right next to the F coloured diamonds in my wedding ring, but I figure I''ll just turn my wedding ring around to hide the diamonds if I wear my OEC with it. Its light performance is completely different from my round brilliant. It seems to be much more reflective, and the fire under halogen lights is breathtaking. I almost blinded myself playing with the diamond under my study lamp (haha, you know how people say playing with something can make you go blind? They must mean diamonds).
Anyway, you''re not here to listen to me ramble