OEC Advice

[MarionC]

I am seriously considering upgrading my 7mm OEC for an 8 - 8.5mm OEC.
My budget is around 11k.
Looking for top light performance and a beautiful facet pattern.
I would love to get some advice and/or suggestions for 8-8.5mm stones.
I've been looking a lot but would like to see what more knowledgeable PSers come up with!

 

[Calliecake]

Jimmianne, Have you contacted Jewels by Grace or Love Affair Diamonds? I've contacted Grace in the past and would love to work with her in the future. Adam at Old Workd Diamonds is also supposed to be extremely helpful. If I am not mistaken he found Missy her gorgeous diamond.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Color range ? Old World diamonds have a ton of diamonds but it may depend on your color tolerance if there is anything in budget.

 

[MarionC]

Color range ? Old World diamonds have a ton of diamonds but it may depend on your color tolerance if there is anything in budget.

Hi Resonance, That would be one of my questions to the forum. I like warm diamonds, but I would also want to have something in a color range that would appeal to the most people if I were to do a resale in the future. [I seem to change my mind a lot!]

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

I would just get what you like and not be worried about the resale later. Prices are just continuing to skyrocket.

 

[arkieb1]

If you are worried stick to something between an I/J at the high end and a high facing L/M that isn't too tinted at the low end. I have noticed an increasing amount of people here selling/upgrading and offloading lowered coloured stones when they figure out they really don't want to live with the colour. Mid to lowered coloured stones do appeal to some people and there is nothing wrong with that but they don't appeal to everyone.

The only exception I would make for a low colours is a stone that faces up really yellow, or really pink then you can do something creative with it. It is true all old cuts in general have become more popular and have therefore increased in price. I don't think that trend will end any time soon.....

 

[LoversKites]

If you are worried stick to something between an I/J at the high end and a high facing L/M that isn't too tinted at the low end. I have noticed an increasing amount of people here selling/upgrading and offloading lowered coloured stones when they figure out they really don't want to live with the colour. Mid to lowered coloured stones do appeal to some people and there is nothing wrong with that but they don't appeal to everyone.

The only exception I would make for a low colours is a stone that faces up really yellow, or really pink then you can do something creative with it. It is true all old cuts in general have become more popular and have therefore increased in price. I don't think that trend will end any time soon.....

If, in GIA's opinion, a diamond has any pink tint, it will be graded faint pink, or higher depending on the presence of colour. At least that's what I remember reading, so correct me if I'm wrong. Some low coloured browns can shift and look pinkish though.

 

[arkieb1]

Diamonds can have a weird brown undertone that makes them face up pink in rose gold - that is specifically what I meant, but it is true it is much more common to find yellow, brown and grey coloured mid to low coloured stones and a oddly dark sludgy greenish grey if they come out of certain parts of Zimbabwe - which I have seen a couple of times in person.

 

[missy]

Jimmianne, I responded to your post in the NIRDI thread but just wanted to add that with old cuts more than any other (IMO) one must see it in person to appreciate if the color is right for them.

Callie is correct in that I got my OEC from Adam at OWD and when I first started my search I requested nothing lower than an I. Well when he said he had a very special stone that was a GIA L I almost said I don't even want to see it. HAH. Luckily I did check it out because it was unlike any L I had imagined. Truly beautiful and it appeared the perfect shade of white to my eye. And I am color sensitive as when I looked at MRB's anything lower than a G appeared not white enough to my eye.

So if possible try checking out in person each stone you are seriously considering or make sure there is a good return policy. And of course one must see them in person to appreciate the faceting action and personality under different environments/conditions but color is still the most critical reason to have the stone in hand and examine it in different lighting conditions. If you come here I will go with you. Just sayin....

 

[MarionC]

Thanks, arkieb.
This is very helpful for getting me further into the process.
I'm not sure if either of my current choices meet my criteria, although they are beautiful and hard to pass up.
This is my current OEC[1.2/J] from Love Affair Diamonds and I love it. It actually has a more floral center than shows here.
I would like to have it in the larger version

 

[missy]

That is a gorgeous ring(s) Jimmianne. Love the pattern and love all of them together. BEAUTIFUL OEC. Grace has to find you a larger version if that's what you want then...search begins!

 

[MarionC]

Jimmianne,

So if possible try checking out in person each stone you are seriously considering or make sure there is a good return policy. And of course one must see them in person to appreciate the faceting action and personality under different environments/conditions but color is still the most critical reason to have the stone in hand and examine it in different lighting conditions. If you come here I will go with you. Just sayin....

That's an offer that's hard to pass up!

 

[missy]

Jimmianne,

So if possible try checking out in person each stone you are seriously considering or make sure there is a good return policy. And of course one must see them in person to appreciate the faceting action and personality under different environments/conditions but color is still the most critical reason to have the stone in hand and examine it in different lighting conditions. If you come here I will go with you. Just sayin....

That's an offer that's hard to pass up!

Don't tease me now...

 

[MarionC]

I'm not teasing!
If I weren't snowed in we could go today!

I just wrote to the guy with the diamond and sapphire ring and told him I was going to keep looking.
It looks beautiful, but I don't think the facets are chunky enough for me. It looks a little cold & precise in a way that does not put it at the top of my list. Someone is going to be very happy with that ring!

 

[RandG]

Are you exclusively in the market for an old euro or would you consider an old miner with a more roundish shape?

 

[MarionC]

Are you exclusively in the market for an old euro or would you consider an old miner with a more roundish shape?

do you have a particular stone in mind?
I'm open to old miners.

 

[rubybeth]

Just chiming in to say I love your current stone/ring.

 

[MarionC]

Just chiming in to say I love your current stone/ring.

thank you rubybeth. I love it too. Another thought would be to halo it and forget upgrading the size.
Being snowed in certainly causes a lot of trouble! : )

 

[tyty333]

That's such a beautiful set Jimmianne!

 

[LoversKites]

Diamonds can have a weird brown undertone that makes them face up pink in rose gold - that is specifically what I meant, but it is true it is much more common to find yellow, brown and grey coloured mid to low coloured stones and a oddly dark sludgy greenish grey if they come out of certain parts of Zimbabwe - which I have seen a couple of times in person.

Ok, thanks for expanding

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

If you want a 8- 8.5mm in an I/J the prices have been around the 20-24k range especially for a floral pattern. My 2.56 which is 8.54 X 8.66 was closer to 24k.

 

[MarionC]

If you want a 8- 8.5mm in an I/J the prices have been around the 20-24k range especially for a floral pattern. My 2.56 which is 8.54 X 8.66 was closer to 24k.

thanks for the info! Being snowed in gives lots of time to consider possibilities : )

The J/VS2 I'm looking at is a little over 8mm and is around 11k in the platinum ring. I don't know if it's that nice round floral I like - in some photos it appears to be.

 

[MarionC]

That's such a beautiful set Jimmianne!

thanks, tyty.
Why do I need "morebigger"!?!? [I think that's the technical term for DSS].
: )

 

[Calliecake]

That's such a beautiful set Jimmianne!

thanks, tyty.
Why do I need "morebigger"!?!? [I think that's the technical term for DSS].
: )

Jimmianne,

Unfortunately that darn disease (DSS) hits many of us here at PriceScope. Before I found Pricescope I thought 2 1/2 carats was huge. Now I want a 4 carat diamond! Can I please go shopping with you and Missy?

Callie

 

[MarionC]

[/quote]

Jimmianne,

Unfortunately that darn disease (DSS) hits many of us here at PriceScope. Before I found Pricescope I thought 2 1/2 carats was huge. Now I want a 4 carat diamond! Can I please go shopping with you and Missy?

Callie[/quote]

OMG - can you imagine what we would come home with? Heck yes!

 

[missy]

Jimmianne,

Unfortunately that darn disease (DSS) hits many of us here at PriceScope. Before I found Pricescope I thought 2 1/2 carats was huge. Now I want a 4 carat diamond! Can I please go shopping with you and Missy?

Callie

OMG - can you imagine what we would come home with? Heck yes!

Ummm, yes I can imagine what we could all end up buying and believe me we *need* the bling. It is all very necessary. Not to mention so very pretty.

Did you make any progress today Jimmianne? Any new contenders?