Old cut craze...

[Laila619]

Hello gals and gents! This is for everyone, but especially anyone who switched from a round brilliant to an OEC or other older style cut. Did you genuinely have a love for old cut stones long before you found PS, or do you think your liking of them is the direct result of seeing others' OECs on PS? Does anyone think switching to or buying old cuts is a trend and people will regret it down the road if/when their popularity wanes, or do you think the old cut craze is here to stay? Thanks for your opinions!

 

[flash_and_fire]

Hi Laila619, for me it started with me getting a MRB for my ering and then discovering Pricescope after the fact. (if only I had known about PS) I went through phases over the years of wanting every kind of cut from princess-oval-asscher-cushion (desire and ambition still there) However, after reading about how old mine cuts sparkle in candle light, for some reason, that had me hooked. I like the idea of a quirky one of a kind diamond cut from days of yore. I've never seen one in person but am actively searching to see if it's for me.

 

[LLJsmom]

Since I just jumped ship recently...

I knew nothing about old cuts before PS. Zero.

No doubt. The pictures are beautiful. Very tempting and intriguing and made me want to see first hand IRL. It is these pics that got piqued my interest. I went to Lang's several years back and looked at some one carats and thought "meh"... Moving on.

Then I landed in Singlestone because of a setting search and saw some big ones and went WOW. The one I fell in love with had a very nice cut, and I really didn't want to leave the store because it would have meant taking off that ring. My first exposure to a really beautiful old cut. Then the light started going on. "So that is what the fuss is about...." Then I thought nothing could look THAT good outside of jewelry store lighting... And tried to be satisfied with my MRB.

Last fall, OWD with Adam. He vetted them first and picked out the ones he thought were most beautiful. Dangerous when you let him do that cause that guy has an eye... He gave me time with the stones, in a half lit room, under fluorescent lighting, under the desk, and then I thought maybe these could be that beautiful in my boring daily routine life, dark family rooms, shaded car, office lighting.

I hope that I will still love it a year from now. I think chances are good. Especially with my failing eyesight. The big flashes and colors are so much easier to see. I wanted a stone that would make me distracted and stare at it, examine the cut, the reflections, the facets, and so far I am definitely doing that. I can say that I like my stone 80% of the time. I guess I still want it to light up in the dark or when I am in complete black and hovering over it when it's tilted downward. Comparatively, I liked my MRB about 60% of the time. When will I get to 100%? When diamonds come with their own backlighting.

I do think it's a trend, right now, of people just discovering them and maybe being lucky enough to see beautiful ones. I am sure there are lots of duds out there. My extended family saw it this weekend, which involved 10'plus women. They all pulled me aside and asked me about the ring. I'll admit. That was gratifying. They all have pics with it on and one of them might be calling Adam. So who knows. I just know that if I had both MRB and my current stone. I would reach for this one more. We'll see how long this lasts.

 

[hathalove]

Hello gals and gents! This is for everyone, but especially anyone who switched from a round brilliant to an OEC or other older style cut. Did you genuinely have a love for old cut stones long before you found PS, or do you think your liking of them is the direct result of seeing others' OECs on PS? Does anyone think switching to or buying old cuts is a trend and people will regret it down the road if/when their popularity wanes, or do you think the old cut craze is here to stay? Thanks for your opinions!

Honestly...I just loved sparkles. I never paid any attention to what kind of diamond it was. Maybe I had a preference for certain shapes. But if it sparkled I loved it. Old and new. Now ask me what happened after learning and engaging on PS--------->>>> I went crazy!!! Lost my mind. Bought a bunch of things. Loved one thing one day. Another the next. I mean my husband can't stand any conversation about jewels now. Ahhh. What's a girl gotta do. So who knows. All I know is I am a little crazier because of this place.

Are you still wearing a plain band? Or perhaps thinking of an old cut? I wear a few plain bands stacked since I can't get it together. Lol.

 

[Laila619]

Hi Laila619, for me it started with me getting a MRB for my ering and then discovering Pricescope after the fact. (if only I had known about PS) I went through phases over the years of wanting every kind of cut from princess-oval-asscher-cushion (desire and ambition still there) However, after reading about how old mine cuts sparkle in candle light, for some reason, that had me hooked. I like the idea of a quirky one of a kind diamond cut from days of yore. I've never seen one in person but am actively searching to see if it's for me.

Hope you can find one you like!!

 

[Laila619]

LLJsmom, congrats on your new OEC upgrade! Thanks for chiming in. I hope you end up loving your stone for many years to come!

 

[Laila619]

Hello gals and gents! This is for everyone, but especially anyone who switched from a round brilliant to an OEC or other older style cut. Did you genuinely have a love for old cut stones long before you found PS, or do you think your liking of them is the direct result of seeing others' OECs on PS? Does anyone think switching to or buying old cuts is a trend and people will regret it down the road if/when their popularity wanes, or do you think the old cut craze is here to stay? Thanks for your opinions!

Honestly...I just loved sparkles. I never paid any attention to what kind of diamond it was. Maybe I had a preference for certain shapes. But if it sparkled I loved it. Old and new. Now ask me what happened after learning and engaging on PS--------->>>> I went crazy!!! Lost my mind. Bought a bunch of things. Loved one thing one day. Another the next. I mean my husband can't stand any conversation about jewels now. Ahhh. What's a girl gotta do. So who knows. All I know is I am a little crazier because of this place.

Are you still wearing a plain band? Or perhaps thinking of an old cut? I wear a few plain bands stacked since I can't get it together. Lol.

LOL, you're cute. We're ALL a little crazier because of this place!

Yes, still plain bands for now (I'm wild about rose gold), but pondering some ideas. Even just buying plain bands isn't easy! It's hard to find the perfect width/height/dome etc. I have probably ordered half the bands on eWeddingbands.com, haha! Are you thinking about something else too?

 

[hathalove]

Hello gals and gents! This is for everyone, but especially anyone who switched from a round brilliant to an OEC or other older style cut. Did you genuinely have a love for old cut stones long before you found PS, or do you think your liking of them is the direct result of seeing others' OECs on PS? Does anyone think switching to or buying old cuts is a trend and people will regret it down the road if/when their popularity wanes, or do you think the old cut craze is here to stay? Thanks for your opinions!

Honestly...I just loved sparkles. I never paid any attention to what kind of diamond it was. Maybe I had a preference for certain shapes. But if it sparkled I loved it. Old and new. Now ask me what happened after learning and engaging on PS--------->>>> I went crazy!!! Lost my mind. Bought a bunch of things. Loved one thing one day. Another the next. I mean my husband can't stand any conversation about jewels now. Ahhh. What's a girl gotta do. So who knows. All I know is I am a little crazier because of this place.

Are you still wearing a plain band? Or perhaps thinking of an old cut? I wear a few plain bands stacked since I can't get it together. Lol.

LOL, you're cute. We're ALL a little crazier because of this place!

Yes, still plain bands for now (I'm wild about rose gold), but pondering some ideas. Even just buying plain bands isn't easy! It's hard to find the perfect width/height/dome etc. I have probably ordered half the bands on eWeddingbands.com, haha! Are you thinking about something else too?

Ha!! I have done the same thing with e wedding bands. Have you found the sweet spot for a band yet? I at one point had everything rose gold but I've been moving away from rose to yellow now. 18k and higher for some reason I am just loving yellow right now. I've still been wearing my rose gold Cartier bands stacked with my Trinity but I pick up a brand spankin new yellow band tomorrow and will give that rose stack a break. Just reached out to VC about a yellow gold engraved band too but not 100% sure yet. I have so many ideas about diamond rings. I'm having a hard time narrowing down what I really love mixed with my style and lifestyle. Wondering if I would do better with a gold/diamond band stack a la singlestone.

 

[Laila619]

^ Wowee, that is gorgeous!! Drooool. I love YG too, it's so luxurious looking in higher karat!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I definitely loved antique stones before the PS craze. I guess I should say I had always loved antique rings which had antique stones in them, although I didn't see them often. I remember distinctly years ago when Yoram was on the forum and I think his first name was antiquediagem, later changed to DiaGem, I believe. He posted a few of his diamonds and I saved this one below thinking, this is what I love!!!

Now I had fully embraced all that I had learned about diamond cut and loved perfectly cut hearts and arrows stones and still do. I have chosen to keep my studs in ACAs because they are like headlights across a room! But over time, I kept thinking my H&A diamond ring was too big or too small or needed a different setting when really, I just didn't have exactly the right diamond yet! After having such a perfectly cut mrb, I knew it would have to be a needle in the haystack OEC because I wanted a great cut one in the near colorless range. I'd look but the AVRs always attracted me since they were beautifully hand cut with excellent light return in an antique style cut. Yet GOG didn't get new stones in often and almost never with the specs I wanted. It was a couple of years before I finally gave in and ordered a 1.8 ct I color AVR. I truly loved that stone, but it was definitely a low I color, and I just couldn't handle the color difference. I sent it back and looked at a couple more (an I SI1 and a J) and sent them back. Then my only option left was to go over 2 cts, but I color was still the highest color they had. So I ordered a 2.12 and really felt I had found my stone. BUT, they also had a 2.29 I color, and it was cut by Yoram, who had intrigued me early on because he had a love of cutting old style cuts. So I simply had to look at that stone before making my final decision (and agonized over many pages on a thread here!). Both stones were beautiful, but as most here know, the bigger the stone, the more fabulous the facets in an OEC cut stone! So, I basically went from a 1.6 ct mrb that I thought was too big to a 2.29 ct AVR!!! I still think it is too big, but boy I do enjoy the little work of art that Yoram and his team created!

If I could, I'd have an antique cushion, asscher/EC, and an OEC, too. I love them all but hope I can restrain myself! That said, I would happily put an ideal cut round right back in my Vatche U-113, too, if I could have multiple sets. I love classic and antique! I won't ever tire of the stone I have, but I do think a smaller size would make more sense for several reasons. But I have not yet seen another stone that I'd rather have!

I will say, though, that yes old style cuts are a trend, and I do think some people will eventually move on and change to a different style diamond. I think that is probably less likely for those who really sought and found outstanding cut OECs or ideal cut antique style stones .

 

[lambskin]

Was not a fan until PS. It has saved me from selling and or resetting my grandma's ER. I am forever grateful.

 

[arkieb1]

I liked antique jewellery before PS but I learnt to appreciate decent old cuts from being on here. I'd worked my way through 6 or 7 or more modern cut diamonds before PS mostly RBs and nothing really stood out to me until I found Old Cuts.... I find well cut RBs beautiful but boring at the same time....

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Was not a fan until PS. It has saved me from selling and or resetting my grandma's ER. I am forever grateful.

Now that is just awesome!!! I feel sad sometimes when I see families sell antique family heirloom rings, so it is a delightful thing to read your post!

 

[Gypsy]

For me, OEC's were the first round diamonds I fell in love with. I've never liked MRB, but the first time I saw an well cut OEC in person (Erika Winters huge M) I fell in love and have stayed there. So mine was definitely post PS.

I would love to own a nice big OEC.

Funny thing is though, I love modern cushions. But OMC's and OMC faceted new stones leave me cold.

 

[Acinom]

My love for old cuts started prior to PS. I had been wearing a 'perfect' Princess cut icy white icecube for years, but felt so bored wearing it. Then I discovered my 5,3 ct OEC at my jeweller and everything fell into place. I was so charmed with the large facets, the sparkle and the antique lace color. I traded in the Princess ring and 4 other diamond rings and agreed for a savings plan for a couple of months and after that it was officialy mine. I am thrilled with it ever since. After discovering PS I also found the perfect setting for it: a french cut tapered setting by VC.

I love it that there are more old cut lovers here on PS.
Not sure whether it's a trend. There will always be MRB, old cut or newly cut vintage lovers around.

 

[honn]

i didn't know about OEC until i started browsing. i recognised what i liked, it was the shine. i kept on seeing what i liked and eventually i learned that they were called OEC. i didn't even know what the there was a trend until now.

 

[susief]

Well I live in the UK where 99% of the population wouldn't know a well cut diamond if it ran them over, so everything I know about diamonds is from PS (plus I've been lurking since the early days of 2003, so can't remember a pre-PS time!) It was Haven's gorgeous e-ring that first made me notice them.

I have recently made the switch from MRBs to old cuts. I upgraded my original e-ring stone (MRBs) a couple of times, and couldn't understand why I just wasn't satisfied. I got my dream stone of a 1 carat ideal cut, and it still left me feeling... empty. It was just too generic. I returned it and decided to try something different, buying an OEC from a wonderful specialist old cut vendor in Scotland. I am absolutely thrilled with it and realise what I was missing before in the MRBs - character and personality. The flashes of light are just so beautiful and I can't see myself ever going back, even if they fall out of "fashion".

To me, they are more like a fancy cut - they aren't better or worse than MRBs, some people just prefer the way they look, in the same way some people like emerald cuts or asschers. I think it helps that I also prefer old things (houses, furniture, etc).

Of course, no-one over here has noticed that I have a completely different diamond in a completely different setting

Edited to add a (bad) photo.

 

[missy]

I was always a lover of all things antique and retro. And of course my grandma's ring only fueled my old cut obsession. But I knew nothing academic about old cut diamonds and didn't learn that til I came to PS. And it took me a few years to realize that is what I wanted for my ER. Don't know why it took so long but sometimes I can be dense. Only matters that finally I realized that is what my heart craved- an OEC ER. And my dh with Adam's help made that dream came true.

What I love about OECs. What don't I love. Their facet pattern, their soft glow, the colors that come through the stone, their brightness in dim illumination, their ever changing personality, the way they just pick all colors up from the environment, their history, their off round shape. Yes even that I adore about them.

I love the way the OEC speaks to me. You take a look and want a second look. Then a third and fourth and it never seems to be enough. I want to stare at her for hours because I am always finding new facets (lol pun intended) of her personality. The elegance, charm and beauty that emanates from the OEC. The quiet sophistication that draws you in for a further look. In a way that modern cuts just never did for me. In fact all things equal if someone offers me a 5 carat GVS1 ideal cut MRB or 5 carat AVR with similar parameters to my OEC or a 5 carat OEC beauty LVS1 with a beautiful facet pattern etc. I would choose the OEC every time.

Best way to sum it up in one word. Personality. Galore. Ok that was 2 words.
Actually there is a third word that sums it up for me too. Romance.

Adding the most recent pics I took of Bea a few days ago. I was at the botanical gardens taking pics for LLJSmom. Haha. Balancing my huge iPhone in one hand while taking these selfies. We are crazy PSers lol.
Just loved the way Bea took the green and yellow and blue from the leaves and flowers and sky.


Adding one last pic. Bea at work. She looks lovely even in fluorescent lighting IMO even at her most off white. Under most circumstances she appears to me bright and white and it is mainly at work where the walls and floors are beige and there is on,y fluorescent lighting that she appears off white as this last photo illustrates.

 

[Niel]

A round is a round at the end of the day.

I don't think it'll go out of style. The antique style setting I think will,but round is the most popular shape since forever, I really don't think someone will get tired of the facetting pattern of a well cut round

 

[AdaBeta27]

I bought my first OEC diamond at a pawn shop in 1993, so that is definitely before Pricescope. That was even before the Internet.

There are fantastic, ordinary, and mediocre old-cut diamonds, just like there are fantactic, ordinary, and mediocre modern RBs. I like my OEC diamond. I actually like it as well as I like my modern H&A superideal diamond. Even the ideal and superideal diamonds can have 'bland" personalities due to their geometry and minor facets. As David of DBL said, a diamond has to be seen. I bought one GIA 3x H&A and I was always disappointed in it and found it very bland and blah. I traded it in on another that definitely continues to wow me.

A few years ago, I bought an antique 3-stone OEC platinum filigree ring. The OEC diamonds in it come alive in bright sunlight but are kind of meh in candlelight.

There are no absolutes. Diamonds are individuals.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Well, I only ever saw princess cuts, mrbs, and radiants in person prior to pricescope. But the minute I saw old cuts, I immediately fell in love with their charm, the organic nature (imprecise faceting but still amazing light performance... perfectly imperfect if that makes sense). I've fallen in love with antique cushions ever since I saw my first one.

 

[boerumbiddy]

Pricescope just gave a name to the kind of diamond I already loved, partly because it was the only kind I ever wore. My engagement ring for my short-lived marriage was an antique family stone, a little over a carat, in a new Tiffany setting. I actually loved its warm color, and called it "warm" before I knew that was the right term. It was chunky and sparkly.

The first time I took my ring to have the prongs checked, the very young jeweler told me it probably wasn't a diamond! I asked an elderly relative in the jewelry business about it and he laughed out loud. "The guy probably never saw an old diamond before," he said. "It has the kind of old-fashioned cut you never see anymore." I wore it for the rest of the marriage, then pawned it occasionally when I needed money. It was finally stolen from the pawn shop in a widely publicized robbery in which the thieves broke through the ceiling and took all the diamonds.... So gone with the wind.

Then, happily, my mother gave me my grandmother's "dinner ring," which she wore on her right hand for years before giving it to my mother. So it has lots of family memories attached. It has three medium-size OEC's in a north-south filigree setting, and no two of them are the same. I love the fact that it has so much personality and history. I have now seen a few spectacular old-cut diamonds in larger sizes on the hands of lucky New York ladies and these are the only kind of diamonds this colored-stone girl would ever go for.

 

[Ariadne_Theia]

I actually found PS because of old cuts. I was on weddingbee before and I saw a ring someone had posted, it was an oec moissanite and I fell in love with the faceting. I have always disliked the arrows of mrbs and to see the classic round shape with a pattern that I liked, was amazing. I ended up being recommended to check out PS to learn more about diamonds and here I got to see true old cuts. I don't have mine yet, but when I do, I don't think I'll get bored of it.

 

[Snowdrop13]

Well I live in the UK where 99% of the population wouldn't know a well cut diamond if it ran them over, so everything I know about diamonds is from PS (plus I've been lurking since the early days of 2003, so can't remember a pre-PS time!) It was Haven's gorgeous e-ring that first made me notice them.

I have recently made the switch from MRBs to old cuts. I upgraded my original e-ring stone (MRBs) a couple of times, and couldn't understand why I just wasn't satisfied. I got my dream stone of a 1 carat ideal cut, and it still left me feeling... empty. It was just too generic. I returned it and decided to try something different, buying an OEC from a wonderful specialist old cut vendor in Scotland. I am absolutely thrilled with it and realise what I was missing before in the MRBs - character and personality. The flashes of light are just so beautiful and I can't see myself ever going back, even if they fall out of "fashion".

To me, they are more like a fancy cut - they aren't better or worse than MRBs, some people just prefer the way they look, in the same way some people like emerald cuts or asschers. I think it helps that I also prefer old things (houses, furniture, etc).

Of course, no-one over here has noticed that I have a completely different diamond in a completely different setting

Edited to add a (bad) photo.

I am intrigued, would you share the name of the old cut vendor in Scotland? I didn't know there was such a thing!

 

[foxinsox]

I found OECs before Pricescope after realising I wasn't excited by any of the options I saw locally (NZ) for an engagement ring - everything was splintery sparkles and all very very much the same regardless of specialty jeweller or mall store.
When I started looking online I realised I loved Art Deco style rings and especially the diamonds in them that had flowers in the middle of them, chunky fat facets and funny little holes in the middle. I don't have a big diamond in my ring but even at 7mm it's big enough I can see the flowery petals when I look at it and it charms me every time. I didn't expect the ridiculous light play they have either - it's like I have a tiny kaleidoscope of my environment moving and twinkling.
I have a smaller MRB in my mum's engagement ring and it's pretty but its charm for me is the memory of her. I might feel differently if it were a honking big ideal cut but.. I suspect I'll always prefer the OECs.

 

[IE_Princess]

I came to PS looking for advice about old cuts; I already had one but was looking for an e-ring upgrade and had questions.

To be fair, I had a lovely OEC, my tiny MRB, and my grandmother's terrible MRB, and I had a strong preference for a preloved diamond. MRBs looked splintery to me, and they still do. I love chunky diamonds with visible culets, tiny tables, and poufy crowns. In photos I love the symmetry and pattern of transitionals, but in real life they aren't quite it for me. I have a warm OEC with a 43% table, my everyday e-ring has a 45.8% table, and my cushion has the biggest table at 50% (but she's deep and has a tall crown).

Because of the influence of PS I have considered a triple x MRB, but I am spoiled by OECs and haven't seen an MRB yet that I thought I could love.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I love hearing these stories and seeing the pictures, too! Missy, I just love your whole set!

I failed to mention that while I do have an AVR, I also have a true antique diamond that is not yet set (yes, I take forever to decide on settings!). So I am a very open to well cut antique stones and keep my eyes open for them! Here are my favorite pictures of the AVR (but still in the temp setting!). The new antique stone will remain anonymous until she is set!

 

[diagem]

Hello gals and gents! This is for everyone, but especially anyone who switched from a round brilliant to an OEC or other older style cut. Did you genuinely have a love for old cut stones long before you found PS, or do you think your liking of them is the direct result of seeing others' OECs on PS? Does anyone think switching to or buying old cuts is a trend and people will regret it down the road if/when their popularity wanes, or do you think the old cut craze is here to stay? Thanks for your opinions!

Hi Laila619,
I believe it's an on going trend that's been alive for hundreds of years...
This trend was less popular until about a decade ago. Since the popularity of the Internet the world has become smaller so IMO there are just much more people exposed to these cuts. Old cuts gems were and are still sought after by a community which keeps growing.

As a Diamond cutter I must attest that proportion-wise, older cuts were simply cut to more correct proportions before the birth of the ability to saw (rough) Diamonds forcing two stones from each octahedron.

 

[LLJsmom]

Hello gals and gents! This is for everyone, but especially anyone who switched from a round brilliant to an OEC or other older style cut. Did you genuinely have a love for old cut stones long before you found PS, or do you think your liking of them is the direct result of seeing others' OECs on PS? Does anyone think switching to or buying old cuts is a trend and people will regret it down the road if/when their popularity wanes, or do you think the old cut craze is here to stay? Thanks for your opinions!

Hi Laila619,
I believe it's an on going trend that's been alive for hundreds of years...
This trend was less popular until about a decade ago. Since the popularity of the Internet the world has become smaller so IMO there are just much more people exposed to these cuts. Old cuts gems were and are still sought after by a community which keeps growing.

As a Diamond cutter I must attest that proportion-wise, older cuts were simply cut to more correct proportions before the birth of the ability to saw (rough) Diamonds forcing two stones from each octahedron.

This is exactly the info I wanted. I'm going to dig into the history of diamond cutting now that I've got the bug. After wearing my ring for a few days, I wonder how in the world we ever got to the MRB. The oec faceting seems just so much more pleasing to the eye. Of course, I am biased. Why didn't they work on just perfecting the oec rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water and going to the MRB. Not to say that if I had a 3 carat CBI in an F I would kick it to the curb (I'd probably wear it on my other hand and sleep with it every night), but I'm just wondering generally. DiaGem's response hints at economics and increasing profitability by maximizing diamonds available from rough based on style of cutting. What a shame. Thank goodness for GOG and Victor Canera who are bringing it back and making them even more precise with modern technology.

Honestly I am just starting to appreciate how rare these well cut true OECs are, and how lucky I am to own one. Wow. Makes my heart go pitter-patter.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

As a person in the trade for a long time...I'm really pleased to see the attention that the old cuts receive here on PS. Many years ago, jewelers looked at an old cut diamond (OEC, OMC) and immediately thought about re-cutting to a modern brilliant cut diamond to maximize brilliance and value. So alot of older cuts were re-cut. Personally, each old cut diamond has it's own individual shape, brilliance, and personality. You can't put the stats in a box. Owning one is thinking outside the box. Continue to admire and enjoy them.