HELP OEC or Tiffany & Co??

[trednybr]

I am still torn Our jeweler with the "OEC" had sent out the diamond to be recut to get rid of a tiny chip on the edge. The recut brought the diamond size down to 2.6 carat. He then had it sent to GIA as the diamond was not certified before.

Here is what it came back as:

Circular Brilliant
9.05 - 9.07 x 5.0 mm
Carat Weight: 2.60
Color Grade: K
Clarity Grade: VS1
Polish: Good
Symmetry: Good
Fluorescence: none

What do you guys think? The jeweler is willing to set the diamond in a basic setting and let me wear it around for a day. He is doing this because I am unhappy about it coming back as a K but he said it shows very white and I should give it a real chance.

What do you guys think? And what is a circular brilliant as I've never seen this before? Is it no longer antique style?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I have never heard of a grading of circular brilliant before!!! But they don't grade stones as European Cut, either, I don't think. So you will have to wait and see the stone when it comes in. I need to look up comps, though, because $22k sounds like a retail price for that stone and not some great deal.

In regard to the color, use your eyes. It might be good to wear it for a couple of days in your own lighting environments to see what you think about the color and light performance. I tried a J but couldn't handle the tint. But every stone is different. I'll be back once I try to check some prices.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

And I am a little concerned that they did more than polish the girdle because of how much the weight went down. If they took away the OEC cut, forget it!!!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Okay, it is priced around retail as a K VS1 OEC.

Here is one a little smaller at that price:

http://www.oldworlddiamonds.com/detail.php?ID=1238&SHAPE=EU

And JBEG has a 2.24 GIA K VS2 for $19,165.

If you see the stone again and find that you are in LOVE with it, I would tell them due to the color drop, you will offer $15,000 for the diamond and see what they come back with. It's not a great deal at $22k, but how much you love it has to do with how much you are willing to pay. You have every reason to negotiate the price, though, because the color grade is lower than you expected.

If you are not in love with it or have doubts about handling the color, absolutely do NOT buy it! I sometimes am not sure about my I color stone, but I know I can get another like it in a higher color later if I wish, because my vendor carries these stones and allows trade-ins at full value paid. In your case, that jeweler does not likely have a big inventory for you to trade later, and I would ONLY buy an OEC at retail from someone who specializes in old cuts and has a decent inventory with new stones coming in (or access to new stones at any time) such as Good Old Gold (where I got my newly cut OEC/AVR), JBEG, and Old World Diamonds.

Be patient and do not settle for a stone that you are not in love with, trust me. Many of us have made that mistake, and it is sometimes costly to change the diamond since often it will involve a new setting.

 

[mrs-b]

Trednybr -

If it were me, I would go to Good Old Gold in NY and tell them your budget. Ask to speak to Jon. He will show you diamonds that will blow your mind - both in a modern OEC (August Vintage Round) and in a H&A round brilliant. The way they're cut makes them dazzling, and they look whiter because of it. Then, from what you've shown us, I'd consider having your stone set in the Brian Gavin tapered tiffany setting. It's elegant, classic and timeless. That way, you'll get a far better upgrade policy and a lifetime guarantee with GOG, and you'll get far better service with BGD. And you won't have to pay for the Tiffany name.

Just my 2c worth.

 

[trednybr]

We went to GOG in the beginning of our search and their prices for were really high. Our budget is 30k and they were showing us 2.2 carat diamonds. I really want to find a 2.5 range diamond. If i was ok with a 2 I would take the tiffany in a second. Honestly when we went to GOG I just didn't like the whole vibe.. I didn't like one diamond that I saw. I don't even know what to do next . Tiffany contacted us today of a 2.02 carat emerald they got in which could be interesting.

 

[trednybr]

I think they took more of the diamond than just polish because I complained that the crown was pretty flat for OEC and that i preferred it to be a little higher. I'm thinking about take the diamond for a day and bringing it to Tiffany to compare and see it in their lighting. The thing is when I look at the OEC diamond in the jewelers office the color looks fine! Even whiter next to some of the I color diamonds. I don't see any yellow when I see it there but the fact that it is graded a K makes it hard for me to believe that I"ll never see some tint. If i do see tint in some lighting, I won't like the diamond.

 

[GemFever]

I think they took more of the diamond than just polish because I complained that the crown was pretty flat for OEC and that i preferred it to be a little higher. I'm thinking about take the diamond for a day and bringing it to Tiffany to compare and see it in their lighting. The thing is when I look at the OEC diamond in the jewelers office the color looks fine! Even whiter next to some of the I color diamonds. I don't see any yellow when I see it there but the fact that it is graded a K makes it hard for me to believe that I"ll never see some tint. If i do see tint in some lighting, I won't like the diamond.

You *will* see tint in a K-color stone. Guaranteed. (Unless you bezel set it, then maybe you can avoid it). I personally love K-color vintage stones because they're still pretty white and the tint is not intense. But if you don't like tint, don't buy a K-color stone.

I'm a huge fan of OECs, so normally I'd be cheering for the OEC. But from your post it really sounds like you fell in love with the Tiffany ring. Maybe go back and look at all the options again?

Last but not least, if you go for an OEC, don't go for a flat one that was re-cut and now is a hybrid and probably not a super nice hybrid at that. I would look for an amazing true-vintage OEC, if OEC is what you want. But in higher colors they are pretty expensive nowadays, almost getting closer to MRB pricing

I'm curious -- do you know the table and depth percentages off the GIA report for the 2.6ct OEC?

 

[trednybr]

Crown is 57% depth 55.2%

 

[GemFever]

Crown is 57% depth 55.2%

table is 57%? Depth of 55.2 is on the very shallow side. I would imagine that stone would not have the best optics and performance. Sometimes stones have great spread for their weight, but it comes at a sacrifice in light performance. Something to watch out for.

(sorry if you know all of this already and I'm stating the obvious!)

 

[Rosebloom]

What about something like this gorgeous stone:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2945662.htm?source=pricescope

 

[motownmama]

hubba hubba

 

[Kelli]

I don't mean to sound rude or stupid... But how does anyone go to Good Old Gold and not even like one diamond? I'd kill for a chance to play dress up in their store!!!

 

[msop04]

I am still torn Our jeweler with the "OEC" had sent out the diamond to be recut to get rid of a tiny chip on the edge. The recut brought the diamond size down to 2.6 carat. He then had it sent to GIA as the diamond was not certified before.

Here is what it came back as:

Circular Brilliant
9.05 - 9.07 x 5.0 mm
Carat Weight: 2.60
Color Grade: K
Clarity Grade: VS1
Polish: Good
Symmetry: Good
Fluorescence: none

What do you guys think? The jeweler is willing to set the diamond in a basic setting and let me wear it around for a day. He is doing this because I am unhappy about it coming back as a K but he said it shows very white and I should give it a real chance.

What do you guys think? And what is a circular brilliant as I've never seen this before? Is it no longer antique style?

trednybr,

I've been following this thread, so I wanted to chime in. I wouldn't spend money at Tiffany -- not at their prices. Let PS vets help you find a stone that is bigger and better for the same or probably less money. Their are 2-3 settings that are dead-ringers for the Tiffany 6-prong, if that is what you love. Buying Tiffany DOES NOT guarantee a great diamond... it only means you paid the Tiffany premium.

Personally, I love the OEC above -- and it's HUGE!!!

 

[msop04]

We went to GOG in the beginning of our search and their prices for were really high. Our budget is 30k and they were showing us 2.2 carat diamonds. I really want to find a 2.5 range diamond. If i was ok with a 2 I would take the tiffany in a second. Honestly when we went to GOG I just didn't like the whole vibe.. I didn't like one diamond that I saw. I don't even know what to do next . Tiffany contacted us today of a 2.02 carat emerald they got in which could be interesting.

It may prove extremely difficult to find a quality cut diamond of that size for $30K... unless you're cool with a J or K color and SI range clarity (which a lot of people love). Also, I doubt very seriously a 2 ct from Tiffany was less than $30K?? Most of their 2 ct H/I range stones go for around $41K-ish...

I also find it hard to believe that you didn't like any of the diamonds at GOG. I would be willing to bet that their diamonds are of better quality than most of the stones you'll find at Tiffany -- and for less. FWIW, a 2 ct emerald cut will face up much smaller than a 2 ct round... so if you're wanting a 2.5, I don't think you'll be too impressed with a 2 ct emerald cut.

OP, it kinda sounds like you just want the Tiffany name (which is fine) -- so buy the Tiffany.

 

[msop04]

What about something like this gorgeous stone:

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2945662.htm?source=pricescope

Great find, Rosebloom!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Crown is 57% depth 55.2%

table is 57%? Depth of 55.2 is on the very shallow side. I would imagine that stone would not have the best optics and performance. Sometimes stones have great spread for their weight, but it comes at a sacrifice in light performance. Something to watch out for.

(sorry if you know all of this already and I'm stating the obvious!)

Ditto, to reiterate again my previous cautions.

You are in NYC. Go see Adam at OWD and compare to TRUE comps in old cuts, in the same color range. As DS pointed out, the pricing is likely going to be similar.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

And definitely do not judge the K color in Tiffany lighting! They have great lighting that masks ALL color! You need to see the stone in YOUR lighting. For example, the tinted windows in my car cause my stone to show more tint. And if you are in a room with beige or yellow walls, it may show more tint. You will never be in lighting like the place you buy the diamond except when you go jewelry shopping. As others have said, you will see a tint in a K. Some of us do not mind lower colors in an antique stone. But I think you will mind from what you have said.

Good Old Gold was showing you stones that were realistic for your price range. They must have shown you the 2 ct I VS1 AVR that I considered because it is close to 30K. It is a mega-gorgeous stone, but I understand that it isn't the size you want. I am sure if you told them you wanted to see some J-K OEC's in advance, they would have happily brought some in for you to see and then you could have compared them to the K you are looking at.

 

[trednybr]

Here is the diamond after being re cut! It's so white, i see ZERO hint of color in it. It's so unbelievable considering I noticed I color at Tiffany.

 

[motownmama]

pretty!!!!! Post a side shot, please.

 

[trednybr]

the picture is of my boyfriends hand - ill get some more pics!

 

[trednybr]

this is not the setting i would chose. It's just a temporary setting the jeweler put it in so i can take it home for a day and decide how i feel about the diamond.

 

[Smith1942]

Personally, I'd choose the Tiffany H VS1 in a heart beat, but that's just me. I think that OECs have a charm all their own, they are unique and they give a beautiful vintage look, but you said that it doesn't sparkle like the Tiffany MRB (modern round brilliant.) To me, the point of getting a diamond is to achieve maximum sparkle, so if the Tiffany one sparkles significantly more, then...I also like higher-coloured diamonds so I wouldn't choose a K over an H, even if the K is bigger. 1.8 is still a very respectable size!

A Tiffany ring will also hold its value much better....on here we love OECs but they're not as valuable as a well-cut Tiffany MRB in the near-colourless range, outside Pricescope.

You could always get an OEC at a later date as a right hand ring.

I just can't imagine choosing a K OEC if I had a chance to get a big ole' Tiffany MRB H colour! But as I said above, that's just me! And I'm not the one wearing it! If you love the antique K, then get it. It sounds as if you and your jeweller have worked on this ring for quite a while, and he's really trying to make a sale by letting you wear it around. Just don't feel you have to go through with the transaction because he's put a lot of time into it.

If Tiffany is calling to you, I'd go glassy-eyed into the big duck-egg-blue void....

 

[trednybr]

haha smith1942 i'm so torn! I love the tiffany i just hate the size! I feel like it look so small on my hand Even the 2.6 OEC isn't as big as id love. But we would do a halo to get he finger coverage i like.

 

[trednybr]

here is the video of the OEC
http://vimeo.com/75596952

 

[Smith1942]

haha smith1942 i'm so torn! I love the tiffany i just hate the size! I feel like it look so small on my hand Even the 2.6 OEC isn't as big as id love. But we would do a halo to get he finger coverage i like.

Ah, OK. If you hate the size of the Tiffany ring then maybe it's not quite the thing for you. You shouldn't hate anything about your ring. In that case, perhaps the K is the answer, with a halo! It does look like a beautiful stone from what I can see in the pix, and whiter than I'd have thought for a K.

In terms of a halo, I wonder if you could partially mask the tint of the K by setting it in a halo with either rose gold metal or yellow gold. There have been some amazing halos on here with pale pink diamonds in rose gold metal, and something like that might look beautiful with the slight creaminess of the K, while also giving you the finger coverage.

Like this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-gorgeous-dainty-erd-rose-gold-halo-omb.191094/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-gorgeous-dainty-erd-rose-gold-halo-omb.191094/[/URL]

The stone in this link is a pear, but it's set in a pink stone halo and rose gold, and this is the colour combo I was imagining for the K diamond:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-dbl-pear-pendant-with-pink-diamond-halo.176686/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-dbl-pear-pendant-with-pink-diamond-halo.176686/[/URL]

 

[msop04]

In terms of a halo, I wonder if you could partially mask the tint of the K by setting it in a halo with either rose gold metal or yellow gold. There have been some amazing halos on here with pale pink diamonds in rose gold metal, and something like that might look beautiful with the slight creaminess of the K, while also giving you the finger coverage.

Like this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-gorgeous-dainty-erd-rose-gold-halo-omb.191094/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-gorgeous-dainty-erd-rose-gold-halo-omb.191094/[/URL]

The stone in this link is a pear, but it's set in a pink stone halo and rose gold, and this is the colour combo I was imagining for the K diamond:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-dbl-pear-pendant-with-pink-diamond-halo.176686/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-dbl-pear-pendant-with-pink-diamond-halo.176686/[/URL]

OP, unless you just want yellow or rose gold (which a lot of people do), it's not necessary if the purpose is simply to mask the K color or try to make it appear more white. If you plan on setting it in a halo (as mentioned above), just chose a setting in which the sides are not entirely exposed, and it will look even more white against the white metal.

There is a PS member (soxfan) who has a 2 ct K set in a VC Emilya halo and it looks very white. I have a 2.43 J set in WG and it definitely makes the stone appear whiter. The stone will pick up the colors of it's surroundings, so if it's set in yellow gold, it will pick up the yellow hue and reflect it, making the stone show yellow. Sometimes RG enhances the yellow in a stone. It really depends on each stone.

Here is a link to sox's beautiful ring:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/2-04-mrb-in-vc-emilya-halo.193131/

And photos of mine. Note the last photo is in bad lighting to show the "most tint" but it also shows how the stone is set lower, not exposing the sides as much...


Another thing to consider is that OEC's will appear whiter in lower color grades...

 

[trednybr]

thank you so much for this! It really helps, your ring is GORGEOUS !! And i agree, I am going to stick to platinum. From the top it's hard to see any color tint at all.

 

[msop04]

thank you so much for this! It really helps, your ring is GORGEOUS !! And i agree, I am going to stick to platinum. From the top it's hard to see any color tint at all.

Thanks! I'm glad it helped you. Your recut stone looks gorgeous and very white -- I think you will be happier with the color of the diamond set in a white metal. I'm excited to see what you choose!

To me, size is WAY more noticeable and impressive than getting a slightly whiter, much smaller stone, just to say you "have a Tiffany." They are beautiful, but not for the premium. It's only my opinion, but I'm kinda like, "Okay, it's pretty... and I've seen that exact same ring a thousand times over." Not memorable -- except maybe to your bank account. Again, just my opinion.

 

[madelise]

There's nothing wrong with the color at all, but I do notice that the table is huge and the crown is very flat-- which is not very OEC-like. The important part is that you're in love with it. How do you like it? Have you seen other OECs in person yet? Before you finalize the sale, please take some time evaluating old cuts of varying personalities. The longer I've been on PS, the pickier I get… And since you're still waffling between the T&Co vs. this guy, I worry you might regret it down the road? If I'm off base, ignore me