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On the hunt for an OEC/OMC/AVC

Mina-Lo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
120
Hello hello,

I've always admired old cuts but have never been in the market until now.

My grandma left me some money and I'm tossing up between a grey spinel ring or an old cut to be made into a pendant. Who am I kidding, I'll probably end up buying both, my husband just doesnt know it yet! :lol: There's somethingabout those chunky facets that I love.

The only place I know to find old cuts is jewels by grace. I might be out of line here, isn't she a tad expensive? Or I might be mistaken.

My budget is just over $2000USD for the diamond. Im in Australia =)2
Am I barking mad to think I could get something in the .80 range?
I would like to get a stone that doesn't face up too small, performs well and not past a K in colour if possible.

Is this a good option? Any red flags?
https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/0-86ct-old-european-cut-gia-k-si2
 

elizat

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
4,000
You can for sure.

I actually have a stone from Grace set in a necklace well in your budget.

https://loupetroop.com/listings/nec...le-83-diamond-bezel-pendant-old-mine-cut-14kt

Ivy and Rose has good prices as well at times. A transitional cut, once set, will try to look more like a round brilliant though.

Sin City Finds gets a lot of stuff in that price range. You can email Diana and ask if you just want a loose stone as well.
 
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Mina-Lo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
120
You can for sure.

I actually have a stone from Grace set in a necklace well in your budget.

https://loupetroop.com/listings/nec...le-83-diamond-bezel-pendant-old-mine-cut-14kt

Ivy and Rose has good prices as well at times. A transitional cut, once set, will try to look more like a round brilliant though.

Sin City Finds gets a lot of stuff in that price range. You can email Diana and ask if you just want a loose stone as well.

Thanks for replying, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on a transitional cut will appear like a modern brilliant once set. Do you mean in a bezel setting or any setting? Have you noticed it with your pendant?
 

elizat

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
4,000
My pendant is an omc. It's still very visibly an old cut.

A transitional has a teeny tiny culet usually. You tend not to see it when set. Or I don't. The faceting is much more in line with a modern stone. It's the predecessor to the modern round. You don't have big chunky facets. Some are very checkerboard looking which is pretty, but light reaction is different when compared to the large faceting of older stones.
 

Mina-Lo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
120
My pendant is an omc. It's still very visibly an old cut.

A transitional has a teeny tiny culet usually. You tend not to see it when set. Or I don't. The faceting is much more in line with a modern stone. It's the predecessor to the modern round. You don't have big chunky facets. Some are very checkerboard looking which is pretty, but light reaction is different when compared to the large faceting of older stones.

I agree, but my interpretation is that a transitional cut is the best of both worlds, a similar appearance of an OEC (still chunky facets) but with better cutting technology like the modern brilliant. I know the placement of the facets changed. I thought a transitional would perform better than oec in terms of brilliance and fire?
 

elizat

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
4,000
It's preference. I prefer an omc over a transitional any day of the week. I prefer larger chunky facets without an organized pattern per se. I am not a fan of modern rounds though, so a stone that starts to skew to that is not for me. Everyone has different preferences- no right or wrong!

I don't mind that my stones may not have the best light performance as compared to a newer cut. I like the history and wondering who had them.

If you want a chunkier facet pattern with ideal cutting, look at August Vintage. I think they are lovely, but personally for me, I prefer an actual old stone versus the look.
 

ForteKitty

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 7, 2004
Messages
5,239
Totally doable. I have a GIA 0.96 K VS2 slightly cushiony oec for $2500 if you're interested. I took some pictures to list on LT last week but didn't realize how horrible my dry skin looked with sunblock so I was too embarrassed to post, but message me on IG or LT and I can send them.

Re: transitional cut, it really depends on the cut. Some look like mrb with longer arrows and a tiny culet, some look like checkerboard, some look like oec but with slightly thinner under-table facets... they're all over the place. My personal preference is table between ~42-49% and depth 62-65%. Any shallower and you tend to come across some fisheye/girdle reflection issues (although not always depending on actual angles), and the table size is just a personal preference.
 

Mina-Lo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
120
Totally doable. I have a GIA 0.96 K VS2 slightly cushiony oec for $2500 if you're interested. I took some pictures to list on LT last week but didn't realize how horrible my dry skin looked with sunblock so I was too embarrassed to post, but message me on IG or LT and I can send them.

Re: transitional cut, it really depends on the cut. Some look like mrb with longer arrows and a tiny culet, some look like checkerboard, some look like oec but with slightly thinner under-table facets... they're all over the place. My personal preference is table between ~42-49% and depth 62-65%. Any shallower and you tend to come across some fisheye/girdle reflection issues (although not always depending on actual angles), and the table size is just a personal preference.

Do you mind posting some photos of your OEC please ForteKitty?
 

ForteKitty

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 7, 2004
Messages
5,239
diamond box 1.jpg diamond box 2.jpg

I'll probably list it this weekend after taking some new pictures. The pictures I have are too embarrassing to post in public... I'm holding the diamond and it looks like I have sunblock caked into scales.

ETA: I found these on my phone from way back. The .96 cushiony oec is the K on the far right column, third one down. The sideways picture distorts the shape and they're all kinda facing the camera differently so it's hard to see the pattern. In the vertical picture you can see the bottom of the box's color was also distorted and probably reflecting my beige walls, but that's the best I can do for now. Those on the other end aren't that yellow irl!
 
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Mina-Lo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
120
Firstly, wowsa! You have so many gorgeous diamonds! I'm blown away.

Just to confirm, its the circled one in the photos below?

upload_2019-8-22_11-20-30.png
upload_2019-8-22_11-21-15.png

What are the stats and spread of the diamond please?
 

Mina-Lo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
120
I've found quite a few I like the look of on ivy and rose, but they only provide one photo. I've asked for videos but what they sent shows the diamond from afar.

Are there specific stats I should be looking for to maximise fire or can I only go by how each one looks in person?
 

Lovesparklesparle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
495
Hello hello,

I've always admired old cuts but have never been in the market until now.

My grandma left me some money and I'm tossing up between a grey spinel ring or an old cut to be made into a pendant. Who am I kidding, I'll probably end up buying both, my husband just doesnt know it yet! :lol: There's somethingabout those chunky facets that I love.

The only place I know to find old cuts is jewels by grace. I might be out of line here, isn't she a tad expensive? Or I might be mistaken.

My budget is just over $2000USD for the diamond. Im in Australia =)2
Am I barking mad to think I could get something in the .80 range?
I would like to get a stone that doesn't face up too small, performs well and not past a K in colour if possible.

Is this a good option? Any red flags?
https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/0-86ct-old-european-cut-gia-k-si2


Just remember the extra costs associated with importing stuff. GST, customs brokerage, insurance and postage.
 

Mina-Lo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
120
Just remember the extra costs associated with importing stuff. GST, customs brokerage, insurance and postage.

Thanks Lovesparklesparle, I've purchased diamond earrings through whiteflash before.

What's your take on the above stones?
 

Lovesparklesparle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
495
Initial impressions, I like the jewels by grace stone by far. However really need to see them in action so if you can get a comparison video from ivy and rose it would be more telling. They do have a good reputation.
 

ForteKitty

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 7, 2004
Messages
5,239

Absolutely not on the 0.83 H SI1. Maybe .88, but i'd like a video or more pictures. 0.89 has a weird cloud looking inclusion around 5 o'clock that i'm not too keen on. .91's cut is meh. Grace's stone has nice pattern but my eyes keep going to the inclusions. It doesn't look bad in the plot for seems to reflect around quite a bit. Keep in mind EGL colors are 1-2 grades lower than GIA usually, so that affects pricing.
 

Mina-Lo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
120
@ForteKitty
Thank you so much for responding, you've helped me tremendously, thank you.

I have the same thoughts about the inclusions in Grace's stone, but the videos/photos are VERY close up and I don't think the inclusions will be as noticable in real life. That stone seems so firey and to perform so well, don't you think?
And the faceting is beautiful.

I'll ask Ivy & Rose for more photos on the .88ct and report back :D
 

Lovesparklesparle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
495
D3E9D5F5-3136-4A42-B5F8-3DC45DF21284.png I have always like this one. I was seriously considering myself a while back but I ended up going bigger
 

Rfisher

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 19, 2013
Messages
5,487
@ForteKitty

I have the same thoughts about the inclusions in Grace's stone, but the videos/photos are VERY close up and I don't think the inclusions will be as noticable in real life.
And the faceting is beautiful.
If you feel inclined to go for this one- I can see why!- but ask for handshots a bit further away first to see if the (same) facet patterning is still apparent. The stone I brought in from her didn't - the camera shots were so close it focused on a depth in the stone that the eye doesn’t reproduce - making the facet pattern look totally different.

I don’t mind the inclusions in the si2, I’d rather a better cut stone than higher clarity.
This is important for you to figure out- your ‘must haves’ and ‘would likes’. Or if you need a ‘perfect all around’.
 

Rfisher

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 19, 2013
Messages
5,487
Absolutely not on the 0.83 H SI1. Maybe .88, but i'd like a video or more pictures. 0.89 has a weird cloud looking inclusion around 5 o'clock that i'm not too keen on. .91's cut is meh. Grace's stone has nice pattern but my eyes keep going to the inclusions. It doesn't look bad in the plot for seems to reflect around quite a bit. Keep in mind EGL colors are 1-2 grades lower than GIA usually, so that affects pricing.

Please expand on why you think ‘absolutely not on the .83’.
Is it something concrete like a flaw or something personal taste like culet size/facet patterning?
OP is (I’m assuming) learning what she likes and dislikes from how to interpret the pictures.
Your advice is invaluable due to the amount you’ve seen IRL, and I know I would appreciate it if I were in OP’s position.
 

Lovesparklesparle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
495
The third video on grace’s stone looks pretty good. More videos and hand shots in a ring holder in diffused light would be ideal. But I think it’s a gorgeous make.
 

Lovesparklesparle

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
495
If you feel inclined to go for this one- I can see why!- but ask for handshots a bit further away first to see if the (same) facet patterning is still apparent. The stone I brought in from her didn't - the camera shots were so close it focused on a depth in the stone that the eye doesn’t reproduce - making the facet pattern look totally different.


This is important for you to figure out- your ‘must haves’ and ‘would likes’. Or if you need a ‘perfect all around’.


So true. When buying overseas especially you need to see the stone in a similar environment to which you will be mostly viewing it in day to day life. Super close up shots have great value, but ultimately what your eye will see when it’s on your hand is the most important factor in my opinion. A nice macro shot doesn’t necessarily translate to your finger, and a terrible macro may be actually be stunning.
 
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