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Where to buy an antique cushion - LM, GOG, or ERD?

Cushman55

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From reading the various posts on Pricescope, it appears as though the 3 best vendors to buy antique cushions from are Leon Mege, Good Old Gold, and Engagement Rings Direct. Can anyone tell me what differentiates these vendors from each other? Has anyone had questionable experiences when acquiring diamonds from these vendors? From doing a quick query of each vendor's website, it appears as though GOG has the higher prices...is GOG more selective with the quality of cut of their stones? Looking at Leon Mege's website, it appears as though all of the cushions listed are modified brilliant...does LM have an adequate selection of high quality antique cushions as well?

Thanks everyone for your help. I have found this website to be extremely informative.
 

diamondseeker2006

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Good Old Gold has cushions cut by a gifted cutter in antique style for maximum light return, so they often will beat out old stones in symmetry and light performance. I absolutely would LOVE to have one of these stones, and in fact, I just bought two of the August Vintage rounds (OEC's) for earrings!

You may get lucky and find an old stone in fine condition, but it is hard to judge light return unless the seller has the equipment to show it.
 

slg47

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I think most of those vendors have antique style cushions, but not true antiques. GOG has higher prices but will provide you with ASET, Sarin, DiamXray, magnified pics, videos, etc...so you really get all of the information up front. They also carry their branded antique style cushion that is cut for optimized light return. I think ERD provides video and ASET on request, and LM will not provide any of these. MissyDebby has purchased from both GOG and LM and wrote a review of her experiences (maybe try to find her post?)

If you want a true antique, maybe try Jewels by Erica Grace?
 

noviceinneedofhelp

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LM specializes in the antique cushion cuts.... they have multiple in stock and their website is only a small sample of what they have in inventroy. Just purchased one from Perry (his diamond guy) a few weeks ago. Was a great process and I feel like a good buy. Can't comment on the others. Sorry.
 

CharmyPoo

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I have worked with all three vendors.

GOG: More selective in cuts and the designer of the August Vintage. If you want an August Vintage, they are your only option. You will be well equipped with all the techy tools and assessments. They generally come with a slightly higher price tag but will price match for online virtual stones. I purchased a 1.7 ct E VS1 AVC from GOG.

Leon: Best prices for generic chunky cushion. They can provide a photo but none of the techy details. They offer the best prices from what I have seen. Makes it super easy if you are also using Leon for your setting. I had 3 rings made by Leon and have seen a range of his diamonds. I had already purchased 2 stones prior to Leon starting to offer stones.

ERD: One of their main generic chunky cushion supplier is the same supplier as Leon Mege / Perry Chen. I find their prices to be a bit higher than Leon but lower than GOG. I have been satisfied with Mark's customer service. They now offer videos and ASET. I purchased a 1.5 ct G VS1 8 Main Modern Cushion from ERD. They were unable to have a chunky cushion that met my requirements.
 

CharmyPoo

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Double posted :saint:
 

SB621

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If you would like a true antique cushion i would check out jewels by erica grace, dover jewelry, and NY Estate Jewelers and Singlestone.
 

greenmoose

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I'm curious about this question as well.

What are people's thoughts on the difference between the ERD "A Cut Beyond" cushions, which appear to be cushion brilliant/old mine brilliant and honestly look beautiful (online) and the absolutely stunning and beautiful GOG August Vintage Cushions? Both are cushion brilliant/old mine brilliant cuts but beyond that I'll admit my own lack of knowledge.....

Cheers
 

Gypsy

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greenmoose|1296602136|2839871 said:
I'm curious about this question as well.

What are people's thoughts on the difference between the ERD "A Cut Beyond" cushions, which appear to be cushion brilliant/old mine brilliant and honestly look beautiful (online) and the absolutely stunning and beautiful GOG August Vintage Cushions? Both are cushion brilliant/old mine brilliant cuts but beyond that I'll admit my own lack of knowledge.....

Cheers

With cushions a lot depends on what look appeals to you. If both appeal to you, then you can reach out to both vendors and see what the options are in your price range and size. After that you can start getting into the actual performanc of the individual stones, and we will be thrilled to help you evaluate the individual stones based on our experience and help you pick out a good preformer.

Do you know how you are going to set the stone yet? I only ask because there maybe a little politics going on with Leon being well, finicky, about whose stones he sets as he has recently decided that he doesn't care for having competition on selling diamonds.
 

kenny

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Good Old Gold.
August Vintage Cushion!
The best of the best.

Leon Mege's insulting attitude towards many customers . . .
The worst of the worst.
 

diamondseeker2006

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The thing that sets the August Vintage stones apart is that they are cut for maximum light performance. I think they are just beautiful and the information provided on them totally takes the guesswork out of the equation. One of those is at the top of my wishlist!
 

hellokitty6782

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kenny|1296603599|2839905 said:
Good Old Gold.
August Vintage Cushion!
The best of the best.

Leon Mege's insulting attitude towards many customers . . .
The worst of the worst.

Comments like this can be offensive to people who have purchased generic antique cushions, and not AVC. That's a lot of diamonds that are being insulted as not being the best of the best.
 

kenny

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hellokitty6782|1296604216|2839922 said:
kenny|1296603599|2839905 said:
Good Old Gold.
August Vintage Cushion!
The best of the best.

Leon Mege's insulting attitude towards many customers . . .
The worst of the worst.

Comments like this can be offensive to people who have purchased generic antique cushions, and not AVC. That's a lot of diamonds that are being insulted as not being the best of the best.

No intention to offend.
 

hellokitty6782

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Excuse me? Wow, not sure how you read my comment, but yes, I see how childish you can be.
 

kenny

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I edited.
Sorry, I have no intention to offend.

The AVC look to me to be the best of the best.
How anyone can see that as an insult escapes me.
It is ooooooooooooooooooooooobvously just an opinion.
Gimme a break!
 

kenny

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I bought a generic asscher.
If someone posted that Royal Asscher is the best of the best . . . no problem.

It ain't science.
It's just opinions.
No biggie.
 

Imdanny

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hellokitty6782|1296604216|2839922 said:
kenny|1296603599|2839905 said:
Good Old Gold.
August Vintage Cushion!
The best of the best.

Leon Mege's insulting attitude towards many customers . . .
The worst of the worst.

Comments like this can be offensive to people who have purchased generic antique cushions, and not AVC. That's a lot of diamonds that are being insulted as not being the best of the best.

The man's comment is "offensive" because he stated his opinion? Please. He could have said the same thing about any branded stone and it wouldn't be an "insult" to any and all of the other diamonds of a similar shape. Wow, even I'm beginning to believe that people really need to relax around here.
 

Cehrabehra

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I wouldn't go to any of them for an "antique" cushion. I'd go to singlestone or jbeg.

If I wanted, no needed, the Leon mege Adventure complete with setting I'd go there.

August Vintage cushions are unique and special and if those attracted me there is only one place to go...gog.

Everything else I'd go to mark.
 

Cehrabehra

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I dont have an avc and I'm not offended by kennys comment... To each their own, they're just opinions.
 

diamondseeker2006

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Yes, just like one could have the opinion that H&A stones are the best of the best of rounds. I do have one, but I also just helped my son-in-law buy a diamond for my daughter that was AGS Excellent (because polish was excellent and the other 2 were ideal, a great buy!). I don't think my first sentence insults my daughter's diamond!

Those who desire the most perfect symmetry and light performance are just going to find it easier to choose from AVC's. Sure there are other great cushions out there, but the work is a lot harder to find one that would equal an AVC.
 

greenmoose

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greenmoose|1296602136|2839871 said:
I'm curious about this question as well.

What are people's thoughts on the difference between the ERD "A Cut Beyond" cushions, which appear to be cushion brilliant/old mine brilliant and honestly look beautiful (online) and the absolutely stunning and beautiful GOG August Vintage Cushions? Both are cushion brilliant/old mine brilliant cuts but beyond that I'll admit my own lack of knowledge.....

Cheers

In regards to the original question after a bit of stray off the path?
 

slg47

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greenmoose|1296732947|2841702 said:
greenmoose|1296602136|2839871 said:
I'm curious about this question as well.

What are people's thoughts on the difference between the ERD "A Cut Beyond" cushions, which appear to be cushion brilliant/old mine brilliant and honestly look beautiful (online) and the absolutely stunning and beautiful GOG August Vintage Cushions? Both are cushion brilliant/old mine brilliant cuts but beyond that I'll admit my own lack of knowledge.....

Cheers

In regards to the original question after a bit of stray off the path?

these appear to be very nice, and all of them have video which is really helpful. However, without proper ASET setup, it is hard to compare directly to an AVC.
 

Lekde

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Having a true antique OMC/cushion myself, it's funny to hear people refer to "generic antiques" which is, in my opinion, an oxy moron. Antiques are anything but generic, so much so that finding similar shaped, cut, dimentions of an antique diamond is harder than with an AVC (IMO). I have nothing against GOG AVC, just the opposite actually - they're gorgeous, but if you're in the market for a true antique cushion, go to JbEG, Old World Diamonds, or Singlestone.

Best of luck!
 

Rhino

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Lekde|1296758069|2841990 said:
Having a true antique OMC/cushion myself, it's funny to hear people refer to "generic antiques" which is, in my opinion, an oxy moron. Antiques are anything but generic, so much so that finding similar shaped, cut, dimentions of an antique diamond is harder than with an AVC (IMO). I have nothing against GOG AVC, just the opposite actually - they're gorgeous, but if you're in the market for a true antique cushion, go to JbEG, Old World Diamonds, or Singlestone.

Best of luck!

Hi Lekde,

There is truth but also a little misconception in your wording. Please allow me to expound. While it is true that genuine antiques are more of a rarity than modern pieces are, the dimensions/proportions/geometry that antique stones are cut to isn't. The same rule of thumb that applied back then is predominatly still in practice today. Conserve the most weight possible and cut out the most obvious flaws. Cutting diamonds to prevent light leakage and/or to grab light from a 45-75 degree angular spectrum weren't on the minds of these cutters. Electricity was not yet invented and candlelight was the source of illumination. Large facet structures were the norm back then so we have seen a major transition in modern times to a more splintery facet structure but the cutting houses which are still cutting vintage stuff (and they are few) are generally keeping in line with ancient cutting techniques. I see this consistently from our antique resources and even today's cutting houses that continue in the tradition of cutting the vintage facet structure. Conserving weight still rules. We even see it in the round genre as well with GIA Ex's pushing the cusp, although the Ex grade does represent a certain boundary.

Hope that helps.

Kind regards,
 

kenny

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Doesn't branded mean each one is cut to an optimized narrow window of the brand's proportions, and generic . . . not so?

That does not mean a generic can not also happen to be cut to proportions that result in excellent light performance - but buying a good branded cut is a way to ensure it.
 

LGK

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I think the slight premium for Good Old Gold's AVCs is worth it, if you're looking for an antique STYLE cushion. The customer service, the proof they provide of excellent light performance, the consistency of the cut quality, the upgrade policies... definitely worth paying a little more for IMO. They'd be my top rec.
 

Rockdiamond

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kenny|1296767087|2842131 said:
Doesn't branded mean each one is cut to an optimized narrow window of the brand's proportions, and generic . . . not so?

That does not mean a generic can not also happen to be cut to proportions that result in excellent light performance - but buying a good branded cut is a way to ensure it.

This is a good point Kenny.
IN fact, an older cushion can be equal to newer cushions in terms of light return, or performance- branded or not.
Many older cushions are equal in terms of performance to branded stones- as are many newer non branded ones.
 

LGK

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Rockdiamond|1296768836|2842162 said:
kenny|1296767087|2842131 said:
Doesn't branded mean each one is cut to an optimized narrow window of the brand's proportions, and generic . . . not so?

That does not mean a generic can not also happen to be cut to proportions that result in excellent light performance - but buying a good branded cut is a way to ensure it.

This is a good point Kenny.
IN fact, an older cushion can be equal to newer cushions in terms of light return, or performance- branded or not.
Many older cushions are equal in terms of performance to branded stones- as are many newer non branded ones.
For sure. Some people can really enjoy the hunt for such things too- other people, not so much :bigsmile: (Personally I love the search for the needle-in-a-haystack treasures like amazingly well cut antique stones, etc.)
 

Rockdiamond

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LGK said:
Rockdiamond|1296768836|2842162 said:
kenny|1296767087|2842131 said:
Doesn't branded mean each one is cut to an optimized narrow window of the brand's proportions, and generic . . . not so?

That does not mean a generic can not also happen to be cut to proportions that result in excellent light performance - but buying a good branded cut is a way to ensure it.

This is a good point Kenny.
IN fact, an older cushion can be equal to newer cushions in terms of light return, or performance- branded or not.
Many older cushions are equal in terms of performance to branded stones- as are many newer non branded ones.
For sure. Some people can really enjoy the hunt for such things too- other people, not so much :bigsmile: (Personally I love the search for the needle-in-a-haystack treasures like amazingly well cut antique stones, etc.)
True that LGK- some people do love the hunt.
But I don't know that it's fair to use the term "needle in a haystack" about well cut antique cushions.
In general older stones are more difficult to find- but the aspects people love about these cuts- like large chunky facets are not that hard to find in the pool of old stones that do exist. Or the modern stones cut to resemble the older stones.
 

Rhino

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Hey Dave,

How are ya man?

"Needle in the haystack" is relevant to the gemologists definition and what he considers to be a needle in the haystack. One appraiser may look at a bunch of vintage faceted cushions and conclude they are all basically the same. Ie. Wide facet design = big flash.

Another appraiser will look at the same crop of diamonds and see appearances ranging from watery crushed ice, to moderate brightness to high brightness with the nature of the reflections varying from small to medium to broad. It depends on how far or how detailed you want to take your analysis with regards to serving your client.

If a person isn't picky about the particular optics of individual cushions and are just looking for a certain facet structure then you have a fairly easy search and inexpensive hunt. If they are though, and if they are looking for diamonds in the 10k range and you source in diamonds from around the country you're talking roughly $100 per diamond on a round trip ticket and the hunt becomes a very expensive one. It's a fun hunt for the one who isnt' paying for the shipping. :tongue:

For the type of cushions I was hunting down it became more practical for me to create a brand than spend hundreds and thousands acquiring diamonds around the world that didn't live up to what I truly wanted.

Beauty is in the eye though.

Peace,
 
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