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3ct OEC

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theladyfifi

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Messages
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I am off to view this approx 3ct OEC tomorrow and wondered if anyone can give me a few pointers on what I should be asking/ looking for. I have searched the forum about OEC but still feel very much a novice on the topic. Also , what is a rough price guide for a stone like this?

Approx 3ct
Approx h colour
Unsure of clarity - said there were marks but not visible to eye - si/ I?


Thanks in advance
image_708.jpg
 
That picture's a bit of a mess - hopefully that's just a question of focus.

I'm not an OEC expert, but two things I'd be looking for are nice, crisp facets, and good symmetry.
 
Thanks VRBeauty for your response. The picture isn't the best quality is it! I had to zoom in and crop it. I will take plenty more pictures tomorrow when I see it in person.

I am really hoping it is as nice as the jeweller says as I have been on the hunt for a vintage stone for quite some time now!
 
OEC's are much a matter of preference - especially in terms of the facet pattern. As for me, I like distinct, blocky facets that give bold flashes of fire. A small table, however is a must: anything over 58% is way too big (and the smaller the better).
 
This is what one of the trade members had to say about what she looks for in OECs she buys. So obviously that's a good place to start - that whole thread was really useful for OEC shopping imo.
Is the colour and clarity a GIA or AGS grading? Cos if it's not, it's an approximation at best. You could make an offer contingent on it being sent off to be graded (if the stone can be unmounted) and matching the jeweller's grading.
Based off what the grade comes back or is verified to be, I'd use prices across Jewels By Grace, Love Affair Diamonds and Old World Diamonds to determine what a good price for an approximately 3ct OEC - don't forget that prices generally jump at the carat mark so the weight is really very important.
But mostly you need to love the stone when you see it - it's got to sing to you. OECs are fancies, the numbers only go so far in predicting if it's a stone you will love.
Btw not remotely an expert, I just love OECs
 
You need to get a really clear photo taken top down so the stone is straight so we can see the facet pattern clearly. If I assessed the photo above I would say the stone has fish eye, the facet pattern is mush and terrible, it doesn't look eye clean at all, and the colour they have told you is probably way off. All of this could be true or it could just be a really bad out of focus photo.
 
Yeah, either the stone is a hot mess. Or the photo is. Or both.

Can't tell you either way. You need to get us better picture.
 
Good advice, thanks everyone for all your help. I have just got back from viewing the ring. It was very difficult to get any decent pictures but I will post what I did get. It certainly had a lot of fire and I couldn't detect any dark spots . I really did love this ring it was singing to me which I haven't had before. Anyway, I will you experts tell me what you think.

Clarity is approx si. There was a couple of inclusions that were visible to the eye but you really had to be looking to see them

image_723.jpgimage_722.jpgimage_721.jpgimage_720.jpg
 
Not an expert but will share my opinion. NO to this diamond. It doesn't look like an H to but seems much yellower and in the pics there are lots of black inclusions. I know the photos are magnified but still not liking it at all. And the facet pattern is not pleasing to me. Once you see more OECs online and in person you will have a better eye for what is pleasing for you and what is not. For me anyway this stone is NOT pleasing. Of course YMMV but I feel the more old cuts you look at the better you will know what you love and what you don't. And my advice is don't rush into a major purchase like this one until you have a better sense of what you find pleasing in an OEC. Good luck!
 
Hi Lady Fifi,

I personally would not buy this ring. Even though it's huge, the size/price ratio is coming at a great compromise to quality. The facet pattern is very uneven and rough (from what I can see in the pictures) and the inclusions are SUPER obvious to me - the ring must be more of an I2 (unless those black spots are dirt, which I doubt). Further, in the 'fire' pic, lots of the facets are just dead. For 10K you can get an OEC half the size that will be a million times more beautiful.

This is just my opinion, however. If you still love the stone, go for it.
 
That ring around the centre which I can see in all your photos is fish eye = a badly cut stone. Not to mention that is an I1 or an I2 in clarity ie not very clean at all, there is no way the clarity is SI, the vendor is being very liberal with their description, and the stone has lots of leakage ie parts that I can look right through in your photos. Unless its a super dooper bargain and I mean a STEAL or you love it, I would pass.
 
I would agree that stone is a BIG NO! It has fish eye which means it is too shallow and highly included to boot....like an I2. The faceting is really bad. The shallowness is causing leakage and you can see right through the stone to your skin. It just might be the ugliest OEC I've seen posted on PS. (Sorry to be so negative but you can find a better stone) Keep looking on the sights recommended for old cuts on previous posts.

Don't give up...OEC's are my favorite cut and You have come to the right place for the Old cut nuts to help you locate a better stone in your budget. Just start a new post and ask for help locating a great OEC. A well cut lower color OEC will out perform an higher color stone. Also blue florescence in a lower color can make a stone face up more white as well and can add personality to the stone as in some lighting can give the stone a blue hue.

If you go to youtube and watch Gold Old Gold's videos comparing OEC's and color you can see it happening over and over. Color has no affect on performance...and CUT is KING. Colors J, K, L... can be amazing stones and face up bright and white if they are well cut. There is a thread for old cuts on PS under "show me the bling". Also many old cut nuts own M color and love them.

I will say some OEC's don't photograph well and can be nice in person....and some that look nice in photos can be really bad. You have to see them for yourself.

Just don't give up... finding a well cut antique stones is a long process as the good ones are rare.
 
Here is an L color OEC cut to perfection:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-amazing-holy-grail-9-9mm-oec.178975/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-amazing-holy-grail-9-9mm-oec.178975/[/URL]

You can tell from a photo that the faceting is pleasing when they photograph the stone face on without tilting the stone.

What is your budget? If you want it to face up white I wouldn't go lower than J or K...maybe L but here are L and lower colors:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-warm-colored-diamonds-l-and-lower.210812/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-warm-colored-diamonds-l-and-lower.210812/[/URL]

Missy's L OEC...amazing too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9W0VGN_fGw
 
OP:

What is your most important criteria for a diamond? What drew you to this particular stone?

cheers--Sharon
 
ariel144 - Budget is around £6500/$9500. The photos really don't do anything for the stone. It looked nothing like in real life, I couldn't detect a fisheye looking at it in person , but that could just be my untrained eye?

canuk-gal - It was the size of the stone that drew me in and it really had a lot of fire in real life. The setting is also beautiful . The price is £5850/$8546.
 
No. That diamond is awful:( I would NOT buy it.
 
The photos may not be doing the stone any favors, but I can say honestly, it doesn't look good. Maybe it's so sparkly in real life that it distracts from the issues we are seeing in still photos, but there's a reason it's almost 3 carats priced for under $10k.

I'd suggest looking at more OECs within your budget, and developing an eye for the faceting that you prefer. I couple in your budget that I like:

http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/1-78ct-old-european-cut-diamond-ags-l-vs2/

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/2-01-to-3-00/2-20ct-old-european-cut-diamond-ags-n-si2#.VyY5L6MrKRs
 
I have to agree with other posters that this stone would be a "no" for me. My favorite thing about old cuts is how the faceting pattern can look like a snowflake/quilt. Unfortunately this diamond does not have pleasing faceting (to my eye), and the clarity is definitely not SI1. Of course you have to love the stone, so if it speaks to you and you love it even after seeing other OECs that are "better", then definitely go for it. I think the biggest concern here is that maybe you haven't seen enough OECs to know how amazing they can look--just make sure to buy after being well informed about what is out there :)
 
Well, if you like it, that is the most important thing! I honestly don't think it's that bad, but I'm in the minority. Still, it doesn't really matter what we think because you seem to really like it and it fits your budget, plus offers a lot of size.
 
I also would keep looking - I suspect that ring is not going anywhere fast.

It's not easy to tell much from the photos (which are a vast improvement over the first one you posted!) but I suspect that is an old mine cut stone rather than an OEC. What would make me say that? It's the apparent lack of symmetry and the lack of a discernable facet pattern.

I also think the many inclusions will become more obvious to you in time... possibly as soon as you walk away from the store's bright lights.

I realize that you are getting a very big stone for your money, and that is worth considering as well. But I hope that you'll give yourself the opportunity to see more OECs in person before committing so much money to a diamond that you'll be wearing for many years.
 
I know I'm in the minority, but I think it's a charming stone. It looks old and like it has history. I like that. Choosing an old cut is such a personal thing, and I heard you say that it "sang to you." That counts for a lot. I would just caution you to look around at all different facet patterns for OECs (in person if you can) to get to know what your preferences are. A lot of people like symmetry and flowery facets. Some like really large culets and a bit of wonkiness. It's a matter of preference although these factors impact performance. If you've already done research into what you like and this ring checks your boxes, our opinions don't matter! Are the inclusions something that bother you in person? I have a diamond with a semi-visible inclusion, and it doesn't bother me at all. The sparkle really covers that up anyhow.
 
rubybeth, Mayk - thank you for your advice and recommendations, they all look to be beautiful stones.

ihy138 - that is exactly how I felt about it today, lots of history and that is what appeals to me the most with old stones. The inclusions didn't bother me as only two of them were visible and even then you had to be looking extremely closely to notice them. I will try and post a couple more pictures but it really was very difficult to get a decent picture of any kind at the store as the stone was picking up colours from everywhere and my camera wouldn't focus!
 
ihy138 - that is exactly how I felt about it today, lots of history and that is what appeals to me the most with old stones. The inclusions didn't bother me as only two of them were visible and even then you had to be looking extremely closely to notice them. I will try and post a couple more pictures but it really was very difficult to get a decent picture of any kind at the store as the stone was picking up colours from everywhere and my camera wouldn't focus![/quote]



It is fascinating! What did the vendor tell you about this stone--did it come with a "story"? Original papers or anything that might give you a clue to the ring's history?

cheers--Sharon
 
canuk-gal - the owner of the shop wasn't in at the time and the girl helping me didn't seem to know. I am going to ring the owner tomorrow and ask about the known history of it.
 
Regardless of the cut, I wouldn't even consider buying it or any diamond without an accurate grading report. If they are not telling you the clarity is I1 or lower, I would steer very clear of that jeweler because they are not being honest. A two carat OEC with better cut and clarity would be a million times more desirable. I wouldn't consider spending $8500 on it. You will have a hard time reselling it later as I1 stone are very hard to sell especially when the cut isn't great either.
 
Yes,the diamond is big, but it's a hot mess. And being that large and that bad just makes it more obvious. The only way I would even CONSIDER that stone is if was a candidate for a recut. And for that you would need an inclusion plot and cert. Even then, it would have to be a STEAL. And the setting is the star, not the diamond. I actually love that setting. These ladies can find you a killer stone and one of the vendors can make that setting.

Let these ladies find you something you will love and cherish. Tell them your budget and let them hunt for you. But please please please don't settle. :)
 
soxfan|1462148384|4026004 said:
Yes,the diamond is big, but it's a hot mess. And being that large and that bad just makes it more obvious.
Click to expand...


Yeah. This. Hot mess. No WAY would I buy it.
 
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