Advice Needed on OEC Ebay Purchase

[amaryllis]

Hi all! Long-time reader but first time poster. I'm recently engaged and have been looking for my dream ring. I love antique cuts, especially OECs, and recently decided to take a chance on an antique ring I came across on Ebay.

We are waiting for an appraisal from the seller, but if I remember correctly from the listing, the ring's specs:
carat: est. 0.8ct (I measured it as 6mm x 6.1mm)
color: l/m
clarity: si-1 (eye-clean as far as I can tell)
metal: unplated 18k white gold

My main concern is the quality of the main stone. It's from a reputable Ebay seller and looks absolutely gorgeous to me in person, but I really have very little experience judging OECs. I tried my best to get some clear close-up shots of the stone to show the facets, so my apologies for the slight blurriness.

I have a 14-day return window to decide so any thoughts or help would be very much appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[amaryllis]

Re: Advice Needed on OEC E-ring Ebay Purchase

Here are a hand shot and a side shot as well:

 

[Dreamer_D]

What did you pay?

Cut looks nice for the type. It looks like a later era transitional cut. I am betting it has a low or flattish crown and it is overall on the shallower side. But the brightness looks good and I don't see a terrible fish eye or anything so the angles look complimentary. I do see some evidence of its shallowness in the hazy circle around the inner periphery of the table, but it is not severe. Patterning is more scattered which likely works in its favour to mask the inconsistencies in the cut proportions. No glaring red flags for me cut wise if you like the look of this make!

 

[amaryllis]

Thanks for your comments, Dreamer! I agree with you on the cut more likely being later era transitional (the seller believed the ring to be from the 1930s which I think would support that idea as well). In an ideal world, I would get an OEC with perfect petal faceting, but for the size I was wanting (5.8mm+) and our current budget ($2500-$3000), I think this is a great ring.

We paid $2500 for the ring, which I thought was a fair price given that part of the appeal to me was the setting itself, but I had a hard time getting a feel for the pricing of OEC rings. I checked both Erika and Grace's sites, but everything in my taste was either over budget or would have been over budget once I factored in a setting. A couple pieces at Lang's also stood out to me, but again, way over on the budget side. Any thoughts on what we paid?

 

[MMtwo]

Hi Amaryllis,
I'm not an expert, but I think the stone looks pretty. It seems bright and clear. How does it perform? Have you taken it outside for a fire show? EDIT: Shots outside will help with clearer pictures/more detail.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Well, that price is high for eBay. The setting is nice but needs repair, so I don't think that should factor in hugely. I can't say whether you paid a fair price relative to retail. You would need a competent and qualified appraiser to determine that as it depends a lot on the true weight of the diamond and it's color and clarity. But I don t think you overpaid compared to retail value... Or I would be surprised if you had. But this is only the right ring for you if it is exactly what you want!

 

[amaryllis]

moneymeister -

Thanks for your comment! The stone seems to perform well, very lively and bright with large flashes of sparkle in direct light and seems to have almost a glow in dimmer lighting. I took another picture outside that shows the faceting a little more clearly (thanks for the tip btw):



These photos aren't quite as clear but give a better idea of the stone under different lighting circumstances:

 

[amaryllis]

Dreamer -

Thanks again for your comments! Not sure if it makes a difference or not, but the ebay seller we bought it from has a B&M presence as well (H. Moradi in La Jolla) so I assumed that accounted for their higher pricing relative to other Ebay sellers. The piece was listed for a buy it now price of $4500 and we did a best offer of $2500.

If I keep it, I would definitely look into getting the slightly pressed in corner of the setting fixed, but I find that its more noticeable to me in photos than it is in person. I likely would also get the shank beefed up to 2mm, so those are other costs I need to keep in mind.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I like these new photos, I know that seller. Overall, I think this is a good buy!

 

[RandG]

I love an ebay success story! You have a very good eye. Most important, you trusted it, took a chance and it paid off! I love seeing the diamonds performance in varying light. It's a beauty and I think the price you paid is fair. Congratulations!

 

[MarionC]

It's a very pretty OEC...
congrats!