Cushion question and photo for Diagem, Boston_Jeff, elmo and other old mine cushion lovers, please

[pixley]

Hello - firstly, THANK YOU for all the cushion threads you've attended to over the past year! I've learned lots and it's enabled me to approach my search with a nice base of background education. I've received a photo of a cushion that meets almost all my needs with the exception that it has a larger table and slightly less depth than I would've hoped for.

Stats:
1.01 carat
F/VS1
Depth: 62%
Table: 63%
6.5 x 5.7 (L/W ratio: 1:1.14)
Girdle: slightly thick to thick
Pol/Symm: VG/VG
Crown angles are greater than 40 degrees
No fluor
Culet: small

Would you have any concerns based on the attached photo - or could you suggest any questions that I should ask the vendor? My immediate concern is that the stone not have a fisheye effect and he says that it does not. It does have an indented natural at 3:00 o'clock which I am asking a third party vendor to inspect, along with the confirmation that it does not have a fisheye. Any other advice as to what to ask would be greatly appreciated.

Many many thanks,
Pix

 

[pixley]

Bumping this and praying that one of the resident antique cushion types can weigh in. For a bit of context, this is likely an antique stone that has undergone a bit of a facelift (re-polished/re-cut) for resale to high-end trade market.

(I feel a bit like my border collie with a tennis ball, but the diamond will be en route from NYC to Toronto within the week and if there are any red flags, I'd love to get some feedback.)

 

[Rhino]

Hi pixley,

Photos can sometimes be deceptive and black backgrounds aren''t my favorite for observing pix of diamonds against. While depth % appears to be ok it appears like there is a huge reflection of the girdle under the table akin to what is commonly known as a "fish eye". If that is the case I would proceed with caution and first have the diamond sent to a reputable appraiser like Neil Beatty, Rich Sherwood or Dave Atlas to confirm before having it shipped over the border. I would be curious to see a 3d model on this one or perhaps some kind of reflector type image preferably ASET.

Regards,

 

[diagem]

Date: 2/5/2008 2:49:26 PM
Author:pixley

Hello - firstly, THANK YOU for all the cushion threads you''ve attended to over the past year! I''ve learned lots and it''s enabled me to approach my search with a nice base of background education. I''ve received a photo of a cushion that meets almost all my needs with the exception that it has a larger table and slightly less depth than I would''ve hoped for.

Stats:
1.01 carat
F/VS1
Depth: 62%
Table: 63%
6.5 x 5.7 (L/W ratio: 1:1.14)
Girdle: slightly thick to thick
Pol/Symm: VG/VG
Crown angles are greater than 40 degrees
No fluor
Culet: small

Would you have any concerns based on the attached photo - or could you suggest any questions that I should ask the vendor? My immediate concern is that the stone not have a fisheye effect and he says that it does not. It does have an indented natural at 3:00 o''clock which I am asking a third party vendor to inspect, along with the confirmation that it does not have a fisheye. Any other advice as to what to ask would be greatly appreciated.


Many many thanks,
Pix

Hi, its hard to see based on this specific pic. Either get a straight face up picture (no tilt) or:

It looks like (based on the TD%) the pavilion angle might be a bit too shallow as it reflects (it seems to me based on this pic.) the girdle.
And it does so because the table is too large for this combination of PA and table%.

All Old Cuts have their own character and beauty..., it mainly depends on your personal taste..., but make sure its a genuine Old Cut!

 

[pauly1]

Pretty stone! Is this acutally an older stone, or just cut to look like one? Good luck, I know how difficult it must be to find.

 

[pixley]

Hi guys,
Thanks for the feedback. I too, see what looks like the girdle reflection under the table. I will definitely ask for a better photo and see if I can get an ASET image before I give the green light for it to come out west. From what I gather, this is a genuine old cut that''s been "refreshed" a bit.

 

[diagem]

Date: 2/6/2008 10:11:18 AM
Author: pixley
Hi guys,
Thanks for the feedback. I too, see what looks like the girdle reflection under the table. I will definitely ask for a better photo and see if I can get an ASET image before I give the green light for it to come out west. From what I gather, this is a genuine old cut that''s been ''refreshed'' a bit.

While you''re at it..., ask them what kind of "refreshed" has it been through?

 

[pixley]

Will do! That was my euphemism for "re-cut".

 

[elmo]

The photo and recutting aren''t promising but you need to be looking at stones in person. Then when you see a good one it will be obvious. So hard to find nice antiques and reproductions to look at in person though.

 

[pixley]

I know - it would be so much easier to stand in front of a line-up and just pick the winner. None of my local vendors have had any luck bringing them in. There are other options from this source, but I prefer the L/W ratio of this particular stone, along with the color and size. Regarding the "re-cut" issue, I don''t know for sure whether this is a re-cut, but will ask. I was thinking it was due to the larger table and less depth.