Do you have a photo of OEC next to RB?

[ButterBean]

Hi all,
After wanting and having only RB thruout life (lots of years) I am now considering a European cut for my ering. I have learned quite a bit about modern cutting here at PS and have seen some photos of the OEC look, too. What would be helpful is to see a side by side comparison, if possible. My problem is that locally, the estate buyers don''t usually have them, and the couple stones that I saw, didn''t appear to be very good quality. So, if anyone has well-performing stones of BOTH styles, could I trouble you to take a photo for me? I have been told that I really need to see them in person, so I keep trying to do that as well. TIA! - BB

 

[strmrdr]

The problem is a picture wont show the real difference as the real difference is when they are moving.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 11/20/2008 1:45:32 PM
Author: strmrdr
The problem is a picture wont show the real difference as the real difference is when they are moving.

DITTO. Pictures won''t do them justice.

 

[LGK]

I Glitterata did some nice side-by-side photos of some different cuts like OEC, transition, and RB. Of course, like both Neat & Storm have said, any pics of OECs vs. RBs are of very limited use.

If you truly can''t find an OEC in person- a nice one- the only other thing I can think would be to maybe just buy & return one from OldWorldDiamonds.com- their return policy is good and if you were upfront about what you wanted to see and what you were doing, I would suspect Adam would be quite willing to send one to you to look at. A hassle, but I don''t think you can really make a decision to buy one without seeing one in person.

If your GF or you is into the colorless range of diamonds, you might want to lean towards a RB. Colorless OECs are hard to find, and command a premium in fact.

Hunting for an OEC can be a bit difficult- they are like fancy cuts, judging by the numbers can be impossible, and eyeballing them is very important- if not you, then a trusted vendor is helpful. Also many are uncerted, or if they have a cert, it''s EGL. Thus, a good indepentant appraiser with familiarity with antique diamonds is your friend.The HCA tool can be of limited use, though it always seems to gripe about open culets... but some OECs will score well on it if you ignore the open culet thing. Still, plenty that are beauties are not going to score well on it, so it isn''t that helpful. I think it''s the sort of thing that if you find an OEC that scores well on the HCA, it''s very likely to be beautiful, but if it doesn''t score well, that doesn''t tell you anything at all about it. Though, I tend to judge them pretty loosely on the net by depth and table percentage. I like depths around 60-63% and tables in the low to mid 50s (or smaller). (Not of course hard and fast rules, but if you have only a few numbers you gotta weed them out somehow, and it''s a good guess that a shallow OEC with a 55% depth is not gonna be as pretty as it could be.)

JewelsbyEricaGrace.com has some nice antique diamonds- they handpick for performance, which is really helpful for those who don''t want to weed through pages of slush to find a few possibilities.

 

[ericad]

Some vendors offer inspection periods, so if you find one who has a nice OEC in your price range, you may want to buy it on inspection, then take it with you to some local shops and compare to modern RBs. Just beware the sales pitch! The sales person will be highly motivated to talk you into whatever they are selling. If you prefer the old cut, don''t let them sway you Alternately, for a quickie comparison, you could compare it to the RB diamonds at a place like Costco - may not be of the cut caliber you''ll ultimately end up with (I have no clue what type of stones they sell) but is a good place to see if your eye prefers antique or modern faceting, and no sales person to tangle with.

Once you have a chance to compare, decide which one you love more and the old cut can be sent back for refund as long as you''re within your inspection period. At worst, the experiment will cost you the round trip shipping. Just make sure you are dealing with a reputable antique seller who understands your intentions.

 

[ButterBean]

Date: 11/20/2008 2:09:31 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 11/20/2008 1:45:32 PM
Author: strmrdr
The problem is a picture wont show the real difference as the real difference is when they are moving.

DITTO. Pictures won''t do them justice.

I do believe you and appreciate your take on it, storm and neatfreak. When I saw the 2 I did, I couldn''t tell whether they were not good quality stones, or it was the normal difference in appearance that they all would have.

 

[ButterBean]

Date: 11/20/2008 2:49:41 PM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
I Glitterata did some nice side-by-side photos of some different cuts like OEC, transition, and RB. Of course, like both Neat & Storm have said, any pics of OECs vs. RBs are of very limited use.

If you truly can''t find an OEC in person- a nice one- the only other thing I can think would be to maybe just buy & return one from OldWorldDiamonds.com- their return policy is good and if you were upfront about what you wanted to see and what you were doing, I would suspect Adam would be quite willing to send one to you to look at. A hassle, but I don''t think you can really make a decision to buy one without seeing one in person.

If your GF or you is into the colorless range of diamonds, you might want to lean towards a RB. Colorless OECs are hard to find, and command a premium in fact.

Hunting for an OEC can be a bit difficult- they are like fancy cuts, judging by the numbers can be impossible, and eyeballing them is very important- if not you, then a trusted vendor is helpful. Also many are uncerted, or if they have a cert, it''s EGL. Thus, a good indepentant appraiser with familiarity with antique diamonds is your friend.The HCA tool can be of limited use, though it always seems to gripe about open culets... but some OECs will score well on it if you ignore the open culet thing. Still, plenty that are beauties are not going to score well on it, so it isn''t that helpful. I think it''s the sort of thing that if you find an OEC that scores well on the HCA, it''s very likely to be beautiful, but if it doesn''t score well, that doesn''t tell you anything at all about it. Though, I tend to judge them pretty loosely on the net by depth and table percentage. I like depths around 60-63% and tables in the low to mid 50s (or smaller). (Not of course hard and fast rules, but if you have only a few numbers you gotta weed them out somehow, and it''s a good guess that a shallow OEC with a 55% depth is not gonna be as pretty as it could be.)

JewelsbyEricaGrace.com has some nice antique diamonds- they handpick for performance, which is really helpful for those who don''t want to weed through pages of slush to find a few possibilities.

Wow, thanks for all the information Glitterata! I absolutely loved the side-by-side comnparison you did! When I look at those photos, I am convinced that I could really appreciate an OEC. I really like the chunky facets and honestly find it possibly more attractive than the arrow pattern. Many PSers would think I''m nuts for saying that. I spoke with James from WF who said he found a handful and would send the best one on approval and I could return if not to my liking.

 

[ButterBean]

Date: 11/20/2008 6:49:13 PM
Author: ericad
Some vendors offer inspection periods, so if you find one who has a nice OEC in your price range, you may want to buy it on inspection, then take it with you to some local shops and compare to modern RBs. Just beware the sales pitch! The sales person will be highly motivated to talk you into whatever they are selling. If you prefer the old cut, don''t let them sway you Alternately, for a quickie comparison, you could compare it to the RB diamonds at a place like Costco - may not be of the cut caliber you''ll ultimately end up with (I have no clue what type of stones they sell) but is a good place to see if your eye prefers antique or modern faceting, and no sales person to tangle with.

Once you have a chance to compare, decide which one you love more and the old cut can be sent back for refund as long as you''re within your inspection period. At worst, the experiment will cost you the round trip shipping. Just make sure you are dealing with a reputable antique seller who understands your intentions.

Erica, I am sure you''re right about the sales pitches, LOL. After reading a bit more about how difficult these are to compare without actually seeing them, I have decided to defer to a pro by using his experience and eyes to narrow down the field. I am going to visit James Meyer''s studio in January and will look at the OECs that he has. I love his style and have 99% decided to wear one of his creations. He explained that he goes to NYC, looks at hundreds of OEC stones and comes home with just a few that he likes and are a good value. I feel quite sure if they pass his discriminating eye, they should be beautiful to mine. And, if not, I will know it''s the OEC style and not a lack of quality.

Thank you all for sharing opinions and knowledge! BB

 

[ButterBean]

If your GF or you is into the colorless range of diamonds

LittleGreyKitten, Yes, I''m the GF. Butterbean is his nickname for me.