Estate jeweler

[avpg]

Hi, does anyone know of a good online estate jeweler? Also, what is the quality like on old diamonds?

 

[neatfreak]

What exactly are you looking for? Singlestone in LA would be my first stop if you are just looking for old stones (they have old pieces too though).

But if you can be more specific I might have other recommendations for you too!


Old diamonds vary widely in quality just like diamonds cut today. You just need to shop with your eyes and see a LOT of them before you can discern what's a good one and a bad one. They are also more likely to be a lower color.

 

[ericad]

PS is a great place to start educating yourself about old cuts. They are very different from modern diamonds in the way that they look and perform. Use the search function here to research antique diamonds, Old European Cut (or OEC), Old Mine Cut (or OMC), etc. and you will find a wealth of information and photos. Then contact a reputable antique dealer (your research will turn up a few names) for pricing and selection.


A basic overview of the different cuts:


Old Mine Cut

Old Mine Cuts (OMCs) were cut from the mid to late 1800''s up until the turn of the century. They have a soft roundish shape with a high crown, small table and a large culet.

Antique Cushion Cut

Antique Cushion Cuts (ACCs) were popular during the same time period as OMCs - mid to late 1800''s through the turn of the century. Often referred to as "pillow cuts," they exhibit a rectangular or square shape with softly rounded corners. They exhibit small tables, large culets and high crowns. It is a completely different cut than the modern cushion being cut today, which is faceted more like a modern round brilliant in a rectangular shape.

Old European Cut

Old European Cuts (OECs) are considered the forerunner of today''s modern round brilliant. This unique, round-shaped cut exhibits large facets which can give the stone a flowery or checkerboard like appearance. The culets can vary from small to medium in size and OECs typically have a small table and heavy crown.


Good luck!

 

[jewelerman]

Old cut diamonds are more difficult to assess quality.People tend to focus on the romantic part of finding and owning an antique piece that they forget that just like today...there was poorly cut diamonds as well as superior cut gems.Many gem cutters in by gone eras focused on saving weight rather then cut quality. Many antique jewelry sales people sell the romance and age of a piece rather then quality.Do you home work and let the people you are dealing with know that quality of cut is very important to you.This forum is a great place to start.