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Heirloom OEC or Transitional Cut, please educate me.

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emeraldlover1

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Hi, everyone! First off, I am out of town and I won''''t be able to post pics till Thursday, I brought my camera with me but I forgot the attachments but I promise I will share when I return home. In the mean time I''''ve been given what looks to be around a 2ct. either OEC or transitional cut diamond in an antique white gold setting. The ring was last worn by my great aunt who died in 1989. My grandmother inherited the ring when she died but it wasn''''t her style so she never wore it. Its also a long story but my great aunt was my grandfathers sister and out of respect for my grandfather (he didn''''t get a long too well with great aunt) my grandmother never wore it. So, for the last 20 years the ring has been hidden away and also not cleaned. I cleaned it up a little last night and was hoping to get some pics but the sun just wasn''''t out today.

I''''m not sure if the ring was worn by someone else in my family previous to my great aunt. I''''m inclined to think that it was my great grandmothers only because my great aunt was never married or engaged. Its possible that she just liked jewelry but my great grandmother had a lot of old diamonds. I was also given my great grandmothers stones from her wedding band (it has been re-set into a terrible ring that I will eventually have re-made). I was also given an art deco platinum, sapphire, and diamond ring with what appears to have had 6 of the 9 diamonds removed. I will be having that piece restored however right now I have some quesitons about the engagement ring.

I''''ve tried to read a lot of the threads on OEC''''s and Transitional cuts but I am confused by this diamond because it does appear to have an open culet but its the size of a pin whole at best. You can''''t really see it unless its backlit. I haven''''t seen a lot of antique cuts in person so I really don''''t know how they are supposed to perform. This diamond doesn''''t perform anything like my emerald cut at all but they are so different its going to be hard to explain the difference between the two without showing you pictures. In a resturaunt today the diamond in question gave off all sorts of sparkly light and different colors. In other lights from what I can tell it gives off pretty chunky bold flashes of white light return. Right now I''''m sitting in an extream low light setting and it just looks dull. It also appears to have a chip on the table. I should mention that at first I had doubts that it was even a diamond because the table seemed so small to me. I asked my grandmother and she said that in 89 he had it appraised and it is a diamond and she said she thought it was an OEC but she couldn''''t be sure. Is it possible that its just isn''''t a well cut stone or is that part of the beauty in antique diamonds?? I''''ll be intrested to see what it looks like when I finally get it into sunlight.

I can''''t wait to show you the pictures but if you have questions in the mean time I will answer them. I didn''''t know that any of this jewelry existed in my family. My mom got a few of my great grandmothers diamonds but I didn''''t know that there were more. This all came as a result of the visit with my grandmother this weekend. My grandfather is quite ill and my grandmother wanted to make sure that she passed on the pieces to someone in the family that would appreciate them.
 

emeraldlover1

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I''m so tired, I forgot to ask my quesitons...duh...

1.) How can I tell just by looking at it what type of cut it is?

2.) Is it possible to have the chip polished out?

3.) If the stone is poorly cut, would you leave it alone just because it is an antique (I am inclined to do so because I''m not exactly sure how far back in family history it goes.)

4.) Depending on last question, would you have it re-set if you didn''t love the setting (pics to come...I''m undecided)

5.) Should I have it appraised?

6.) Does anyone know a jeweler, like Singlestone, in NYC that restores antique jewelry (for the other ring)

THANKS!
 

Moh 10

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Personally I''d get it appraised but do nothing to the stone or the setting.

We have nothing, zip, nada from my family.
If we did we''d leave it exactly how they left it.

Just my 2 cents.
 

emeraldlover1

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yeah, I totally hear you. That is my fealing too. My mom got my great grandmothers old OMC engagement ring and she said it was pretty lifeless so she had it re-cut about 25 years ago. When I heard that it made me really sad. I never even got to see it. For the record I was 5 when she did that.

I was just looking through my grandmothers jewelry box and I found 2 of the omc''s that were taking out of the pinky ring that was my great aunts. Totally re-set into a mans ring. She said my grandfather had a lot of the old family jewelry re-set. It is sad.

Because I feel that way about the pieces I never saw I''m inclined to leave them alone.

I still need to find a jewelry restorer in NYC and get the art deco piece fixed and new diamonds put in there.
 

ericad

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Without photos I can''t speculate, but I have seen many OEC''s with teensy-weensy culets, and Transitionals too. The light play you describe sounds right for an old cut - they give off lots of fire and blocky flashes. Do you know the stone''s color and clarity? Looking forward to seeing photos of this precious piece of history!!! Then we''ll REALLY get to speculating :)

PS - congrats, a 2 carat family diamond is a wonderful prize!
 

emeraldlover1

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Hi Erica! Thank you for responding. I took some good pics tonight in the bathroom after I cleaned it up. I can''t wait to post them for you. I''ll be back Wednesday night so I''ll be sure to post them then. I have absolutley no information on the stone other than they story that I wrote above. My family wasn''t great about passing down the stories with this stuff. My grandmother thought she remembered the stone being and OEC but that is about it. Know idea as far as color and clarity. Hopefully you''ll be able to tell some when I post the pics. The added bonus is that on the setting there are two diamonds both of which apear to be oec''s but they are so small I can''t really see. The two small diamonds have teeny milgrain around them. Just beautiful.

There is a chip on the edge of the table that I can see. Anyway to eventually fix that?

BTW...the clarity looks to be pretty good. I looked at the magnified pics I took when it was clean and I don''t see any carbon. I can only see the table chip and I can''t tell if there is anything else or if its reflection. I can''t tell color in my J emerald so I''m probably not the right person to decide if I can see color. I really have know idea. It doesn''t look warm from the side at all.
 

emeraldlover1

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Oh, and I''m guessing on the weight. It could be smaller, it could be bigger. I put it up against my 2.75 emerald which measures 7x9mm. This stone appears to be 8mm+ diameter. It looks to be pretty deep so it could be a little more or it could be a little less if my measurements are incorrect. Its hard to say and once you see the setting you''ll understand.
 

strmrdr

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sounds fun cant wait for the pics.
Yes you should have it appraised.
 

icekid

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photos?! soon???
9.gif
 

ericad

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Repolishing a chipped stone is not unusual. I would urge you to consult only someone who is very knowledgeable about old cuts. Weight loss will vary depending on the size and location of the chip, but is typically pretty minimal.
 

emeraldlover1

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Ok, here are a few pics till later. Let me know what you think. I think the color is pretty low. I''ve been wearing it for a few days and it seems to be not that white.

em1oldring2.jpg
 

emeraldlover1

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From the side. The setting is really cool.

oldringem1.jpg
 

emeraldlover1

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With my engagement ring...

bestfriendsem1old.jpg
 

emeraldlover1

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I have no pictures in the sun yet but I will try and take some today although it doesn''t look like the sun is going to come out any time soon.
 

Porridge

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Wowza. That looks beautiful!
30.gif
 

oldmancoyote

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I''d say it''s a transitional. Here is a diamond now set as an earstud which was purchased in the early 1930s for my grandmother''s ER. I see quite a lot of similarity in proportion (including the small culet). Please excuse the dust & grime.

Diamond Stud 1.jpg
 

emeraldlover1

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That is what I was thinking too. I keep looking at OEC facet patterns and they look a lot different than this one. I''m thinking transitional is probably right.
 

FrekeChild

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What a cool ring!!! And diamond!!!! Can we get more pics??? (You know, when the sun comes out...)

ETA: are you going to get it appraised sometime?
 

Rhea

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I''d guess transitional cut too. It''s very pretty. I''m rather taken with the prongs.
 

AmberGretchen

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I''m going to also vote transitional cut, though I''m hardly an expert. Whatever it is, it looks lovely - what a nice family treasure!
 

gwendolyn

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Wow, that''s gorgeous! I hope you get back to us with more info, and maybe a few handshots?
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emeraldlover1

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I wish I had more info. I''ll eventually get it apprasied but at the moment I''m not in a rush. I''ll let you know when I do though. Here is a handshot until I can get more. Please excuse the nails.

em1oldring.jpg
 

Rhea

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Oh! Oooooooooooh! That''s beautiful!
 

gwendolyn

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Date: 3/26/2009 6:07:11 PM
Author: emeraldlover1
I wish I had more info. I''ll eventually get it apprasied but at the moment I''m not in a rush. I''ll let you know when I do though. Here is a handshot until I can get more. Please excuse the nails.
23.gif


Va-va-vooom!!
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HeartingDiamonds

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Why hello, bee-yoo-ti-fooll!

Love it! And such fab coverage on the finger too. I heart the prongs. A lot.

Have I mentioned that I love it?
 

2Artists

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I love it!
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Lucky Duck!


Mrs.2Artists
 

emeraldlover1

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Wow, thanks guys! I feel so fortunate to be the owner of this ring. My grandmother didn''t seem to think it was that big a deal. I do!! Grace, what do you think? Transitional?

The setting is amazing in person. So much personality and delicate work.

My fiance said it was so cool that it is so old.
 

Kelli

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Wow that''s an awesome ring! I''d be OVER THE MOON to get a ring like that!
 

Winks_Elf

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OMG what a GORGEOUS transitional diamond!!!
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