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Help me pick an Old European Cut diamond?

Veltiesmom

Veltiesmom

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 18, 2015
Messages
165
Hi all!

I am beginning my diamond search. I know I want an Old European Cut diamond but I don't know enough about them to pick a good one. I know so many of you are experts, would anyone be willing to chime in with some stone suggestions? Any help at all would be so appreciated.

Here are the relevant details:

Budget for stone - about $25K
Stone size - at least 2 carats, a little larger would be nice
Color - I'm flexible here but I'm not certain I would want to go below I or perhaps J.
Clarity - As long as eye clean and structurally sound (obviously), high clarity is not important
Antique vs. newly cut - I don't have a serious preference here, I just want a well-cut stone with excellent light return.

The only other point to note is that I don't tend to like stones with a large very noticeable culet (I think that's the word for what I'm talking about - the circle you can sometimes see in the middle of the stone.)

In terms of my priorities I would rank them: 1) cut 2) carat weight (really would like to be closer to 2.5c), 3) color, 4) clarity.

I'd love to know your thoughts on the best stone for my money! Thanks so much!
 
Wow - that one is really pretty. How do you think it would compare to this Canera European round that I've been eyeing?

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/pre1tq-1.951-i-vs2-ideal-estimated-old-european-cut

Similar price point but for a smaller diamond, lower clarity, lower color. Are the CERs more of a specialty cut? I understand they are newly cut and not antique- do you think I would expect a much better performance out of the CER?
 
So pretty. I wish I knew how i would feel about the warmer colored diamonds. I'm not opposed to them in theory because I think they would just end up looking sort of vintage-y, which I like. But it's so hard to tell without seeing them in person, no?
 
HegemonyCricket|1442631628|3929401 said:
Resonance.of.Life just consigned this stone at Jewels By Grace, and it seems to fit your bill:

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/2-01-to-3-00/2-56ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-j-vvs2#.VfzPWcQ8KrU
Click to expand...

I agree. with your budget and your specs I think this one fits the bill. The color is high enough, clarity is great, and its a beautiful stone which I doubt will last long. And it fits your budget. If I were in the market I'd definitely be seriously considering it.

I love the M posted above as well but if you aren't sure about your color tolerance, then maybe the J suits you more.
 
Thanks. I find I'm surprised by how reasonable the price is given the carat weight and clarity. Any idea why?
 
Veltiesmom|1442643479|3929430 said:
Thanks. I find I'm surprised by how reasonable the price is given the carat weight and clarity. Any idea why?
Click to expand...


If you're asking about the M, I'm guessing its because it is an M. Some people don't want to go below an I or a J, but I have an OEC that is a K and it looks white to me almost all the time. I can just see a tiny bit of tint from the side. But face up it always looks white. I think some people are just more color sensitive than others so the higher colors are often more in demand so command a higher price. You should check out a few stones in the I - M range and see where, if at all, the color starts to bother you. Since my K looks so white to me I'm thinking my next stone could easily be and L and maybe an M. Its a personal thing.
 
HegemonyCricket|1442631628|3929401 said:
Resonance.of.Life just consigned this stone at Jewels By Grace, and it seems to fit your bill:

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/2-01-to-3-00/2-56ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-j-vvs2#.VfzPWcQ8KrU
Click to expand...


I've had an opportunity to see this diamond in real life and it is breathtaking! When I saw she's was listing it, after I closed my mouth and stopped hyperventilating, I began to strategize about how I could make it happen including listing my BGB in my VC setting... Diamonds make us crazy! The VC is also stunning and I love working with him but this OEC is one of the PS Holy Grails in my not so expert opinion! And if you don't get it...my ring might be listed very soon! :Up_to_something:
 
I will admit to being up into the wee hours thinking about it! Should I be worried about the girdle - x thin to medium?
 
If you are really interested - and it is a beautiful stone - don't wait too long to make a decision. These things don't stay around long!
 
I also agree that the M price is due to the color. It is gorgeous otherwise. If you are a sucker for flowery facet perfection then ROL's will be the nicest you may see....maybe ever. As for color tolerance I am the worst one to ask as I wear a Y color antique stone lol. I like light yellow though.

Did you see the 4.20 cushion on her site? Dang I want that, too!

Edit to agree with MissGotRocks about acting quickly if you find one you love. I doubt ROL's will see the light of Monday on Graces site
 
Veltiesmom|1442670579|3929469 said:
I will admit to being up into the wee hours thinking about it! Should I be worried about the girdle - x thin to medium?
Click to expand...

I once asked Grace that same question, and she said that most antique stones are going to have girdles in that range, just by the nature of being antique stones. I think it depends on how you're going to wear the ring. I certainly wouldn't wear my ring while welding (ha!), but I have a job where I work at a computer all day, so it's not an issue for me. ROL wore her ring in a simple four-prong solitaire setting, but again, I don't think she was, like, cleaning her house while wearing it (I could be wrong about that, though! :lol:).
 
therainbowradish|1442675741|3929497 said:
I also agree that the M price is due to the color. It is gorgeous otherwise. If you are a sucker for flowery facet perfection then ROL's will be the nicest you may see....maybe ever. As for color tolerance I am the worst one to ask as I wear a Y color antique stone lol. I like light yellow though.
Click to expand...

Agree! That flower facet in ROL's stone is tdf. I can't wait to see who snaps it up and how they set it. :love:
 
Sure enough, Grace tells me that stone is already on hold. She'll call me if it falls through. Sigh.

On to the next. Let me know if you see anything else that looks good. I'll give some thought to the M.
 
Veltiesmom|1442678956|3929517 said:
Sure enough, Grace tells me that stone is already on hold. She'll call me if it falls through. Sigh.

On to the next. Let me know if you see anything else that looks good. I'll give some thought to the M.
Click to expand...


Good to know... I can stop obsessing!?
 
This stone is gorgeous as well. Love the flowery facets. How do I know though if it's a good performer, without dead spots etc?
 
I feel confident that the table is not off center. Erica is extremely picky with her inventory since she actually owns her pieces. If you click the link she usually provides tons of pics and video or would surely take some for you. She is SO sweet and responds quickly which I love. She can cherry pick a gorgeous stone if she doesn't have What you want. You may also want to call Adam at Old World Diamonds. He is excellent at picking top performers from his inventory. The angle of his videos drive me bonkers though.
 
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