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Help with OEC M VS1 (pictures)

R

Roxy411

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
13
The thought of an RB was overwhelming and after seeing so many OECs I decided to go with one I found from a private seller. She had purchased from an antique store and only knew it was M VS1. I originally planned to reset the stone but after taking it to a knowledgeable appraiser, I just can't do it! He believes it's from 1918 made in either NYC or Hungary. Said the setting is original and while he stone is warm, is in very good condition. He also said the rubies are from Burma, all mined from the same area as they glowed perfectly together under a blacklight. The stone also has very good symmetry. that being said, I'm swayed to keep the ring as in and enjoy it's beauty rather than dismantle it. What history it must have given its 98 years old! My only concern is the performance of the stone. It looks great in some light, super blah in others. I took it to another jewelry store yesterday for a quite for a ruby stacking band and was embarrassed with the way it looked under the lights! It was very warm and almost cloudy...very hard to explain but took some shots in different light to see if I could capture it. Is this typical of OECs? I don't have dimensions given the stone is set and based on the recommendation, I won't take I out just for a cert.

So...what's the expert opinion on this? I got a very fair price I'm not sure I can replicate but also won't make anything if I decide to sell Ina year (after appraisal, possible egl cert fee, shipping, seller fees, etc). Thanks in advance.

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oh my gosh, that stone and that setting-BOTH beautiful!! What exactly is your question?
 
In some lights the diamond looks perfect, but in others (inside my car at night w/overhead light on, inside one jewelry store it looked....cloudy?) it can look just...off. You can see it a bit in the first photo. I'll try to take more. Most of the time it's great - a little warmer than I imagined - but in others it just looks "off". Not sparkly. My concern is that it isnt a great stone and since I don't have dimensions I can't even run it through HCA tool.
 
hca tool is not something you would normally want to use on an antique stone....these stones are from a different era. It might be warmer then an M, often times uncertified stones are usually a bit warmer then stated. It looks gorgeous in your photos, but without knowing what you paid or approximate dimensions, hard to know if you got a good price. I think it is more about do you love it enough for the price you paid?
 
It was stated to be 2.82ct although based on dimensions (about 8.5x8.5), one jeweler thought it was more like 2.35. Both the seller and two jewelers gauged it at an M although I do think it's warmer myself. I do really love it...I can get over the warmth (again, only because to warmer in certain lights than I expected) my main concern is the wonky sparkle issue I'm having in certain lights. It's as though it's dirty when it's definitely not. Is this something OEC owners see in their own stones? Do all have moments when they could be "off"? Sorry, having a hard time describing it so will try to provide more photos.

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Has it been cleaned recently? Give it a soak with Dawn dishwashing detergent and water, use a soft toothbrush to clean and make sure you brush the underside of the stone, hopefully the setting lets you get in there. Rinse well and dry. You say it's not dirty but diamonds are dust and oil magnets so a cleaning might brighten it up. When I received my J OEC (EGL) I gave it a good cleaning and the faceting became much more apparent. ETA - actually, a professional cleaning at the jeweler is the thing that really brought out the sparkle now that I think of it.

The only other thing I can think of is it's lower clarity than was told to you. What was the appraiser's opinion on clarity?
 
Sounds like the appraiser might not know that often older stones were cut very deep- I remember when I took my OMC to be weighed it was much larger then my jewelers estimate bc he had very little experience with old cuts. I would hope to appraise he would've given it a thorough cleaning but great tip from op in case it's dirty :) keep us posted- I think it's amazing!
 
Diamonds have different personalities due to cut angles. Where one diamond shines, another (even of the same style cut) may not, and vice versa. My suggestion would be to figure out which lighting condition you like best, and spend a lot of time in that lighting condition, haha! Seriously, though. :)
 
I want to add that the setting makes a difference, too. When I had my L diamond in platinum, my favorite lighting condition was outside on an overcast day. Now it's in rose gold, and I love it in the sun and everywhere else, too!
 
Def not dirty, I cleaned it with dawn immediately and also had it cleaned at the jeweler. Sigh.

Looks great in the locker room and grocery store so maybe I can become a competitive body builder so I'm constantly in one of those places :)

I wanted to reset but won't given the history. I can't bring myself to destroy it even though I'd love it in rose gold. So he's, have to be okay with it.

However, if the consensus of PS pros say it's good, then I'm just being overly critical!

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Some jewelers have calipers that can go under the setting to get the depth measurements. I see what you're saying, and I've seen it in one oec I own. Mine is a shallower stone at 58% and doesn't scintilate as well as other oecs with 62-66% depth, but it can look amazing under most lighting. Shallower oecs tend to look great when they're on the neck but on the hand they can be iffy and can look very different from one room to the next. That said, I don't see much girdle reflection in your oec, so I don't think it is too shallow. Maybe around 60%? It has a tiny table with big kite facets, which is my weakness, and I adore that setting!
 
Yeah, I don't know, it might just have to be something you learn to live with…I have an EGL J OEC and it looks better in some lighting conditions compared to others, and looks fabulous in certain lighting…I just kind of accept it and try not to over-analyze, I don't think other people notice one way or the other. Actually, your stone reminds me of mine lol. But if it really bothers you, maybe this just isn't the diamond for you. Is returning an option?

FWIW, I think it's a beautiful stone, I love the setting, and I think it looks amazing on your hand!
 
First of all, thank goodness you are not considering resetting! Never would I take apart a ring that is that special! The setting is gorgeous!

You have to realize that the majority of old cut stones will not be as well cut as excellent cut stones today, plus, any color stone will pick up environmental color and look more tinted as it is in it's best lighting. My I color stone, which is excellent cut since it is an AVR, definitely still appears more tinted in certain lighting and environments. So if that stone is M or lower and not the best cut, it just isn't going to look as good in certain lighting.

I think the jewelers are probably wrong about the weight. Mine is 2.3 cts and 8.4mm with a depth of something like 63-64.

It sounds like you don't love it, though. Is it too late to return?
 
I think your ring is gorgeous and the diamond looks to have really pretty faceting (plus Oh! huge)
Re the haze - can you take any pics through a loupe?
 
Well, I'm ready for some crow. Junebug - you were right: t was dirty! I had it cleaned at the jeweler on Saturday night so the idea it needed another cleaning by Tuesday night was shocking to me. Maybe I need to clean ALL my rings a bit more!

I took it back to a jeweler who looked at it under a microscope and couldn't find a thing other than dirt. He also did a rough dimension check and said it's about 8.96x9.03 x 4.83(?) The depth I'm not 100% about because I didn't write it down and I was also trying to mind the kids. He said it was definitely not shallow and overall a great stone.

I am within the return window, but I do really love the ring. It's not what I originally wanted or expected, per se, as it's a replacement for an engagement ring whose diamond chipped upon contact w/ceramic tile. However, rubies are my birthstone (as well as my oldest daughters') so they bear significance. I just wanted to be sure it's good and has the PS seal of approval.
 
That's great news! Now let's see some new (and clean) pics!!!
 
Oh roxy that is great! It really is surprising how quickly diamonds get dirty - I'm glad you're happier with it, it really is a beautiful ring!
 
That's great news! Your ring is beautiful! :love: I'm glad you don't plan to take it apart. It truly is something special! Congrats! :clap:
 
wonderful! more pix. I am so in love with this ring!
 
They do get dirty fast! The good thing is, if you really love it, if you ever choose to get a different ring for an engagement ring, that one will still be a perfect right hand ring. I don't know if I have a tagline showing, but it should say...when in doubt, don't. Keep it if you love it. Return if you don't.
 
Old cuts with larger facets I think tend to look dirty faster than a RB will. The other things that are worth considering is that OECs reflect light differently to RBS so you cannot walk into a store full of RBs and expect the stone to look the same way. I also think the stone is probably lower than an M in colour. Diamonds with more of a tint or body hue absorb more light and reflect back less white light to the eye than say an D or an E or an F or a G in a jewellery store will. So what this means in layman's terms is that mid and lowered coloured diamonds can appear less bright visually to the human eye.

Many old cut diamonds and indeed even modern cuts that are mid colours can have interesting underlying body tints or hues to them, in yours I can see a tint of yellow with a bit of brown, in many old stones if there is a bit of grey or a sludgy grey greenish, or a greyish brown colour this can also make the stone look visually duller than say a diamond with less of a tint to the overall body colour.

I think it is a beautiful original setting and if you like it the way it is then love it and wear it for what it is, but it will never look or perform like a higher coloured well cut RB, or for that matter a higher coloured OEC.
 
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