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Interest in unusual cuts (transitional)

Roselina

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 1, 2020
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1,196
Hi everyone
I hope you are all well. On my journey to learn about diamonds I came across this one:
It is described as "transitional". However - it's table is huge, the table reflection as well and the lower facet girdles seem to be very long. It's just so different to all the other "transitionals" I came across yet. What is this one? Where could it be placed timewise?
Thank you for you thoughts!
 
Early Round Brilliant? This isnt really a transitional in my book but I'm no expert on the timeline.
 
Early Round Brilliant? This isnt really a transitional in my book but I'm no expert on the timeline.

That was what I was thinking, but not sure. Def an older cut, but what?
 
Just a very badly cut rb and no evidence its old
I have seen simular as new as early 2000s.
 
This stone is horrible...:knockout: big table,flat top and deep. An Ex example of what NOT to buy. $2195???...:wall:
 
This cut is what a transitional from OEC to Modern cut is all about. I know we use the term transitional loosely much of the time, but this is "a transitional to modern cut" It is spready with a large table, moderately shallow crown, and a somewhat shallow total depth. It has a culet, but not a large one. It is actually a decent transitional cut, but I don't think highly of this cutting period or style. It won't be a high light return diamond. You'd find the diameter moderately larger than most others of this weight, but the benefit is limited to larger visual size. The detriment will be light return, and sparkle.

If you really want assurance of correct GIA grading for any diamond, then you need to look for diamonds with GIA reports. This report from EGL may be exactly in line with GIA, but no one in the diamond business would blindly accept it as correct. Consumers should be equally careful if exact grades are important to them. If you don't care that it might be E-Si1, then you have less of a problem, but this does not eliminate the cut quality and light performance issues.
 
Thank you so much for your thoughts! I have no intend to buy the stone - just an interest in how cuts developed. Thank you for the insights. This said, I somehow like all kind of cuts, especially those showing how the cutters experimented to enhance to the next step. I find it interesting. Also if the stones don‘t perform well.
 
This could be short-sided, but I’m not a proponent of diamonds off of eBay.
 
This could be short-sided, but I’m not a proponent of diamonds off of eBay.

I don’t want to buy it. Just curious about the cut :-).
 
This could be short-sided, but I’m not a proponent of diamonds off of eBay.

If I'm not mistaken, mydiamondzone is Ivy & Rose's eBay store, and they're legit. Further, I've bought most of my work diamonds off of eBay and haven't had a single bad experience yet. I've bought things I haven't liked IRL and had to return, but that's different. One can find some amazing deals on eBay if you know what you're looking at, protect yourself, and don't expect to be buying a CBI or ACA for $400....
 
Poorly cut MRB (GIA Good/Fair equivalent), marketed as an old cut.
 
Thank you all again. Having done a bit more research I conclude:
Vendor is indeed Ivy & Rose (I didn’t even realise that first), a rather trustworthy seller. So I assume they qualified it as transitional for a reason. Culet, frosted girdle, etc. When I go to 1dibs and search for diamonds in the periods 50ies and 60ies, I find quite a few similar cut stones. So I do still think it’s an older cut and indeed in transition from old to new - it can indeed be qualified as fair cut. But this is reasonable under the circumstances. Experimenting and trying to get to better and better cuts.
 
When you want to use the word "transitional" it is an adjective which describes something. It really does not stand alone if you want to send a clear message of what a diamond looks like. You can have nearly rectangular carre' old mine cuts which are transitional to cushion old mine cuts, old mine cushions which are transitional to near round OEC, round old European cuts which are transitional to early modern cuts, and early modern cuts which are transitional to modern cuts. In all those time periods, there were cutters who were experimenting while the technology was improving over time. There is no consistency or exact timeline of change, so the in between periods where one design became the next major accepted design is the transition period.

The transition from the OEC to the early modern cut is a period, by today's scientific standards, that many diamonds were rather poorly fashioned. They definitely have characteristics which set them apart, but they are not alone in what is described by the word transitional. Relatively speaking, those stones that are not fine make OEC or fine make modern cut can fall into the period of the mid 1900's. Many of these diamonds look very good, such as the 60-60 stones. A lot of them don't look so hot due to light and proportion problems. There is no one typical model for a transitional diamond and they don't have the consistent character of ideal cut modern diamonds. That is part of what makes them both unique and more difficult to buy from distant sellers. You need to see them up close and personal to know if that particular stone works for you.
 
If I'm not mistaken, mydiamondzone is Ivy & Rose's eBay store, and they're legit. Further, I've bought most of my work diamonds off of eBay and haven't had a single bad experience yet. I've bought things I haven't liked IRL and had to return, but that's different. One can find some amazing deals on eBay if you know what you're looking at, protect yourself, and don't expect to be buying a CBI or ACA for $400....

Thank you for enlightening me with your positive experiences. I had only heard bad stories, so I appreciate this.
 
Thank you for enlightening me with your positive experiences. I had only heard bad stories, so I appreciate this.

You're welcome! Here are some of the things I've found on eBay, in case you're interested to see them. And they were all EXCELLENT deals IMHO.

Sunburst1.jpg

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il_794xN.1469159129_nnn6.jpg

Both of these pieces.
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You definitely CAN find amazing stuff on eBay. I have had great experience lately buying antique jewelry. Also, it is a wonderful opportunity to connect with some great vendors for them. Sure you can occasionally run into something that disappoints but if you know what you are doing then you can easily get great deals.

I have a friend who bought an FCD for 1500 that she sold a month later on the wholesale market for over 15K. Had she repolished it a bit or sold retail she could have easily gotten 30.

Now most people do not dare and these deals are few and far between but there are good vendors, stuff and unique, rare things there. Can be fun.
 
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