Lowest color for an antique cushion...

[oranges]

Hi all!

I know that there has been much talk about color in AVC's on the forum lately and I'm not sure if those color observations apply to all antique style cushions or just AVC's. I'm in the market currently for an antique cushion around 1.5 carats (not an AVC) and I was wondering how low I can go on color before it appears to look too 'creamy'. I'd like my stone to look very white, but given current diamond prices, I know that I have to sacrifice on color to achieve the size that I would like.

Do antique cushions show less color than asscher cuts? I saw a gorgeous J colored asscher in a local shop, but it was slightly too tinted for my taste. However, the tint may have been amplified by the fact that it was surrounded by a fancy yellow halo. Would that impact the color greatly? The stone almost looked like an octavia-- very unique.

The diamond will be set in a micropave halo. Hopefully this type of setting with mask some of the color since the side view of the diamond would be obstructed by the halo.

I feel like I've been searching forever-- hopefully I'll be able to get up to NYC next week and scope out some stones. If that doesn't work out the next time that I'll be able to go is around Thanksgiving ... I'm a terrible PSer. I got the green light to look for a diamond months ago and I've been too distracted by my new job

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The AVC's will be among the best at hiding color because of their excellent cut, I think. There are certainly great antique cushions out there, such as Poppy and others, but you may have to do considerable searching to find one. I would definitely put a lower color AVC in a halo. I'd like the contrast in the whiter halo and more champagne color stone. And the side view is obscured as you said. Obviously your color tolerance is personal, but I think with antique cushions I can handle a little more color because of the chunky facets where I cannot with rounds. (I am only speaking about AVC's since those are the only antique style cushions I have really spent time with in person.)

 

[oranges]

Thank you for responding diamondseeker-- I didn't see your post until today , I agree that it is a personal decision-- and I guess I'll have to find out my color tolerance. I just want the ring to be pretty. I'm not going to be over-analyzing it everyday trying to spot imperfections and color. I just want to enjoy it for what it is-- a pretty sparkler from my soon to be finance. I actually made an appointment with Leon for Wednesday to look at stones. As far as the setting goes, I love the cold fusion but think that it might be out of budget. Maybe adrianna? Something in between? I feel a little lost setting wise. I just want it to be perfect since I decided that I don't want to upgrade it. I think that a 1.5ish stone in a halo will have finger presence. Although I love coming to PS to learn about diamonds and admire other people's jewelry, PS really has skewed my view of what normal people have for E-rings. In my social circle, this ring is just absurd. I might even feel a bit self-conscious about it at first-- especially at work. I'm a first year teacher and other people in my department were having a conversation the other day about minimal jewelry, choosing plain bands etc. I've been lurking on PS for years and here it will seem very normal! Weird.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Haha, as a teacher I can understand that! A 1.5 ct. cushion is not going to look much larger than a 1 ct. round, so the halo is what is going to make it look larger and more blingy. But I still think that is not over the top. It would take a 2 ct. cushion to look equivalent to my 1.5 ct. round in size.

If you really want a stone that appears fairly white, I would suggest staying with G-H color. But finding a well cut antique cushion will be challenging unless you are looking at some of the newly cut ones that Perry sources.

 

[oranges]

Thanks for your advice! Hopefully they'll have a range of stones so that I can determine my color sensitivity. I'd like to see if I can tell the difference without being told the grades! I will be looking at newly cut cushions sourced from Perry. I just love the look of them
I think that my ring will look substantial, I have smaller hands, but it won't look too crazy. I dress very simply and I'm not a flashy type of persona at all, so this type of ring is going to be a bit of a change for me! So excited!!!!

 

[armywife13]

I agree with DS, each person has a different level of sensitivity to color, in addition to a preference/tolerance. For me, I have a different preference and tolerance for color with different cuts. With MRB, I like the stone to be icy white. With antique stones or stones cut in an antique style, I prefer a warmer color. My OEC is a creamy ivory color, it is an L. I absolutely love the color and would actually choose a warm antique cut over a icy white antique cut, though I am sure not everyone would choose the same. WIth regards to antique cut stones showing more or less color, with true antiques, it is a toss up. It really depends on the quality of the cut, that is why the AVRs and AVCs hide color so well.

I feel ya on PS skewing our reality about jewelry! When I first came to PS, I was looking for a 1-1.5 ct MRB...a year later, I have a 3.62 ct OEC. Oh how things change....haha.

I can't wait to see your options for your cushion. Perry sources some pretty amazing diamonds, so I am sure you won't be disappointed!

 

[ariel144]

Is this 5c. GIA graded J color cushion brilliant set in a halo white enough? She states it faces up "icy white" and has those chunky facets. Larger stones show more color as do asschers/emerald cuts. If that asscher was not graded by GIA then the color could be an L/M and not a true J color, but a true J set in a white gold/white stone halo will definitely face up more white.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/[/URL]

If you would post your budget many of the PSr's could help you find your perfect OMB. Hope this helps. I think a GIA graded I/J color will be fine for not showing any tint face up. Even a well cut K can look very white face up in the right setting. If you are going to NY, I suggest you stop by GOG. They call in antique stones all the time for their clients. Plus you will get to see an excellent cut in a J color with this AVC:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8798/

Page 3:
Post by Thouarella » 14 Apr 2010 12:54
Thanks for all the lovely comments everyone!

It''s our 5th wedding anniversary, hence the 5 carat stone Image

Laila - thanks for adding it to the cushion thread.

jgny:
The dimensions are 9.95 x 9.61 x 6.71mm And I believe the OMC style stones face up smaller as well given their high crowns (someone correct me if I''m wrong on this). But I looked at a bunch and I vastly preferred the OMCs to the modern brilliants, plus I think this way the 5 carat isn''t too enormous (vs say a 5 carat RB).

We bought this stone from Leon just before he launched his diamond concierge service, so I don''t know if they will provide additional details now, but basically he sent me photos of the stone from all angles, set and unset and on a black and white background. No ASETs. It was rather a leap of faith to buy it without looking at it in person and without ASETs etc but at the end of the day we decided to trust his eye and we had just fallen in love with the faceting of the stone.

Before we decided on this one, we''d taken a look at stones at our local B&Ms, one who specialises in OMCs and another who flew in 5 stones from their sightholders in Israel. I''d also contacted all of the cushion specialists mentioned on this forum and gotten a stone flown out to me, though ultimately we decided not to go with that one. It is REALLY difficult to find a stone with the requirements we had (>5 carats, OMC or 8 pavillion mains, large culet, near 1:1 aspect ratio, eyeclean) and there were very few responses to our request both online and at the B&Ms. It was basically between this stone and the one that was flown out to us. Jon at GoodOldGood had offered to get an AVC cut but the prices of rough had gone up so much at the end of last year/beginning of this one, plus we didn''t want to have to wait!

So at the end of the day and after months of searching we decided to go ahead with Leon''s stone and I just love it. The J doesn''t bother me at all and mostly it looks icy white and I only notice a tiny bit of warmth very occasionally from certain angles (my e-ring is an E and there is a very slight difference but really not very much).

Leon did mention that now he''s set up this diamond concierge service that he''d rather find a good stone for his clients. He''ll still set stones from other dealers but I get the feeling that he preferred for us to buy a stone from him. Good thing we liked his stone best anyway.

gemgirl - I''m getting him a phenomenal watch. It isn''t our anniversary for a little while yet so he still has time to decide on his "dream" watch! I have a shortlist!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Thanks for your advice! Hopefully they'll have a range of stones so that I can determine my color sensitivity. I'd like to see if I can tell the difference without being told the grades! I will be looking at newly cut cushions sourced from Perry. I just love the look of them
I think that my ring will look substantial, I have smaller hands, but it won't look too crazy. I dress very simply and I'm not a flashy type of persona at all, so this type of ring is going to be a bit of a change for me! So excited!!!!

Oh, good, I think Perry's newly cut cushions are beautiful! Please come back and tell us about your visit! And...take pictures if you can!!!

 

[oranges]

Ariel, thank you for posting that excerpt from the 5ct thread. I LOVE THAT RING!!! and if I find that the J colored stones look white like hers, I wouldn't hesitate to get one. My budget is 15K, and I'm already 100% going to be buying from Perry and Leon. After seeing a lot of examples of the cushions that Perry can source, and the fact that I have worked with Leon and had a great experience, I don't see the need to shop anywhere else

Diamondseeker, I'll definitely post my ring when it gets made....and is on my finger! I don't think I want to see the finished product until he proposes!