My OEC has a stress fracture

[BZ]

I am pretty sure that this has been discussed before, but I could not find any old topics. I have an OEC diamond that was my mom''s. I recently sent it to the jeweler to have it reset into a three stone ring. When the jeweler took it out of the setting it was in, he found a stress fracture. He has recommended that he polish to stone which will make it a modern brilliant and reduce the weight by .07 (the stone is approximately 1.20 tcw). He also mentioned that the stone will be a lot whiter (it is appraised a J) and brighter.

I know all you OEC fans out there are moaning about changing the stone. I am very nervous about having it repolished as it has been in my family for a long time (it was my great grandmothers). I have asked for the jeweler to take a picture and e-mail it, but I''m not sure that that will shed much light.

What are the chances that the stone will actually crack or chip if I don''t have it polished?

Any help would be great.

Thanks,

BZ

 

[diagem]

Date: 8/19/2007 3:44:12 AM
Author:BZ
I am pretty sure that this has been discussed before, but I could not find any old topics. I have an OEC diamond that was my mom''s. I recently sent it to the jeweler to have it reset into a three stone ring. When the jeweler took it out of the setting it was in, he found a stress fracture. He has recommended that he polish to stone which will make it a modern brilliant and reduce the weight by .07 (the stone is approximately 1.20 tcw). He also mentioned that the stone will be a lot whiter (it is appraised a J) and brighter.

I know all you OEC fans out there are moaning about changing the stone. I am very nervous about having it repolished as it has been in my family for a long time (it was my great grandmothers). I have asked for the jeweler to take a picture and e-mail it, but I''m not sure that that will shed much light.

What are the chances that the stone will actually crack or chip if I don''t have it polished?

Any help would be great.

Thanks,

BZ

As you probably heard that tune before..., I wouldnt cut an old cut to modern period.!

I find it hard to believe you could re-cut an OEC to modern RB and loose only 5-6% of the original weight!

In regards to your second question..., Chances for a Diamond to crack or chip are pretty darn slim!!!

Now to my question: what is a stress fracture and based on what is the jeweler identifying it as a "stress" fracture?

 

[BZ]

DiaGem - Thanks for the reply. In re-reading the e-mail from the jeweler, he called it a stress line. He suggested polishing, not cutting. I am not sure how it works to re-polish a stone to a modern brilliant, but that is what he is suggesting. I have no indication of how large the "line" is at the moment, just that he mentioned that I would lose .07 in weight. I don''t really care about the weight as it is the stone itself that is important to me.

I am guessing that the stone can be set to protect the line. Is that correct?

 

[diagem]

Date: 8/19/2007 5:34:08 AM
Author: BZ
DiaGem - Thanks for the reply. In re-reading the e-mail from the jeweler, he called it a stress line. He suggested polishing, not cutting. I am not sure how it works to re-polish a stone to a modern brilliant, but that is what he is suggesting. I have no indication of how large the ''line'' is at the moment, just that he mentioned that I would lose .07 in weight. I don''t really care about the weight as it is the stone itself that is important to me.

I am guessing that the stone can be set to protect the line. Is that correct?

As I understand the term "stress line"..., Its a line that is in the Diamond material and usually can''t be polished out of the stone...


Two things are for certain..., first, stress-lines do not endanger the diamond in any-way!!!
secondly, I still dont think you can re-cut/polish a 1.20 carat OEC and loose "only" 0.07 cts (or 7 points) and bring it to a ''modern'' RB.

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

I don:t know much about all of this myself, but I do think you should get a second opinion. some people know what they are doing better than others, so it couldn:t hurt to ask someone else.

 

[strmrdr]

Get a second opinion before doing anything!
Send the diamond too Dave Atlas or Richard Sherwood or Neil to get checked out before doing anything!!!!
Of the 3 Dave likely has the most experienced with the old cuts and can likely arrange someone who is skilled with old cuts to do any work that might be needed.
There is no way id have it changed into a RB unless it was really ugly the way it is!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 8/19/2007 12:11:18 PM
Author: strmrdr
Get a second opinion before doing anything!
Send the diamond too Dave Atlas or Richard Sherwood or Neil to get checked out before doing anything!!!!
Of the 3 Dave likely has the most experienced with the old cuts and can likely arrange someone who is skilled with old cuts to do any work that might be needed.
There is no way id have it changed into a RB unless it was really ugly the way it is!!!

Ditto, I''d send it to Dave Atlas. Good luck!!

 

[surfgirl]

I''m not sure I I''m not understanding this or not but...I don''t think one can "polish" an OEC "into a RB" without serious re-cutting...Is that correct DG? It seems fishy to me. Also, did you ever notice anything off about the stone in its current setting? Does it have nice fire, scintillation, etc.? If so, dont touch it! Send it to someone like Dave Atlas and let them look at it carefully. The red flag to me was this guy saying he could "polish an OEC into a RB", that sounds weird to me. And based on that alone, I''m wondering if this supposed "stress fracture" isn''t just a feather or some other inclusion and this guy is re-cut happy. Please, wait and get a second opinion from an expert in old cuts...

 

[surfgirl]

oops! double post...

 

[oldminer]

I think I smell a profit making offer being floated and possibly not the best advice being given. Please check the condition of your diamond out with someone you should be trusting. A stressed diamond probably shoudl avoid the cutting wheel and not be subjected to the risk of any cutting or polishing. Sounds fishy.

 

[AdaBeta27]

No mention of the OEC's clarity. What's that jeweler going to do? Swap your OEC for a modern RB of lesser value and maybe higher color & lower clarity? The two cuts are totally different.

Run! My aunt had several diamonds stolen by a friendly jeweler who took her to lunch while her jewelry was left at his store for cleaning. The 4ct was swapped for a similar diameter lesser diamond that was worth a fourth what her 4ct was. The 2ct tw earrings were replaced with fakes. The jeweler was in Boca Raton, FL, with brothers also in the jewelry biz in Michigan and California and some connection in Canada. Thas made it convenient to move stolen goods from store to store and back and forth to/from Canada.

There are tinted fakes out there so don't assume that a light yellow has to be a diamond.

 

[BZ]

Ok, here is the latest. I spoke with the jeweler today about my diamond. He said he feels that the diamond was set too tight at some point in it''s lifetime. There is a stress line that runs from the girdle, down the pavillion to the culet (the line was set under the prong and therefore not immediately visible). His cutter suggests polishing the stone which will change the angle of the facets to be closer to a modern round brilliant.

His concern is that when the stone is set into a ring (it was previously a pendant and two rings in it''s previous lives) that it may crack or chip. He also discussed color again, mentioning that he thought the stone was probably a K ( I have an appraisal from several years ago that lists the stone as a J/K) and that polishing the stone would make it whiter.

Clarity was brought up by another poster and the stone is appraised with a VS 1 clarity.

The jeweler has said that he will go back to the cutter for a better understanding of what the stone will look like when the polishing job is complete (it sounds to me like the jeweler may not know exactly what he is talking about) and get back to me.

I know everyone would like me to send the stone to independent appraiser (I am trying to manage this project from oversease which complicates things a bit). I am not set against that, but wonder if any of what I am hearing from this guy makes sense. I have no reason to not trust this person. I have done business with him in the past without any problems.

Any thoughts/gut reactions?

Thanks for the help.

BZ