Need help searching for antique cushion

[moosemom]

Hello everyone. We just moved with the military to a different state and have settled in. Now I am ready to purchase my upgrade ring for my 20th anniversary coming up next month. Other than lurking on this site for the past couple of months I am a total novice. I would like to move quickly given the rising prices of diamonds.

I am looking for an antique chunky cushion or OMC diamond. My budget for the whole project ranges between 10 and 12K. My requirements for the diamond itself are at least 1 ct but I would love larger if I can swing it. I also love AVC's. Basically I would like a high crown, small table, & big chunky facets. I would like it to be at least an SI1 and as for color I am okay with warm up to about a J-K. For the setting I adore the tapered french side cuts I have seen on this site from Leon Mege, Victor Canera etc., but I know given my price range that is probably not feasible. Obviously if I can get one of those type of settings I would not wear a wedding band with the ring. If I can't afford a nice setting like that I would love a good solitare setting I can add a band to that would sit sort of flush with it (maybe with a spacer?). My finger size is about a 6.25 if that helps.

Any advice on where to start my search would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[LGK]

Victor's tapered French cut setting was around $4K in April-ish- that includes having the French cuts custom cut to match your stone. It may have gone up a bit along with everything else, but I'm not sure. If you go for the lower end of color/clarity you might be fine in terms of budget IMO. There's this AVC: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8053/ if you haven't seen it already, obviously.

Also, you might try Leon's source Perry Chen... it seems like the people who've gone through him seem pretty happy with their purchases.

 

[SC86]

Alot of PSer have found beautiful antique cushions on Good Old Gold, Engagement Rings Direct, and Perry Chen (Leon Mege). You can also try James Allen and WhiteFlash.

 

[yennyfire]

Here's one on OWD (Old World Diamonds). Are you open to eBay or would you prefer a PS preferred vendor? Do you want a more square/round-ish or rectangular shaped cushion? With antique stones, they come in many shapes.

http://www.oldworlddiamonds.com/inv_details.php?ID=1301&SHAPE=C&PAGE=5

 

[SparklyOEC]

Hi,

It's been a while since I've posted, but saw your post and thought I'd reply with a gorgeous diamond (IMHO) I saw on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Estate-Antique-Cushion-Cut-Diamond-1-30-tcw-/330592706420?pt=Diamond_Solitaire_with_Accents&hash=item4cf8dc5f74

I know the color is L which is just below your comfort zone, but antique stones face up much whiter than modern stones, for whatever reason. The price is within your budget and would allow enough for the setting you mention above. Good luck with your search and let us know what you find!

 

[moosemom]

Thanks for responding.

LGK - that AVC is beautiful. I was hoping for a little larger, but I know with price increases and the setting I am hoping for that I have to be realistic. I guess I was just worried about a 1 ct AVC looking small on my 6ish size finger. I would go for that size AVC in an instant with a halo setting, but my husband isn't a fan of halos and I want him to like the ring too. I actually called Perry Chen today and spike with him about what I was looking for and my budget. He is looking for a stone, but he said that a tapered french cut would probably not be an option for me in my range. I will check into Victor Canera tomorrow to see about a ball park range for a tapered french cut setting with an approximately 1 ct. or slightly larger antique cushion.

SC86 - thanks I will call Mark at ERD tomorrow as well. I didn't even think of looking at James Allen and White Flash for an antique looking cushion. I guess I don't know exactly what to look for one those sites. I will explore later.

Yenny - I am open to EBay although I have to admit I would definitely be more comfortable buying from a trusted vendor. That being said I have seen some of the great finds from other members who purchased on EBay. I am looking for a more square shaped cushion if possible. Thanks for the lead - I guess I need to add Adam to OWD to my list of calls. I seem to remember reading that they usually have more than on their website to look at.

SparkleyOEC - that is a very pretty diamond you linked to on EBay. Here is my question - should I be worried it is EGL certified - can I expect it to be more of an N-O or above in color with this cert? or does the stay away from EGL or uncertified diamond rule not really apply since it is an antique cut?

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. It looks like I need to make some phone calls .....

 

[SparklyOEC]

Hi,

I think with antique cut diamonds, it is in the eye of the beholder, so to speak. It's all personal preference, certificate or no certificate. Do you like the faceting from what you can see in the pictures? Do you like the shape (more square than rectangular)? As for the color and clarity, I personally have to see an antique stone before judging it. You'll have to make that call for yourself. The seller is offering a 3-day money back guarantee, so that may make you feel more comfortable. Hope that helps a little bit.

 

[marymm]

So I happened to be at GOG last Saturday checking out AVCs -- one I looked at very seriously was the 0.99ct K-SI2 AVC (http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8051/ -- honestly to me it was eye-clean -- I also louped it and then looked again without the loupe and still could not find anything (this is looking at the stone about 6 inches away from my eyes). This AVC appears to be square (5.88x6mm) and has a very nice spread on the finger. I wear a size 6.25 and this is a stone I could wear as a solitaire and it would look more than good-sized. The color is creamy, and it was clearly both larger in look and lighter in color than the 0.92 M-SI1 AVC I was comparing it to.

So I did buy the 0.92 M-SI1 AVC -- but as it turns out, I actually prefer an Old European found at Old World Diamonds -- for me, the beautiful patterning of the OE won my heart. So I'm returning the AVC and buying the OWD OE stone -- which though smaller in carat weight has the same dimensions and face-up look.

I do think GOG AVCs are beautiful -- and honestly I fully expected the AVC to blow the OE away in terms of performance -- but my eyes found the OE more pleasing.

Long post, but I guess I thought my recent experience really shows that when it comes to antique (and antique-style) cuts, each stone is unique with its own personality and it really benefits you (the customer) if you can see and handle them in person. Adam at Old World Diamond is wonderful to work with, honest and objective and responsive, and I found the staff at GOG also very knowledgeable and helpful. Good luck!