OEC newbee question: color

[Efriede]

I am so impressed to see old cut stones here on PS! They are truly interesting and gorgeose. There are also many threads devoted to OEC lately..I keep reading that it is difficult to find an OEC in near colorless range, and almost impossible in colorless...BUt why? Can you please enlighten me on that? Just curious

 

[armywife13]

A great deal of OECs in the near colorless range were recut into MRBs, lower colors were left as OECs because the color was less desirable. Therefore near colorless OECs and other antique cuts are rare and often more expensive.

 

[kelpie]

I think the main reason is the lowers colors were what the majority of mines of the time (in the South African Cape) tended to produce.