OEC

[2leftysRM]

Aloha all!

I have been a lurker for a while and am grateful for all that I have learned through the many different forums I have read. My bf and I have been together for 10 years and are (FINALLY!!) looking for a ring. Over the years I have fallen in love with many different styles, but the one that has captured my heart is the OEC. I love estate rings and the historic sentimental value that accompanies it. We have looked on ruby lane and would like to know what we should be looking for when looking for an OEC diamond.

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[tyty333]

They usually pick nice ones at Love affair diamonds so I'll give you a link to them to see. They usually have videos too.
http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/loose-diamonds/

Also, Jewels by Grace
http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/

I'm not saying all of them are great but they usually have good eyes for nice stones.

 

[liaerfbv]

I would also contact Adam at Old World Diamonds. People have different preferences for old cuts so it's harder to tell you what to look for. I like a very tiny table and high crown, a large culet, and I do not like kozibe. You might love it. Spend time browsing pictures of OECs on the internet/SMTB and take note of aspects that continually catch your eye. Once you have a few stones you think might be contenders, you can post macro shots of the faceting here and let people comment. Also, if you share your budget and stone parameters, people can suggest stones to you.

 

[arkieb1]

What is your colour and rough size preference and your budget everyone will suggest items for you.

 

[2leftysRM]

Thank you all for your replies! Our budget is around 7000, would love more attention on the center stone. I don't need a white diamond, mid range color would be fine and would like something that is eye clean. Don't necessarily want a plain band, but maybe some small accent diamonds on a thin band to have the center stone pop! Thanks again! I will check out the sites you all recommended.

 

[2leftysRM]

One more thing. I understand the different levels of grading for GIA and EGL, many of the estate rings we come across have an EGL grading. Should we avoid these? Many thanks!

 

[tyty333]

No, do not avoid EGL with older cuts.

So budget is $7K including setting?

 

[SB621]

One more thing. I understand the different levels of grading for GIA and EGL, many of the estate rings we come across have an EGL grading. Should we avoid these? Many thanks!

No don't avoid. For the longest time GIA didn't grade old cuts (didn't have the OMC/ OEC category) so many vendors used EGL over GIA. It really isn't fair to get a GIA report and have it graded round brilliant when it is somsething else. it is comparing apples and oranges. Now GIA has old cut categories so you seem them more often but EGL is still more prevalent. So for old cuts I think EGL is fine (but WOULD recert and make sale contingent on the recert done by GIA.

 

[2leftysRM]

Awesome thank you!! That makes sense, I have seen much more EGL reports than GIA and the rings still look amazing. Yup I'd say around 7000. We have looked at ruby lane and I've also contacted love affair diamonds who seems to be very helpful. When we find rings should I post them in this thread or somewhere else?

 

[chrono]

My apologies for the threadjack, but if one is to include EGL reports in the search, should the stone then be submitted to GIA to get a more accurate colour and clarity grading (due to the lax or over-inflated EGL grading) so that one can get a better assessment of how much one should pay for the stone?

 

[2leftysRM]

Awesome question, we were actually discussing the same thing. We were wondering how much more you are paying for the ring being that it is older but the parameters aren't as great.