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OECs--Where on earth to buy one?

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Lily85

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Jan 5, 2010
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Hi ladies! After drooling over all of your lovelies, I've decided that my heart is set on an Old European Cut diamond. Only bf has no idea where to start looking for a quality one! I, naturally, knew who to turn to for help :-)

What do you ladies think? I live in Virginia if that helps at all. Antique shops? Ebay? Fay Cullen?
 
Antique shops or Ebay are good places to start. Good Old Gold has also created a line of newly cut OEC's with optimum light performance called the August Vintage Round. I recommend checking them out.
 
I second GOG or Jewels by Erica Grace. Every now and then, GOG has antique OEC's as well as their line of August Vintage Rounds (which look stunning), so you may want to check with Jonathan to see if he has any that are for sale. Do you want an antique or newly cut diamond? The reason I ask is that AV rounds are newly cut diamonds in the OEC style with optimal performance. Antiques are obvious. LOL
 
If you are looking for finished beautiful pieces James Meyer has a stock of engagement rings with antique and vintage stones too. Just like Single Stone (ask for Ari he is super nice).
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Jewels By Erica Grace. My bf was in the same position as you while looking for an antique diamond and JBEG ended up being where he found my stone. He set it with Leon Mege, and it's perfect.

Good Luck!
 
ebay is a good place to go if you know what you want, know what you are looking for, and how how to cover your butt "just incase"...

If money isn't an issue, I'd go with JBEG.
 
The suggestions already made are good ones- I've bought from Old World Diamonds and found Adam extremely helpful and fair, and they have a great return policy. And I have spoken with JBEG but not purchased- and they were SUPER nice and sweet and I'd love to work with them someday. Singlestone I've heard great things about but their prices were higher than the rest when I was shopping, a few years ago, at least in the stones I were looking at. Their company has a great reputation however.

The very best deals I've found have been off eBay, though- my 3.55 ct OEC was an ebay purchase, a 2 ct transitional cut that I since sold to someone else. It does take time and patience however to go that route. And there is always an element of risk. I prefer to deal with sellers I have used before, like doverjewelry. However if someone with good feedback lists an item I'm interested in, I have a couple of ways of deciding if I will work with a seller or not.

First I ask for more pictures- usually a specific view. That insures that they actually OWN the item and didn't just gank the pictures from someone else. And it shows me if they are actually going to be responsive and polite (also important to me). And if they don't have a return policy on the auction, I will ask them if they'll let me have like 3 or 5 days no questions asked/ no restocking fee return period. The return period is absolutely *essential* to me when buying antique diamonds online. Not all are created equal and I really am kind of picky about their look and cut. And so if it doesn't speak to me in person I can send it back.

I usually get any purchases off eBay appraised by someone who knows antique diamonds. OWD, JBEG & Singlestone I wouldn't bother.
 
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