OEC's

[Ashley-Sarah]

Hi, I was curious to know if anyone has purchased a warmer colored stone L/M/N range and had any regrets. I am considering a purchase and am not quite sure. It would be in the 1.5 to 2 ct range, round OEC.

 

[missy]

You have to see the specific stone in person. In OEC's each diamond has its own personality even more so than modern cuts IMO and a GIA L (for example) may face up whiter in one OEC than another. Plus, your tolerance or aesthetic preference for color in an OEC is also very personal to your taste and must be seen in person and in different environments to know for sure.

I have a GIA L VS1 (4.56 carats) and I love the way it looks. Faces up white to me and the chunky faceting is yummy. I have been wearing it now for about 15 months and I don't regret a single moment. I previously had a GIA MRB GVS2 and I love this OEC way more.

Good luck. It's a fun decision to have.

 

[Ashley-Sarah]

Thanks Missy, I guess I will have to see it then decide. What kind of setting do you have.

 

[missy]

You're very welcome. I have my OEC in a vintage 8 prong solitaire. Perfect home for it IMO. If you are looking at halos or other settings with diamonds you also need to take the color of your OEC into account because it will highlight the difference. I prefer single cut diamonds with OEC's and also don't like too much of a color difference so something to consider if that would bother you. Having said that there are some gorgeous antique diamonds with higher colored halos that look beautiful. Sarah's Venice comes to mind. It's all a matter of what you love.

Thanks Missy, I guess I will have to see it then decide. What kind of setting do you have.

 

[Ashley-Sarah]

I definitely want a solitaire setting. I am not a halo kind of girl. In the future I would like a 5 stone to match it. I wonder how difficult that may be. Thanks for reply

 

[justginger]

I think lower coloured OECs are stunning - mine is an AC, so can' speak from personal experience, but I have certainly considered emailing Adam and asking him to find me the twin of Missy's stone!

Visit the largest antique jeweller you can, play with all their lovely things, and get a feel for your personal preferences. Everyone is different. Then you can go from there in your search for individual candidates.

 

[OECsareforLovers]

Visit the largest antique jeweller you can, play with all their lovely things, and get a feel for your personal preferences. Everyone is different. Then you can go from there in your search for individual candidates.

x2! I'm a totally newbie at this, but I went to EVERY antique/estate jewelry store I could find and looked at every stone they had. None had reliable certs, but I started to get a feel for how much tint I liked and what was too much. Happy hunting!

 

[Ashley-Sarah]

Thanks everyone Sounds like a good idea to seek out places that sells antique stones hadn't thought of that. At one time I ordered a J colored modern round brilliant 1.25 ct just to see the color. It looked a bit brown but nice.

 

[Acinom]

As mentioned earlier, this is a very personal choice.
I had an icy white princess... And regretted the shape and the icy white colour after many years. I now have a U-V coloured OEC which I love I love the chameleon-like quality: sometimes my stones faces up rather white and sometimes it has a yummy creamy olde lace colour. I found my stone at an antique jeweller and it was love at first sight!! Good idea to have a look at various jewellers and find out what you love.

 

[arkieb1]

Colour is a really subjective deeply personal choice, what one person loves another will not. I have a very white facing L that I guess I live with because of the size of it and another J that at times drives me nuts. I prefer whiter stones including old cuts but I don't mind them with a pale yellow tint or a pale pink tint but am not a fan of grey, grey-green or brownish hues. Or I like them with a good dose of colour so they look very coloured usually right down the lower end of the spectrum.

Only you know what you can and can't live with. In my experience if you get the stone and think you can live with it then it will be fine, if you get it and it bugs you then it will always be an issue.

 

[hippi_pixi]

the advice everyone has given is spot on.

to answer your specific question i have a GIA M 3.5 carat OEC. For me it faces up white in most circumstances. not icy white or creamy white or lacy white. just white. from the top. obviously it has tint from the side but that shouldn't worry you cos who looks at your diamond from the side?

but occasionally it's yellow tinted. i don't enjoy this as much but it's like 10-20% of the time. mostly in modern jewellery store lighting. i haven't bought anything at T&CO since getting my e-ring cos it looks shit in there and that bums me out, and who wants to buy overpriced pretty things in a bad mood?

just my very personal experience

I was surprised how white a GIA M actually was in my OEC. In Australian antique stores most stone that are described as I/J and compared to my stone i swear they are O/P or S/T. so the rating system your stone is graded on is just as important at the grading itself!

 

[Dreamer_D]

My diamond does not have a lab report but it is a K-L color depending on the grader. I love it and it is nice and white most of the time. I don't like it paired with smaller diamonds. Smaller diamonds always look whiter than larger (all else being equal) due to the optical properties of smaller-versus-larger stones. And I don't like the contrast.

I have seen/owned more tinted diamonds. And MN and an OP. Body tint can be almost any color, so you really have to judge the diamond individually -- the cut style and body color really interact to create a unique appearance in each diamond.