Old Cut Nuts... Have you switched from RB to Old Stone?

[Maisie]

That diamond is stunning! I bet I would be happy with that and never want to upgrade ever again

 

[Mara]

Matata, haha! You know me so well!

Thanks ladies, it is a truly lovely stone!! It's an estimated M/N and a very spready 2.5c.

 

[Enerchi]

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. That doesn't perform at ALL.

Ditto the wisdom of aljdewey!!! AND Tgal's "what's to consider??"

Do it Mara! That's a no brainier! A stone like this doesn't come around as often as a MRB. go for it

 

[TravelingGal]

So I take it you have seen it in person?

 

[aljdewey]

Yum!

 

[armywife13]

It is stunning! I love the faceting and large culet. I would snatch that up so fast people's heads would spin!

 

[Dreamer_D]

One may not care for the look of them, but I don't think it's accurate to say that AVRs are not OECs. According to the grading lab, the certificate, and the cut criteria, they are OECs.

GIA is really bad at labeling cuts for what it is worth. They very often call true old cuts "Round Brilliants". And how can something be called an Old European Cut when it is newly cut? Anyways, I don't care about nomenclature, I just think GIA cannot be the deciding factor.

DS: That stone you love is a transitional and basically just a chunky modern round brilliant So for you an AVR would be perfect -- super precision, shorter LGF, tall crown. Having seen and lived with many different styels of old cuts, my heart lies with the older higher crowned bubbly cuts that look so decidedly different that modern RBs

Dreamer, I would love a well cut OEC as well. I just didn't have any examples of larger stones with an excellent face up view saved in my pictures. The best example I can tell you is that I greatly prefer some OEC's on JBEG over others. I'd choose the best cut ones. But even then, you often can't set them in a prong setting unless you deal with the very thin girdle. Thankfully we know how to access cutting and polishing! But I think transitional owners are going to argue that their stones are old cuts since they are! I had a beautiful small one but sold the ring.

Of course trannies are old stones, any stone cut prior to about 1950 is "old", and used different methods than modern RBs. I simply meant that the stone you posted looks more like an AVR than most older old cuts, in my opinion, so if a later transitional is your ideal cut then an AVR could scratch the itch.

 

[onedrop]

Mara! That is a gorgeous stone. I have nothing at all to add to the MRB vs. "Old Cut" debate, but I admit to continuing to check in on this thread hoping that you'd eventually post pics of the stone you are considering, luckily you did not disappoint. I agree with TGal, what else is there to consider???? That is your new e-ring stone!

 

[Dreamer_D]

...[snip]

DS - part of it, though, might be a question of cut type. Somebody a few pages back - sorry that I don't remember who - mentioned that AVRs looked more like transitionals to them then they did what we think of as OECs. Those sorts of stones, with the regular "snowflake" facets and the somewhat bigger tables (as compared to the teeny-tiny tables of the older cuts) actually do tend to return a lot of white light - they're like BICs rather than FICs. The lighting environment is definitely crucial, but even once you take that into account ....

(You probably know all this, just mentioning it for lurkers.)

Again, this is a matter of taste and not criticism. AVRs are beautiful examples of that type! But it does mean that they don't necessarily fulfill the desires of people who want OECs. Now, if Jon wanted to cut something that fit the proportions of, say, that little 60 pointer Dreamer mentioned ...

When I was looking at photos of old cuts on PS the trannies always jumped out at me. They looks so precise and the faceting really lends itself well to photography somehow.

But in person I have discovered I actually prefer stones that are on the border between OMC and OEC. Like that little 60 I had -- GOSH that is an AMAZING stone! A wierdo because of the flat crown, but the bubbley facets and the table and the huge culet! GAH the table was like 30% or something insane like that. Even in a measurement of only 5.4mm you could utterly see the chunky faceting. But I digress...

My point is that I think you right that later old cuts favour white light return more than earlier old cuts. I think it is because when you want to balance the optical output of a diamond you end up with a stone that looks good in the most different lighting environments, but that balance means you are not getting the MOST fire or white light you can possibly have.

I wonder if it is possible to cut a stone that absolutely maximizes fire and crown height and bubbly facets -- all the things I love about OECs and OMCs -- yet utterly avoid the negatives like under table darkness (leakage/obstruction). My intuition is possibly not. Those negatives might be the cost of getting all those cool features of old cuts.

 

[Dreamer_D]

And now that I caught up...

That looks like an awesome stone. And it looks like one of your own photos so I guess you have seen it and compared it to your RB, so really, making the choice so simply (compared to making the choice based on photos only, or something.

Is it big enough though I would love to see more photos. And hear about where you found it!

 

[Maisie]

And now that I caught up...

That looks like an awesome stone. And it looks like one of your own photos so I guess you have seen it and compared it to your RB, so really, making the choice so simply (compared to making the choice based on photos only, or something.

Is it big enough though I would love to see more photos. And hear about where you found it!

fo

I wondered about the size too. Normally an upgrade for Mara means a jump in size. Wouldn't this one be around the same size as the MRB. Unless the diamond is more of a change in style than size of course.

 

[TravelingGal]

...[snip]

DS - part of it, though, might be a question of cut type. Somebody a few pages back - sorry that I don't remember who - mentioned that AVRs looked more like transitionals to them then they did what we think of as OECs. Those sorts of stones, with the regular "snowflake" facets and the somewhat bigger tables (as compared to the teeny-tiny tables of the older cuts) actually do tend to return a lot of white light - they're like BICs rather than FICs. The lighting environment is definitely crucial, but even once you take that into account ....

(You probably know all this, just mentioning it for lurkers.)

Again, this is a matter of taste and not criticism. AVRs are beautiful examples of that type! But it does mean that they don't necessarily fulfill the desires of people who want OECs. Now, if Jon wanted to cut something that fit the proportions of, say, that little 60 pointer Dreamer mentioned ...

When I was looking at photos of old cuts on PS the trannies always jumped out at me. They looks so precise and the faceting really lends itself well to photography somehow.

But in person I have discovered I actually prefer stones that are on the border between OMC and OEC. Like that little 60 I had -- GOSH that is an AMAZING stone! A wierdo because of the flat crown, but the bubbley facets and the table and the huge culet! GAH the table was like 30% or something insane like that. Even in a measurement of only 5.4mm you could utterly see the chunky faceting. But I digress...

My point is that I think you right that later old cuts favour white light return more than earlier old cuts. I think it is because when you want to balance the optical output of a diamond you end up with a stone that looks good in the most different lighting environments, but that balance means you are not getting the MOST fire or white light you can possibly have.

I wonder if it is possible to cut a stone that absolutely maximizes fire and crown height and bubbly facets -- all the things I love about OECs and OMCs -- yet utterly avoid the negatives like under table darkness (leakage/obstruction). My intuition is possibly not. Those negatives might be the cost of getting all those cool features of old cuts.

Ditto. I was mesmerized by surfgirl's stone, and others like it. I had not seen an old cut in person until Alj's (loved hers, but it's older in style too, I think). When I got my brooch, I was totally in love with it, but the photos made me wonder at first because it seemed so asymetrical. In person, it's just so GLITTERY, meaning the sparkles look like rounded or squarish glitter. Bubbly, as Dreamer puts it. It actually performs pretty well to me in most lighting conditions, but by far, this thing is "dinner ring." It loves indoor lighting.

Maybe I'm not looking correctly, but I really don't see a lot of obstruction/table darkness in this stone. Either way, I guess what's important is I love it.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Thanks, Alj - blushing.

DS - part of it, though, might be a question of cut type. Somebody a few pages back - sorry that I don't remember who - mentioned that AVRs looked more like transitionals to them then they did what we think of as OECs. Those sorts of stones, with the regular "snowflake" facets and the somewhat bigger tables (as compared to the teeny-tiny tables of the older cuts) actually do tend to return a lot of white light - they're like BICs rather than FICs. The lighting environment is definitely crucial, but even once you take that into account ....

(You probably know all this, just mentioning it for lurkers.)

Again, this is a matter of taste and not criticism. AVRs are beautiful examples of that type! But it does mean that they don't necessarily fulfill the desires of people who want OECs. Now, if Jon wanted to cut something that fit the proportions of, say, that little 60 pointer Dreamer mentioned ...

Yes! Gotcha!!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

...haha TG and Skippy... couldn't leave you gals totally hanging. Here's a pic of what I am considering.

 

[bright ice]

It looks like a lovely OEC Mara

 

[Skippy123]

...haha TG and Skippy... couldn't leave you gals totally hanging. Here's a pic of what I am considering.

Wooooweeee baby!!!!!



wait tell us details please!!! Is it a JBEG? Or where were you when it jumped out at you!!! spill!

 

[Skippy123]

I always thought if she turned in her 2 ct RB I would snatch it up, seriously!!! I guess I can't now being a SAHM!

Skip, you're not alone on that, believe me. I've had dibs on that stone since the day we first laid eyes on it together at WF, and it's seriously the only stone I'd have considered getting in addition to my e-ring......but I'm suffering from the same affliction Mara is. While I used to love it and can still appreciate it for what it is, it doesn't speak to me now the way old stones with the CHUNKY facets do. I'm hoarding *those* like they're going out of style (which they kind of are!).

Hey, what about me! I am the type that like BOTH OEC AND RB H&As!!!

 

[vinjewels]

I have to say I was hoping it was a certain 2.5ish stone, but this diamond is AMAZING! I keep looking at the pic and its pretty mesmerizing. I think you will be happy with this old cut. Really really nice Mara! Can't wait to hear where you found it and see what you set it in...

 

[Mara]

I have to say I was hoping it was a certain 2.5ish stone, but this diamond is AMAZING! I keep looking at the pic and its pretty mesmerizing. I think you will be happy with this old cut. Really really nice Mara! Can't wait to hear where you found it and see what you set it in...

vinjewels, it was your stone that made me stop and go HMMM about really making the change from MRB to a big OEC..! i was so so very tempted...but unfortunately it wasn't 9mm which is my crazy-mental sweet spot. i do love that stone though and hope a lucky PS'er gets it!

maisie, this stone is 9mm so it's 0.4mm larger than my RB, which is not a ton in general but when you're talking diamonds, can make a difference in things like pricing! lol.

if i decide to do it, ya'll will know all the details!!

 

[Skippy123]

I have to say I was hoping it was a certain 2.5ish stone, but this diamond is AMAZING! I keep looking at the pic and its pretty mesmerizing. I think you will be happy with this old cut. Really really nice Mara! Can't wait to hear where you found it and see what you set it in...

vinjewels, it was your stone that made me stop and go HMMM about really making the change from MRB to a big OEC..! i was so so very tempted...but unfortunately it wasn't 9mm which is my crazy-mental sweet spot. i do love that stone though and hope a lucky PS'er gets it!

maisie, this stone is 9mm so it's 0.4mm larger than my RB, which is not a ton in general but when you're talking diamonds, can make a difference in things like pricing! lol.

if i decide to do it, ya'll will know all the details!!

OHhhhhhhhhhhhh! Well I think you better do it now that stone looks amazing!!! eta: just don't be like me and let it sit in your jewelry box. lol Hey so will you keep your 3 stone right too? I love that ring!

 

[TravelingGal]

I have to say I was hoping it was a certain 2.5ish stone, but this diamond is AMAZING! I keep looking at the pic and its pretty mesmerizing. I think you will be happy with this old cut. Really really nice Mara! Can't wait to hear where you found it and see what you set it in...

vinjewels, it was your stone that made me stop and go HMMM about really making the change from MRB to a big OEC..! i was so so very tempted...but unfortunately it wasn't 9mm which is my crazy-mental sweet spot. i do love that stone though and hope a lucky PS'er gets it!

maisie, this stone is 9mm so it's 0.4mm larger than my RB, which is not a ton in general but when you're talking diamonds, can make a difference in things like pricing! lol.

if i decide to do it, ya'll will know all the details!!

Can you get it done before I see you next?

 

[Mara]

Already thinking up how to set it! No way can I have a giant stone in my box unattended, hehe.
And yep I love that 3stone ring! I'm going to set this simply because I already have the 'vintage' old look in that ring.

 

[Mara]

I have to say I was hoping it was a certain 2.5ish stone, but this diamond is AMAZING! I keep looking at the pic and its pretty mesmerizing. I think you will be happy with this old cut. Really really nice Mara! Can't wait to hear where you found it and see what you set it in...

vinjewels, it was your stone that made me stop and go HMMM about really making the change from MRB to a big OEC..! i was so so very tempted...but unfortunately it wasn't 9mm which is my crazy-mental sweet spot. i do love that stone though and hope a lucky PS'er gets it!

maisie, this stone is 9mm so it's 0.4mm larger than my RB, which is not a ton in general but when you're talking diamonds, can make a difference in things like pricing! lol.

if i decide to do it, ya'll will know all the details!!

Can you get it done before I see you next?

That's a tall order..!! I dunno if it'll be that quick, we'll just have to schedule something later ! Hehe.

 

[TravelingGal]

Already thinking up how to set it! No way can I have a giant stone in my box unattended, hehe.
And yep I love that 3stone ring! I'm going to set this simply because I already have the 'vintage' old look in that ring.

So done deal. It's yours?

 

[Mara]

Already thinking up how to set it! No way can I have a giant stone in my box unattended, hehe.
And yep I love that 3stone ring! I'm going to set this simply because I already have the 'vintage' old look in that ring.

So done deal. It's yours?

Haha not technically, yet!

 

[Skippy123]

I can't wait to see how you set it!

 

[SparklyOEC]

Mara ~ Can't wait to see how you set that beauty! Anymore details you'd like to share yet?

 

[madelise]

I never got to get an H&A and I've already switched teams. There's something so romantic about an old cut!

ETA: I tried to go back a few pages and fish for where a few of you vintage cut veterans wrote about writing a guide to old cuts? Or something? I know I saw it on my cellphone! But I couldn't find it among all the comments! Is there anyway to request you lovely ladies MAKE a OECs for Dummies 101 thread? Show us newbies what to look for, properly? I'm sure I'm not the only one that would be interested. There are hundreds of threads teaching how to pick a good RB, yet not many deep threads on how to pick an OEC/Tranny.


Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease

 

[Maisie]

I have to say I was hoping it was a certain 2.5ish stone, but this diamond is AMAZING! I keep looking at the pic and its pretty mesmerizing. I think you will be happy with this old cut. Really really nice Mara! Can't wait to hear where you found it and see what you set it in...

vinjewels, it was your stone that made me stop and go HMMM about really making the change from MRB to a big OEC..! i was so so very tempted...but unfortunately it wasn't 9mm which is my crazy-mental sweet spot. i do love that stone though and hope a lucky PS'er gets it!

maisie, this stone is 9mm so it's 0.4mm larger than my RB, which is not a ton in general but when you're talking diamonds, can make a difference in things like pricing! lol.

if i decide to do it, ya'll will know all the details!!

I wonder if the size difference isn't really the point here anyway. You obviously love this new diamond, and its totally different to the one you have, so really the size is secondary to the love you feel for the new stone.

I can't wait to see how you are going to set it, and lots of photos and handshots.

 

[MyDiamondSparkles]

it's gorgeous, Mara! Did you mention how you will set it if you do decide to purchase it?