Please critique this OEC

[mockturtle]

Hello,
New here. Thank you all for keeping this forum awesome!!
After a few months of searching, I got this ring. According to the seller's local appraiser, it's somewhere around 0.9 ct, J-K color, VS1. The depth is around 64%.

I'd appreciate if anyone could tell me what she/he thinks about the stone. This is my first old cut diamond (well, it's my first diamond, really), and I have no clue. I'd love to know what I have. Do you think this is an OEC? Early or late? Or more like Transitional? What do you think about the proportion? Relatively speaking for old cuts, does this have higher or lower crown? Larger or smaller table? I know, it's probably hard to tell from the pictures... What do you think about the facet pattern? How would you describe the pattern in PS language (flowery, checkerboardy...)? It looks checkerboard-ish in the picture to me, but it looks flowery IRL. What do you think of the quality of the cut? I bought this for a really low price, so I won't get disappointed if you tell me it's not a great stone. I'm here to learn!

Sorry about a lot of iPhone pictures and the bloated wrinkly hand...

I swear I was not trying to be artsy by using ugly props. I just needed something to hold the ring in different angles and I had some sand!

I'm thinking about setting in a simple but somewhat vintage looking bezel. I work with hands and I'm kinda rough on my rings. Do you think this kind of stone (proportion, depth etc.) will perform OK in a bezel? Or I wouldn't know until I actually set it in a bezel? I'd love some suggestion on a protective setting. It's not an engagement ring. I'm thinking unplated 18k white gold, but I'm open to anything.

Lastly, do you think it's worth getting a GIA report before I set it?

Thank you for looking!
Mock

 

[foxinsox]

I think this is lovely! It looks OEC to me with windmills/flower petals under the table and a nice high crown. You've got a good wee bit of kozibe happening too in that 6th picture along. You can approximate how a bezel might affect the light by folding foil around the base and prongs at the girdle level.
What sort of bezel setting are you looking at?

 

[ringo865]

Pretty stone. Small table, nice juicy culet. Yes I said juicy. Lol. Great find.

 

[mockturtle]

Thank you, foxinsox and ringo865!
Kozibe and the juicy culet. Great!!
This was an eBay find, and I had no idea how the stone actually looked like. It had a third party appraisal, so I took a risk. I'm on a tight budget, if any, so I wouldn't have been able to buy something like this any other way. I was initially looking for an OMC, but I couldn't pass up the super deal.
I guess I was hoping the high crown would be more noticeable IRL.
I think it's a versatile size and shape.

As for the setting, I think I need to get a bezel to protect the stone. No side stones or halo. Something simple, a bit old timey and unique. Hmm, some scrolling on the gallery or millgrain. I like octagonal shapes too, but I don't want the bead setting or prongs. Has anyone seen an octagonal bezel setting?

 

[rockysalamander]

Here's a thread. https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ish-style-settings-rings-pendants-etc.229130/

 

[mockturtle]

Thank you for the link, rockysalamander!
By the way, I love salamanders. They are so cute
I am thinking, octagonal bezel setting without halo or even decorative prongs would look like something is missing? With bead setting inside the octagon, they look lovely, but I'm worried how secure they would be or the beads might snag like prongs.
Maybe I should just stick to the round bezel to make my life easier. Some kind of open design in the gallery and engraved band. Gotta do more search for inspirations!

 

[rockysalamander]

Salamanders are an awesome critter.

I too love bezels. First, make sure you use some aluminum foil to simulate a bezel before you decide. Some OEC really need the light entering the girdle and blocking it takes away the stone's life. Some are fine. I don't think the halo stones, if set with bead, will snag much. I also think if the prongs are well-made, they won't snag. My ring is by DK and no prong snagging yet.

I think an octagonal setting is really nice. It just feels right for old stones. dreamer_dachsie has a octagonal setting with no halo and I like it. And yennyfire has a three stone. At the bottom is a bezel by Erica Winters, if your stone likes being fully enclosed. I love the blend of modern and vintage into a single ring.

 

[mockturtle]

Thanks for reminding me about the aluminum foil test. I completely forgot about the same advice given by foxinsox and started looking for bezel setting inspirations. I had a light blue green deep bellied native cut sapphire set in completely closed 18k yg bezel. It totally sucked the life out of the stone. I reset it in rose gold bezel with very open gallery. It looked so much better. First, I thought it was the color of the gold, but I think it was the closed gallery.

I cut a little piece of foil and put it around the diamond and looked at it in some different lightings around the house. So far it looks good! Tomorrow, I'm going to check in my secret diamond admiring spot at work.

Thanks also for posting those images. Dreamer_dachsie's and yennyfire's rings are soooo classy and beautiful. I like Erika Winters' bezel too. I remember seeing the gorgeous yellow gold setting owned by coati. So coati is Erika Winters? I saw her name Erika W. in her signature... *slowly connecting dots... I agree, I love the idea of blending modern and vintage.
So many options, not enough diamonds! Why am I not a gazillionaire?

 

[cartoo4]

Wow, I am jealous of you.

 

[LLJsmom]

That is a nice eBay find! I personally would send it to GIA, but only because I am the kind that has to know. I did the same thing with the tin foil test. An octagon would be lovely. Or if you work with your hands, I have always loved a modern looking hammered gold bezel. Very modern and clean and lots of protection. Can't wait to See what you choose.

 

[arkieb1]

It's an early OEC generally if you had it GIA graded most ebay sellers over estimate the colour, although side on it doesn't appear to have much of a tint to it.

 

[Sagefemme]

Very pretty stone, congratulations! If you think the stone would perform better with a non-bezel setting, but want security, you could consider tab prongs, like those in my OEC setting (same ring as avatar):



They are wide and well-made and not snappable!

 

[Sagefemme]

Whoops, here's the photo.

 

[mockturtle]

Thanks, everyone!!

LLJsmom, I'm in love with your rings , especially the square bezel one! Is the stone antique cushion? I love simple bezel rings. Do your rings have closed gallery? If you have any side view images handy, I'd love to see them. I'm thinking about putting my stone in a similar bezel, with or without carved shank.

I really like my stone, but I can't help wishing it had a higher crown and a smaller table. This stone is very flashy/fiery in indirect sunlight and in my bathroom . I bought a tiny OMC with a smaller table and a taller crown. The OMC is not as fiery as this OEC. I thought I read that taller crown/smaller table usually make a stone more fiery?? I am thinking some day, I'd like to get a larger OMC or antique cushion. Does anyone have a super flashy OMC or antique cushion with a tiny table and a tall crown?

I took the stone out of the setting and measured it, and it turned out to be shallower than the appraisal said. I think I'm going to get the GIA report, just so I know what I have. I can see the slight tint of color from the side in certain lightings. I'm also curious to know what color grade will GIA give this stone. I can be totally happy with lower colors.

Sagefemme, your ring is gorgeous! I looooove mixed metals. And the tab prongs look very secure. Hmmmm, I could do slightly wider tabs, like something in between the tab prongs and a semi bezel. I've seen some lovely antique settings like that. OMG, I already started working on a round bezel setting, Now I'm not sure what to do.... How do people decide what to do with their stones when there are so many choices. I'm so indecisive. And this is not even an engagement ring!

 

[Sagefemme]

The truth is many diamond ring lovers end up with a few different settings over time for the same stone! It's not ideal from a cost perspective, but getting a custom setting to be exactly what you want is challenging. I do think it's key to work with an excellent designer whose style is already similar to what you want.