Question about color in old diamonds

[innerkitten]

I''ve noticed that many of the antique rings that contain antique stones that I see on line and in stores are I, or J. Are more of the old diamonds just those colors. Also I''m no expert but many of you are so is the difference very noticable to the naked eye when it comes to color?
Thanks.
-Kitten

 

[Jennifer5973]

I've noticed that too....Even K, L, M and N colors! I am curious to know why as well...

 

[innerkitten]

I'm moving this back up to the top in hopes someone will know.
Hope you guys don't mind.

 

[glitterata]

I hope Old Miner will chime in, and bear in mind that I'm just a layperson, but I think it's a combination of two things: For very old stones, the mines that they came from yielded more yellower stones. (I'm really not very sure that that's right--I believe I read it somewhere, but it's completely possible I made it up.) But the major reason is that many of the whiter, more valuable, large old-cut stones were recut, so the remaining old cuts are disproportionally of lower color.

Don't jump on me if I'm wrong, okay, folks?

My Old European Cut is a K/L. I love it. It looks like a sunny day in February--icy but warm.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Yes, the price disparity between what a fine white old cut stone will bring on the market and a fine white modern cut stone caused a great portion of the finer white old cut stones to be recut and marketed as modern cuts.

The other theory Glitterata poses is interesting as well. The term "Old Mine" cut was used because a great portion of the old cuts came from the "old" South American and the even "older" Indian mines before the discovery of the "new" South African mines.

The Brazilian mines often had a tinge of brown or yellow to them, although they had a fair amount of fine whites as well. The Indian mines were noted for a large output of very fine "icy" white stones, especially from the Golconda mine.

The "new" South African Premier mine which began producing in the late 1800's was noted for a large amount of "cape" (yellow) stones, although it also produced a large amount of fine whites as well.

I would tend to put my money on the recutting hypothesis more than the origin theory. It's analogous to the large amount of fine antique silver tea & flatware sets which were "eliminated" in the refiner's furnace during the boom silver market of late 1979 - early 1980. I cringe when I think of the historical works of art which were destroyed merely for their metal value during this period of insanity.

 

[glitterata]

Ha! I didn't totally make it up after all! Thanks, Rich.

Now I'm even gladder my OEC is a K/L. Knowing my grandmother, who was always a nut for fashion (may she rest in peace), if it had been a high color I'm sure she would have recut it into some dull modern brilliant. Of course, that might not have been possible, since it has a big SI2-grade-making inclusion right near the girdle.

Let's hear it for low colors and big inclusions near the girdle!

Grandma, OECs are fashionable again. They're what all the girls are wearing. You hear that, Grandma? If only she'd lived to see the day.

 

[oldminer]

Rich is exactly right in his reply.... A great explanation.

 

[innerkitten]

Thanks people.
Jeez, that really is to bad about the old diamonds being recut and the silver being melted down as well.