Recutting an old stone - preserve features?

[Xanthoria]

My chipped diamond is going to be recut. It is an oldish stone pre-1924 with a culet and rough girdle.

Is it considered crazy to ask to keep those features when it gets recut? Or will I be losing out on brilliance etc?

Also who are the recommended recutters in New York?

 

[LadyMCh]

Keep the original features.
I saw your post on your other thread where you stated it was 2.14ct and a sentimental family heirloom.
You also stated you were hoping to keep the recut weight above 2ct.
If you recut it like a modern stone, I would *imagine* (and I'm sure other posters will chime in on this) that it would lose a lot more weight.
Ideally, the recut would repair the chip while keeping it as original as possible, right?
Would it still be sentimental if you recut it and it looked TOTALLY different? Even going from and OEC to a MRB, it would not look like the same stone IMHO.

Would love to see before and after photos of this recut journey, if possible! I think it would be interesting and informative!

 

[PintoBean]

Talk to Old World Diamonds and see if they can advise you.

 

[VRBeauty]

Talk to Old World Diamonds and see if they can advise you.

Ditto. I'm sure you're not the first person who's wanted to have an old cut refurbished rather than totally recut.


You might also talk to Good Old Gold. Since they pioneered the "new old cuts," they probably know a cutter or two who might be able to help you.

 

[Blingalingaling]

I own a 2.34 carat "vintage transitional" round brilliant diamond that was passed down to me from a family member which I had set in a platinum setting. I wore it every day and at some point I noticed that it had become chipped (I don't know exactly when it happened) at the girdle towards the pavilion. I recently brought it to Jon at Good Old Gold. He removed the stone from its setting and examined it. Then Jon offered me several scenarios for how to have the stone recut. One way was to make it a hearts and arrows diamond, another was to make it a round brilliant. He also suggested that he could have the chip smoothed out without completely re-cutting the stone. He gave me estimates for what each option would cost. I haven't made any decisions about how to handle it as of yet. I would like to maintain the vintage quality that it currently has as much as possible.

I highly recommend Jon at Good Old Gold if you're looking for someone in the New York metropolitan area to give you some ways to re-work your stone. He will be honest and tell you straightforwardly what he thinks needs to be done and will recommend the best options for how to do it.