Vintage vs. Modern Round Stone

[corgibutts]

Hi All,

Now that I''m in touch with a couple jewelers, I''ve been working with more and more with one jeweler on custom making a vintage-style ring.

That said, I''m being led toward an antique stone rather than a modern stone. From what I understand, the modern stone may "clash" with the vintage design. Is there merit in this statement (comparing a good vintage stone vs. an ideal H&A modern stone)?

What do I need to look for in antique stones vs. modern ones?

Thanks for any help.

 

[LGK]

I think a round brilliant can look perfectly lovely in a modern vintage inspired setting. If it were a genuine antique setting I'd say it might be better to go vintage on the stone too. They're awfully different looks- is there any way you can check out some nice antique stones? If you heart white light return you might not care for the look; they tend towards lots of fire and less white light, with big chunky facets.

I think you should just go with whatever speaks to you, nevermind the setting. As a modern setting, even vintage styled, it'll look fine with a round brilliant I think.

For antique diamonds, some good sources are Singlestone, or oldworlddiamonds.com.

It can be hard to find colorless antique diamonds (and expensive!) Often it's the warmer colors that seem to be around... so that might be a consideration too. Also the lower white light return can make the color a bit more apparent than an ideal cut round brilliant would.

For an old euroopean cut, I tend to look for the classic things that cut tends to have: high crown, small table, medium to large open culet, and decent symmetry. Oh, and you don't want one that's ridiculously shallow- that'll kill the center of the stone dead, typically; shallow ones are out there, despite the idea that they tend to be deeper than modern diamonds. So I generally look for ones that are around 60% to 63%ish depth. The tables I prefer are the smaller ones- 45% to 55%.

Also old diamonds tend to have wear and tear- chips are not uncommon along the girdle, and girdles on the old rocks tend to be thinner; if your setting isn't that protected, you might consider that too. Both of my OECs have very thin to thin girdles, and thus have a lot of metal surrounding them!

 

[decolady]

Date: 9/8/2008 6:01:22 PM
Author:corgibutts
Hi All,

Now that I''m in touch with a couple jewelers, I''ve been working with more and more with one jeweler on custom making a vintage-style ring.

That said, I''m being led toward an antique stone rather than a modern stone. From what I understand, the modern stone may ''clash'' with the vintage design. Is there merit in this statement (comparing a good vintage stone vs. an ideal H&A modern stone)?

What do I need to look for in antique stones vs. modern ones?

Thanks for any help.

Your eyes

It all depends on what your drawn to.. I myself only buy antique (or cut in antique style) diamonds, that''s what draws me. Modern cut''s are stunning as well but they don''t sing to me.

A modern stone wont clash at all.. some of the new style vintage setting look better with a modern RB IMO

Try to see some side by side (if possible) but just go with your heart and not what you "should" get.

 

[ericad]

A modern diamond can certainly look beautiful in a vintage setting, just as an antique diamond can be a knockout in a modern setting. It''s a matter of preference - I personally love the unconventional!

That being said, if you are drawn to antique style settings you may also find yourself more drawn to antique diamonds, so my advice is to look at both in person before making a decision. Find a reputable, high end antique dealer in your area and browse, then do the same for modern RB''s.

Old cuts must be seen in person to be fully appreciated