We found an OEC diamond!!! But, I have another question . . .

[Loves Vintage]

During one of my many internet searches (on ebay of all places), I came across a shop just an hour from my home that specializes in antique and estate jewelry and have been in business for 25 years. The selection was vast!!! I had e-mailed them during the week (through eBay and told him what I was looking for. He went through his inventory, set up a tray for me, and spent a lot of time with us this morning going through them all. We were so impressed that he took the time to pick stones and rings from throughout his store and set them aside to make our visit so, well, easy. We picked out a stone and a setting!! It was amazing that we were in such agreement on the setting styles. There were two that we both loved. We chose a very simple setting, handmade, around 1910, very delicate, lovely, unlike any I'd seen before, but exactly what I've been looking for.

The stone is a 1.19 E, SI1 OEC. It is stunning and has lots of fire. Again, everything I was looking for in a stone.

I'm a big fan of reducing cost with an SI1 in exchange for no color.

So, here is my question. There was another OEC, an i or j, I don't recall. It was set in a ring. The facets were very apparent to me, lots of mirroring back, but in a consistent/symmetrical sort of way. My stone was not in a setting. The facets did mirror, but in a somewhat less symmetrical sort of way, or at least that's how it seemed to me. He said that the cuts were very similar and that the facets would appear the same as in the other stone, once my stone was set. He put my stone above my setting (which had another diamond in it) and my stone did pop, as they say.

Am I being crazy? I am starting to worry about the facets. Am I worrying for nothing? Some OECs don't mirror as much?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Did you take a loupe with you? If not, you need to go back and look at the stones again, both at a distance and with magnification. You should be able to see the facet pattern whether it is set or not.

But congratulations on finding a ring!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Oh, I''m still a beginner, so no loupe to bring here. But, we did look at it under the scope, and yes, the pattern is definitely there. That''s just the thing, I guess, I don''t know enough to know if that is enough, i.e. will the pattern produce the mirroring? It could be I''m just a classic second guesser.

I will say something else interesting that I noticed, not sure what it means, but there was a small circle at the bottom, which is good, but I also noticed, this is hard to explain, but at the point where some of the facets connect, there were also tiny circles/holes. I''m sure these aren''t imperfections in the stone, but must have something to do with the cutting, right?

 

[urseberry]

The circles you saw are most likely reflections of the culet. See example below.

 

[susi]

LovesVintage, I''m glad urseberry posted this picture as it''s a great one for showing the mirroring of the culet in a gorgeous ring!

My feeling is that you should not rush your purchase. I feel that I understand your desire for a certain look in the stone you choose and that you should step back, look around, ask questions here on PS and take your time.

 

[Lorelei]

Fab pic Urse!

 

[diagem]

Date: 1/5/2008 9:11:56 PM
Author:Loves Vintage
During one of my many internet searches (on ebay of all places), I came across a shop just an hour from my home that specializes in antique and estate jewelry and have been in business for 25 years. The selection was vast!!! I had e-mailed them during the week (through eBay and told him what I was looking for. He went through his inventory, set up a tray for me, and spent a lot of time with us this morning going through them all. We were so impressed that he took the time to pick stones and rings from throughout his store and set them aside to make our visit so, well, easy. We picked out a stone and a setting!! It was amazing that we were in such agreement on the setting styles. There were two that we both loved. We chose a very simple setting, handmade, around 1910, very delicate, lovely, unlike any I''d seen before, but exactly what I''ve been looking for.

The stone is a 1.19 E, SI1 OEC. It is stunning and has lots of fire. Again, everything I was looking for in a stone.

I''m a big fan of reducing cost with an SI1 in exchange for no color.

So, here is my question. There was another OEC, an i or j, I don''t recall. It was set in a ring. The facets were very apparent to me, lots of mirroring back, but in a consistent/symmetrical sort of way. My stone was not in a setting. The facets did mirror, but in a somewhat less symmetrical sort of way, or at least that''s how it seemed to me. He said that the cuts were very similar and that the facets would appear the same as in the other stone, once my stone was set. He put my stone above my setting (which had another diamond in it) and my stone did pop, as they say.
Since you are talking about an OEC..., the appearance and mirroring effect as you call it greatly depends on the combination of crown angle and pavilion angle. Symmetry can vary between older cut stones! Some have good and some have bad symmetry..., But that is the beauty of old-cuts!

Am I being crazy? I am starting to worry about the facets. Am I worrying for nothing? Some OECs don''t mirror as much?

In Old-Cuts there are NO LAWS!!! You should look through a lot of stones until you fall for one! Once you have found the one that speaks to you..., it shouldnt matter if its a good symmetrical Diamond or a fair one!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thank you all for your helpful advice.

The thing about the rushing is -- we have been "looking" for months now and at some point, we have to make a decision so that I can get engaged already!!! With that said, these are the only OEC stones that I had seen IRL. The "I" stone definitely spoke to me, but it was just too yellow for me. How many E, S1 OECs are there going to be for me to look at?

I hope they are open tomorrow as I will be driving down that way anyway. And, poor DBF -- he was so relieved that we found a ring, finally. When I started to mention my concerns yesterday afternoon, a grave look came over his face. It was a combination of fear, panic and confusion. It could be that I am just second guessing myself, so I should either look at it again or just wait it out and love it no matter how many mirrors I see.

Urseberry - Thanks for the picture. The tiny circles were definitely reflections of the culet. They looked the same, only smaller. They were much smaller than the ones in your picture.

DiaGem - So, your saying bad symmetry isn't necessarily bad . . . only if it doesn't appeal to me? And, could the lack of mirroring have anything to do with the color of the stone -- i.e. maybe the reflections were not as apparent because the stone was so white? I will see that it seemed quite symmetrical under the scope.

I did not take it out into the daylight. I did take the I stone out, and it was white as can be in the sun, but I am not usually in direct sunlight, so I had to pass on it.

 

[diagem]

Date: 1/6/2008 10:10:05 AM
Author: Loves Vintage
Thank you all for your helpful advice.

The thing about the rushing is -- we have been ''looking'' for months now and at some point, we have to make a decision so that I can get engaged already!!! With that said, these are the only OEC stones that I had seen IRL. The ''I'' stone definitely spoke to me, but it was just too yellow for me. How many E, S1 OECs are there going to be for me to look at?

I hope they are open tomorrow as I will be driving down that way anyway. And, poor DBF -- he was so relieved that we found a ring, finally. When I started to mention my concerns yesterday afternoon, a grave look came over his face. It was a combination of fear, panic and confusion. It could be that I am just second guessing myself, so I should either look at it again or just wait it out and love it no matter how many mirrors I see.

Urseberry - Thanks for the picture. The tiny circles were definitely reflections of the culet. They looked the same, only smaller. They were much smaller than the ones in your picture.

DiaGem - So, your saying bad symmetry isn''t necessarily bad . . . only if it doesn''t appeal to me? And, could the lack of mirroring have anything to do with the color of the stone -- i.e. maybe the reflections were not as apparent because the stone was so white? I will see that it seemed quite symmetrical under the scope.

I did not take it out into the daylight. I did take the I stone out, and it was white as can be in the sun, but I am not usually in direct sunlight, so I had to pass on it.

On older cuts..., that is the one on their appeals/character..., each one looks different..., if you are specifically looking for symmetry..., go for a modern-cut stone!
The mirroring effect will look "crispier" on a colorless Diamond..., but quite a few people I know love the warmer look of tint on antique type Diamonds.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Mmmmm, perhaps symmetry wasn''t the best choice of words. At this point, I am rather uninterested in modern cut stones and their "sameness" from stone to stone. Maybe a better description was that there seemed to be a lot less mirroring in my stone. Could be my memory is off. Could be I did not look at it long enough or from enough angles.

The jeweler is not open today or tomorrow. I just sent him an e-mail expressing my concerns.

 

[diagem]

Date: 1/6/2008 1:46:49 PM
Author: Loves Vintage
Mmmmm, perhaps symmetry wasn''t the best choice of words. At this point, I am rather uninterested in modern cut stones and their ''sameness'' from stone to stone. Maybe a better description was that there seemed to be a lot less mirroring in my stone. Could be my memory is off. Could be I did not look at it long enough or from enough angles.

The jeweler is not open today or tomorrow. I just sent him an e-mail expressing my concerns.

Thats why antique or old-cuts are the opposite of (what you describe as...,"sameness").

The fact that basically all old-cuts are cut to different proportions like part or full uneven symmetry, different facet sizes and shapes, unconventional angles, wide range of depth and table %''s, etc..., etc!!!

 

[urseberry]

I''m glad everyone liked the picture. Sorry the post turned out so long and wide - no idea how that happened. Anyway, the picture is from this thread on antique cuts.

 

[bem3231]

I don''t know if you are open to options or if it would further confuse the matter, but if you are into symmetry, flash, etc. but also want something that doesn''t suffer from ''sameness'' you could consider a proprietary cut round (ie: Solasfera, Eighternity, etc.). I have seen these in person as compared to an ideal cut RB and each definitely has it''s own unique look and character, while maintaining perfect symmetry and light performance. Just a thought...

Goodoldgold has some videos that compare different proprietaries. I think that they have a video that even compared an OEC to an ideal cut RB and some proprietary round cuts.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 1/5/2008 10:46:37 PM
Author: urseberry
The circles you saw are most likely reflections of the culet. See example below.

Cool picture!!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 1/6/2008 4:52:05 PM
Author: bem3231
I don''t know if you are open to options or if it would further confuse the matter, but if you are into symmetry, flash, etc. but also want something that doesn''t suffer from ''sameness'' you could consider a proprietary cut round (ie: Solasfera, Eighternity, etc.). I have seen these in person as compared to an ideal cut RB and each definitely has it''s own unique look and character, while maintaining perfect symmetry and light performance. Just a thought...


Goodoldgold has some videos that compare different proprietaries. I think that they have a video that even compared an OEC to an ideal cut RB and some proprietary round cuts.

bem3231 - I just saw your stone in one of your other posts. It is gorgeous!!! It sounds like GOG is a great place to buy a ring. It is kind of funny, because we were planning to go there after the estate jewelry shop (IF I decided that I did not like the OECs IRL as much as I thought I would.) GOG was an hour drive from the estate jeweler. I knew within minutes that we would likely find a ring there (so I don''t know why I am second guessing myself now . . . .) Anyway, we never did make it to GOG because we found my ring. My stone will replace the existing stone in another antique ring (which I loved, and am now also second guessing, but only a little).

So, I guess I''m a little less open to other options, since this stone is being set and will be ready this coming Saturday. Thank you for the suggestion though. I looked through GOG''s list of videos and didn''t see any OEC comparisons . . . .

 

[bem3231]

Hey there!

Thanks for the compliment - I am so in love with my stone and so excited!...

Anyway - the video that I''m referring to is the ''Nature of Scintillation'' one - it''s quite a long video but really well done and I found it extremely helpful to watch prior to seeing stones in person so that I knew exactly what to ''look for'' by way of light performance of different cuts.

Good luck!!

 

[HeartingDiamonds]

Hi LV!

The diamond sounds yummy! Ya know, it also sounds to me that you may be experiencing a little buyer''s remorse

which is understandable (been there, done that)

.

I collect old cuts and I can tell you that old cuts of E color are hard to come by. If high color is very important to you, it may take a while before you find another stone that is high color and matches the rest of your criteria.

I also own a 1.14ct H OEC with an off-center culet but I can tell you that it has not affected its beauty and fire! If anything, it gives that stone its own charm and character, ykwim?

Hope you can post photos of the stone and setting for us to drool over!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Hi HD

,

Thank you for the post. I think you are absolutely right about the buyer''s remorse and I''m glad to hear that I''m not the only who goes through this.

My jeweler e-mailed me back Sunday night. He is very, very good. He has instilled such confidence in me. 25 years will do that, I guess. He re-assured me about the stone, that it will mirror like crazy and that I will love it when I see it in the setting, and, if I don''t (which he doesn''t think will be the case) he will refund our deposit and not charge for the mounting or re-sizing. He is a true gem that I found in my own state through ebay (there really are some good sellers on ebay.) His name is Peter Suchy in Stamford, CT. I did not mention his name previously because I didn''t want my second-guessing to reflect poorly on his name. He made everything so easy for us when we got there. We didn''t even have an appointment, but he had a special tray set up for me.

Oh, and my stone is actually an "F", not an "E", but same difference to me anyway. I mis-recalled above when I said E.

I will look forward to posting photos on here. Oh, the setting is handmade platinum with three single cut stones bead-set on each side. The setting is very low and so comfortable on my non-ring wearing fingers.

 

[Fly Girl]

Sounds awesome! Looking forward to LOTS of pictures!!

 

[HeartingDiamonds]

You are welcome LV! I have heard and seen Peter Suchy''s merchandise on Ebay. He does have some really nice pieces - glad to know that he is a great jeweler as well. You lucky girl! I would thrown up in excitement in the middle of the showroom (classy, I know).

Glad to hear that all your concerns have been put to rest too! How long will it take to get your finished ring?

 

[Green with Envy]

I am glad you found the one. BTW- Jon at GOG can call in OEC''s.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 1/8/2008 12:33:17 AM
Author: HeartingDiamonds
You are welcome LV! I have heard and seen Peter Suchy''s merchandise on Ebay. He does have some really nice pieces - glad to know that he is a great jeweler as well. You lucky girl! I would thrown up in excitement in the middle of the showroom (classy, I know).

Glad to hear that all your concerns have been put to rest too! How long will it take to get your finished ring?

It will be ready this Saturday

, but there''s no telling when I will actually get it.

I''ve suggested a romantic (early) dinner for Saturday

, or perhaps a nice long walk on the beach

,but just jokingly, of course.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Just wanted to update this post. I had nothing to worry about!! I love my ring!! Thanks to everyone on this board for educating me. I''ve come full circle from a Hearts on Fire to an OEC, and I am so happy with my OEC!!! Here''s one pic. I posted a bunch more on SMTR.

 

[ringster]

Date: 1/20/2008 10:42:10 PM
Author: Loves Vintage
Just wanted to update this post. I had nothing to worry about!! I love my ring!! Thanks to everyone on this board for educating me. I''ve come full circle from a Hearts on Fire to an OEC, and I am so happy with my OEC!!! Here''s one pic. I posted a bunch more on SMTR.

congrats to you LV!!! great job - your OEC and setting are beautiful! welcome to the OCC!

 

[Lorelei]

That is GORGEOUS, many congrats!!!

 

[peachster]

I have been to Peter Suchy jewelers many times. He is a very helpful and knowledgeable jeweler, and if estate/vintage jewelry is your desire, he has a great stock of unique items from lots of periods. Well worth a visit if you are in the area!

 

[surfgirl]

I''m interested in his Ebay auctions but cannot find him on Ebay...anyone have a link to his stuff there? Thanks!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 1/21/2008 1:12:54 PM
Author: surfgirl
I''m interested in his Ebay auctions but cannot find him on Ebay...anyone have a link to his stuff there? Thanks!

I know!! I know!! Peter Suchy Jewelers

Oh, and if there''s something specific you''re looking for, you should e-mail him and ask. He said the merchandise they have on eBay is just a fraction of what he has in the shop. The shop is not huge, but it is chock-full!! Oh, and they are very responsive by e-mail.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Loves Vintage -- I had to stop by to tell you again how lovely your ring is and how happy I am for you! It is perfection! That stone is gorgeous and having been with you at the beginning of your search, I am over the moon that you found the one that spoke to you ... I know it wasn''t easy
Congrats again ... I love that ring and wish I could see it in real life. I''m sure it would blow me away!

 

[surfgirl]

LV, thanks for that link. I wasn''t running the name together so that''s why it wasn''t coming up for me.

Again, enjoy your ering and congratulations!