Which would you buy and why?

[chrono]

I decided to start a new post for these finalists!

OEC#1 OEC #2 OEC#3
0.79ct K VS2 0.71 I SI1 0.96 I SI1
Depth 65.2% 60.8% 57.3%
Table 55% 58% 49%
Girdle STK-TK VT-STK TN-M
Polish Good Good Good
Symm Good Good Good
Culet Medium Medium Large
Fluoro None Strong None
5.78 x 5.66 x 3.73 5.75 x 5.64 x 3.46 6.54 x 6.28 x 3.68
($1693) ($2079) ($2505)

Comments on why one is chosen over the others are appreciated.

 

[belle]

Date: 3/6/2006 9:30:10 AM
Author:Chrono


I decided to start a new post for these finalists!

OEC#1 OEC #2 OEC#3
0.79ct K VS2 0.71 I SI1 0.96 I SI1
Depth 65.2% 60.8% 57.3%
Table 55% 58% 49%
Girdle STK-TK VT-STK TN-M
Polish Good Good Good
Symm Good Good Good
Culet Medium Medium Large
Fluoro None Strong None
5.78 x 5.66 x 3.73 5.75 x 5.64 x 3.46 6.54 x 6.28 x 3.68
($1693) ($2079) ($2505)

Comments on why one is chosen over the others are appreciated.

i love the k color of the first one..love it. i wish it had a large culet instead of just medium and also a slightly smaller table.
i like that the third one has a large culet and small table, but it is rather shallow.
i can't decide between the first and the third. can you get pictures? that might help seal the deal.

 

[tiger007g]

I love the strong fluorescence in #2, but the large culet is a winner for me... but it seems a bit shallow?? Any photos??

 

[togal]

pardon my ignorance, but isn''t a small culet (or not culet) better than a large culet? Why do you wish it had a large culet?

 

[Rod]

In certain cuts a large culet is a bonus, not a distraction, and that''s how it is in this cut..........

 

[togal]

Thanks....I learn something new everyday. Just when I thought I was really starting to understand the whole diamond grading thing, I get thrown another curve ball.

 

[Rod]

I know what you mean. It''s like an alternate universe and one that I can''t stop visiting. I mean I picked out my stone, I had the ring made and I spend more time here now than I did in the beginning. I think I''ve found my (as Storm put''s it) my insania. I''ve become obsessed. Beam me up Scotty..........

 

[fire&ice]

Are the measurements on the last diamond correct? It would seem that this stone would be visiably out of round.

 

[valeria101]

Hell, not sure. Can't they show diamonds instead of numbers for once? (or at least enough of those numbers, that would be cool too).

IMO, all are round 'enough' - the third just makes it into the GIA 'round' classification with 4% deviation, vs 2% in the others - but I'd guess they all look plenty round. I would not worry about the 57% depth because of the large culet - that means the pavilion angles are steeper than they would be for a RBC with the same crown height and depth.

Knowing that OEC can (and should?) be as brilliant as their modern cousins, I would want to have the same stats about them as about a modern stone. With the caveat that averaged measurements for a stone with a more liberal cut.. mean even less. Direct cut evaluation would; doesn't that sound techie & pompous? - anyway, you know what I mean: eye-ball or IS because it is so friendly to sharing impressions online

I never buy lottery tickets, and choosing between those feels like doing just that. Not great

If I had to... it would be the third.


Any idea what makes #2 and #3 'SI1'? The 'very thin' girdle on #2 makes me think that could be an essentially clean bit of diamond with some chips on the side. Anyway, clarity sounds like one thing worth knowing to make a reasonably informed choice. I wonder if #1 isn't too deep for it's own good. And a 'nail head' with lower color wouldn't really be very exciting... maybe that isn't the case, but what do I know? #3 could have a asymmetric, glassy cut with a big patch in the middle (the open culet alright), but 'large' is not that large IMO and I am keeping fingers crossed. With the lesser depth & high crown I would rather fear bad leakage than 'nail head' and.. 'guess I prefer that.

Hate those 'what iffs' !

I wouldn't be able to make up my mind like this in 100 years...

Can you take a look these stones?

 

[Slykat12]

Wow that's new for me too- wanting a lg culet. Well I got another silly question. What the heck is a oec?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/6/2006 8:11:10 PM
Author: Kimberly

Well I got another silly question. What the heck is a oec?

'Old European Cut'

Literally an old round brilliant . These have the same facet arrangement as the modern rounds, only the proportions have changed over time - the old stones tend to have smaller tables, and definitely larger star and lower girdle facets. The stone look as if they had larger facets than a moder round.

The Tolkowsky ideal applies to them too... in fact, that fabled paper was done in 1919, and then, 'OEC' was the mainstream round brilliant.

Not all these stones have a visible open culet - some do, especially the oldest of the bunch. And as a characteristic of old brilliants that the new do not have, many who prefer the old cuts, see this as a mark of distinction - in a good way. So do I... what open culets effectively do is allow steeper pavilion angles (and 'correct' proportions from the light return point of view) for relatively shallow cut stones - and that's a good thing.

There was another thread about OEC these days - with a cute example! LINK


As far as I know...

 

[Slykat12]

Ana you are soooo smart . I believe you could easily pass the gemologists tests. If there is one hehehe

 

[valeria101]

Where is that ''blush'' icon????

... no, just badly obsessed.


Joke or no joke, I''ve been dreaming after the courses at AIGS for too long.

Taking a long break to travel at the other end of the world for one of those ... out of the question... Dunno what I''d do with the paper, but sure miss them lab classes and field trips!

 

[Lorelei]

Here you go Ana. The little smiley face left hand corner.

 

[valeria101]

Quite realistic! ... doesn't show on my list of icons !? Hm...



Anyway, this is what I wanted to say:

........

 

[chrono]

Well, OEC#3 is sold.

I have a tad more info on OEC#1
0.79ct K VS2
Depth 65.2%
Table 55%
Crown 16.3%
Pav 43.2%
Girdle Stk-Tk
P/S Good/Good
Culet Medium
Fluoro None
5.78 x 5.66 x 3.73

I am now getting more info on OEC#2 which I will post as soon as I get the crown and pav depth.

In the meantime, I have Fay Cullen get me more info on 2 more OECs:
0.77ct J VS1 5.99 x 5.73 x 3.52
0.79ct J VS2 6.13 x 5.93 x 3.56