The colour of my OEC...

[wolftress]

... is driving me crazy!!! When I''m not wearing it, I fret about its ''yellow'' body colour, but every time I open the box and look at it, it looks less yellow than I imagined. Sometimes, when I''m wearing it indoors with no direct light shining on it, it looks really yellow... but reflected in a mirror it looks almost white. And weirdly enough, it looks yellower in photos than to my naked eye!!

I just don''t understand how a diamond can look so starkly different in different lighting conditions. My RB is a creamy H white and only on very, very rare occasions do I spot any hint of yellow in it. But overall, it looks pretty much the same all the time.

Is there something about the way OECs reflect light and colour that makes them like chameleons in different lighting conditions?

 

[diagem]

Does it posses fluorescence?
Whats the total depth?
What color is it supposed to be?

OEC''s are weird, wonderful creatures..., they can appear different in different lights...

 

[mrssalvo]

In my experience, OEC's do not hide color like a modern round because of the cut. They remind me more of cushions or other fancy shapes where color is much easier to detect. I had a G OEC and could see warmth from time to time. If possible try to just embrace and accept the warmth, that's part of the charm for many folks and they are much more tolerent of the warmth in an OEC or OMC than they would be in a modern. But, your stone is a K right? a K is still a K which will show color in just about all lighting situations

ETA: ok, just went back and saw the stone is an L...defintely pretty far off from the colorless scale. I'd try to just enjoy the beauty of the cut...

 

[wolftress]

Diagem, it''s a K or L, depending on who you believe. Looks more like an L to me. It has no fluoresence, but it seems to glow blue under a yellow halogen bulb. Crazy!

mrssalvo, I always thought OECs hid colour better than round brilliants, but I''m starting to realise that this isn''t true at all. Rather, a warm colour just looks more flattering on an OEC because of the blocky facets.

Maybe I just need to set it in a more appropriate setting - it looks odd in a modern 6-prong setting. I wore it out the other day and found a lot of people staring at my hand.

 

[mrssalvo]

i do think having it set in some type of antique setting will help. it will definitely make it part of the whole antique look/package.

 

[diagem]

Date: 9/23/2007 8:15:34 AM
Author: wolftress
Diagem, it''s a K or L, depending on who you believe. Looks more like an L to me. It has no fluoresence, but it seems to glow blue under a yellow halogen bulb. Crazy!

Regardless if its a K or L..., it will show color..., its a tinted stone anyway you look at it.

mrssalvo, I always thought OECs hid colour better than round brilliants, but I''m starting to realise that this isn''t true at all. Rather, a warm colour just looks more flattering on an OEC because of the blocky facets.

Some OEC''s do seem to face up brighter depending on their cut..., some lucky OEC''s with the right CA, PA combined with the correct CH (crown height) will produce a whiter appearance.

Maybe I just need to set it in a more appropriate setting - it looks odd in a modern 6-prong setting. I wore it out the other day and found a lot of people staring at my hand.

 

[wolftress]

Date: 9/23/2007 8:43:23 AM
Author: DiaGem

Date: 9/23/2007 8:15:34 AM
Author: wolftress
Diagem, it''s a K or L, depending on who you believe. Looks more like an L to me. It has no fluoresence, but it seems to glow blue under a yellow halogen bulb. Crazy!

Regardless if its a K or L..., it will show color..., its a tinted stone anyway you look at it.

mrssalvo, I always thought OECs hid colour better than round brilliants, but I''m starting to realise that this isn''t true at all. Rather, a warm colour just looks more flattering on an OEC because of the blocky facets.

Some OEC''s do seem to face up brighter depending on their cut..., some lucky OEC''s with the right CA, PA combined with the correct CH (crown height) will produce a whiter appearance.

Maybe I just need to set it in a more appropriate setting - it looks odd in a modern 6-prong setting. I wore it out the other day and found a lot of people staring at my hand.

It must be the cut... when I wear my OEC and my RB and look at them both from a distance in the mirror, the OEC faces up a lot brighter and looks a lot more eye-catching than the RB.

I find the difference in cuts fascinating... I want to collect a lot more old cuts now.

 

[marcy]

I had that problem with some PC stones in a pendant. They were rated J/K and looked everything from white to yellow in different lighting.

 

[ericad]

I initially had this same dilemma. Mine is K with strong blue, but in my kitchen it''s pee-pee yellow, which is NOT what it looks like anywhere else! And mine also looks more saturated in pics than in real life. I think the large chunky facets really pick up their surroundings. My kitchen, for example, is filled with light maple cabinets and yellow/beige walls, hence the stone''s yellow appearance there.

But a K is a K is a K, so some tint comes with the territory. Get that sucker into a vintage setting, ASAP! That may be just what the dr. ordered. If there are side stones, try to choose a setting with warmer sides, H/I color, to minimize the contrast a bit. Then, hopefully you will learn to just LOVE the color it displays. I also LOVE the look of a warm center with sapphire halo or sides, a''la Fay Cullen. YUM!

And if not, contact me immediately and I will take that OEC off your hands PRONTO

and you can just search for a higher color stone.

I guess the main thing is that you must love it and its color and be self-actualized about it - like "Dang right, it''s a K, and isn''t it FABULOUSLY warm and unique?!".

When I first opened my package at work, I could tell that the ladies were impressed and honestly loved the ring and diamond, but seemed to be a tad hung up about the color. They were not sure what to say about it and you could see the mental struggle because it''s obviously a low color with some yellow tint, yet they LIKED it and that confused them.

And yesterday my mom was looking at it and the first thing she said was (while viewing it in my kitchen, of course), "Oh my, it''s a really light yellow. I LOVE the color!" In her mind it wasn''t a low color, lesser white diamond, it was a faint yellow and something really unique and special, though she''s not knowledgable about diamonds at all. In fact, the second thing she said was, "how much was it?! I bet it was, like, $1500, right?" Ummm, for a 2+ carat OMC? Yeah, mom, SOMETHIN like that...maybe in 1965, the last time you bought a diamond! Bless her heart.

Do you like platinum? If you can swing it, I think vintage stones, over the long term, look their best in platinum after it''s developed its dull patina. Very authentic looking, though is really a matter of preference.

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 9/23/2007 8:43:23 AM
Author: DiaGem

Date: 9/23/2007 8:15:34 AM
Author: wolftress
Diagem, it''s a K or L, depending on who you believe. Looks more like an L to me. It has no fluoresence, but it seems to glow blue under a yellow halogen bulb. Crazy!

Regardless if its a K or L..., it will show color..., its a tinted stone anyway you look at it.

mrssalvo, I always thought OECs hid colour better than round brilliants, but I''m starting to realise that this isn''t true at all. Rather, a warm colour just looks more flattering on an OEC because of the blocky facets.

Some OEC''s do seem to face up brighter depending on their cut..., some lucky OEC''s with the right CA, PA combined with the correct CH (crown height) will produce a whiter appearance.

Maybe I just need to set it in a more appropriate setting - it looks odd in a modern 6-prong setting. I wore it out the other day and found a lot of people staring at my hand.

I definitely find that my stone hides the color but as DG said, I also think it''s because it''s cut very well. It faces up very white considering it''s an I. I can imagine that a J-L will definitely have a warm tone but you knew that going into it and you said you loved it...remember? I think you have to stop comparing it to your ering! In fact, I wouldn''t wear both at the same time...I think that''s what''s got you befuddled...

 

[poptart]

I am no expert, but I just wanted to say that I think a more vintage setting would flatter the stone more. And that is one GORGEOUS stone! Maybe something in platinum would be good... It also seems to me that older bezel settings hide the warmth of stones a little better then open pronged setting. But like I said earlier I am no expert. Maybe something like this where the gallery covers up the diamond a little, but is still visually interesting and beautiful. Just a suggestion! Good luck!

*M*

 

[vivianv]

"when I wear my OEC and my RB and look at them both from a distance in the mirror, the OEC faces up a lot brighter and looks a lot more eye-catching than the RB."

Maybe that''s ^^^ why people were looking at your ring when you went out wearing it. It is so lovely! A lot of us really enjoy the light yellows, they do look more antique in any cut than the bright whites.Enjoy it! You have a real treasure.

 

[UCLABelle]

I agree that perhaps setting it in a more vintage-style setting may be more flattering. I was told, as others have said, that an OEC typically does not mask color as well as an RB. It is sort of like how a step-cut shows more color than a brilliant. However, I prefer "warmer" color diamonds which are vintage-cuts like OECs!

 

[diagem]

Date: 9/23/2007 4:27:44 PM
Author: UCLABelle
I agree that perhaps setting it in a more vintage-style setting may be more flattering. I was told, as others have said, that an OEC typically does not mask color as well as an RB. It is sort of like how a step-cut shows more color than a brilliant. However, I prefer ''warmer'' color diamonds which are vintage-cuts like OECs!

Correction...

Step-cuts dont show color more than brilliany cuts.

You mean..., fancy shapes show more color than Round shapes...

 

[Ellen]

I echo getting an antique setting, to "embrace" your stone.

My OMC (I have no idea on color, but I'd guess rather low) looks way more colored in pics than it does in real life also. And sometimes it looks brighter than my ideal cut round G.

I said the same thing, they (old cuts) have mysterious ways about them....

 

[wolftress]

marcyc, diamonds are weird, aren''t they? Sometimes I think the best way to buy diamonds is just forget about the grading system and go by what looks most beautiful to your eye.

ericad, I''m so glad you posted that reply because I love your ring and the warmth of your diamond, and I thought something was wrong with mine because it looked ''pee'' yellow too in some rooms of my house! It could almost pass as a pale fancy yellow in some lighting conditions.
I think we''ve been conditioned to think the whiter a diamond is, the more beautiful... but I think the more lively a diamond is, the more beautiful

Yours looks like it would be flirting with sunlight all day!
I love my OEC and wear it all the time so I can stare at it all day, but I''m unused to the extra body colour when there''s no direct light shining on it. When I go out I''m a bit self conscious about the colour, especially from the side when it''s most saturated. I''ve never been a fan of bezel settings on my hand as it''s so small I fear it could be overwhelming. But would a bezel setting whiten up my stone a bit? Did you find that Ari''s setting made your stone look less ''coloured''?
Unfortunately, platinum really does look quite harsh and ashy on my yellow-toned skin. I love it on everyone else but on me, it looks a little bleah.

surfgirl, you''re right as usual! OECs are in a class of their own entirely. I was in a jewellery shop on the weekend getting a ring repaired and the jeweller pulled out a loupe so she could get a better look at the OEC. I do like the extra warmth of my diamond, but I worry that the body colour gets in the way of rainbow refractions. I don''t see any rainbows at all when I''m indoors, which is disappointing. In the sun, however, it''s a happy little fireball.

poptart, I love that setting you posted. I''m looking for a tapered setting like that which will make my stubby fingers look longer

vivianv, thank you for your reassurance

I just need to find a setting that will do it justice!

UCLABelle, yours is a vintage Tiffany isn''t it? It''s really beautiful and so elegant.

Ellen, thank goodness someone else is experiencing the same weird colour changes! I thought there was something wrong with my eyes. I wonder if there''s something in the science of an OEC cut that refracts light differently. I''ve always thought your OMC faced up really white and bright.

 

[ericad]

Here''s a pic in my kitchen, from the side, where my OMC is showing ALL it''s K color.

I had my stone re-polished and it really brightened it up and sharpened the facets up a lot. It was, of course, gorgeous before the re-polish, but I believe that''s what gave it that little extra something.

 

[ericad]

Hmmm, let me try to get the pic bigger...

 

[marcy]

Wolftress, I agree that we can get too wrapped up in the numbers and ratings instead of what looks good to our eyes. You love your ring and that is what really matters.

Ericad, your diamond and band are lovely.

I have a star diamond set (earrings, RHR and pendant) that are probably J/K bg and rd and I love them. They do look yellowish in most light but they are very pretty. I have found similar rings in wg with whiter stones and just don''t like them as well.

I''ll admit it - if it sparkles; I''m going to like it.

 

[wolftress]

Date: 9/24/2007 12:32:59 AM
Author: ericad
Hmmm, let me try to get the pic bigger...

That looks just like my diamond colour! Hmm, maybe mine really is a K after all and not an L like I suspected.

Ooh, I love the mega closeup of your ring. The little bezel rounds are stunning!

 

[FireGoddess]

So many factors contribute to how a diamond looks in a particular room, in a particular picture.

Look at the picture below. It is my pear. Can you guess the color of the pear based on the picture? I bet not...because it is a D. But it looks yellow in the picture. You may be experiencing some 'mind clean' issues. I know I did when I had my I colored round stone.

But I love the look of 'antique white' stones (that's what I call them) in vintage settings. Really beautiful. I'm color sensitive but I'm much more forgiving with antique stones and antique settings.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 9/23/2007 8:25:15 AM
Author: mrssalvo
i do think having it set in some type of antique setting will help. it will definitely make it part of the whole antique look/package.

I agree! Also sapphire side stones (or sapphire halo) would make it look whiter.