Another OEC Question -- Pics Included!

[kennedy]

Well first, are they insured pieces? You cannot buy insurance for jewelery in Canada for more than $500

Second, when I have sent goods down to vendors, I have marked it as something like "US goods, return and repair" and have had to also include the vendor's tax id or some such thing. And then you put the value of the goods as their actual value. But I think you should call Canada customs to find out how to fill out the paper work and make sure it is done right.

It would be way easier to go to the US and ship them, but then you need a return address in the US. Hmmm...

The vendor will likely not give you much, and it is sort of a "foot in door" technique for him to want to see them like that -- after you have shipped them, even if you are not happy with the price (and I am betting it will be so low) you are really unlikely to want to go throug hall the hassel of having them sent back to you, plus you will feel invested in the purchase because you already sent the goods (sorry, psychologist here ). Have you considered selling them privately or going to visit local jewlers first to see if they will give you a decent price? At least it would be a comparison for what he offers.

Thanks for the post -- it was very helpful!!!

Okay, definitely not worth sending it from here given the insurance situation. I could send them in separate shipments, but then it would get very costly. I'm somewhat loathe to send them from the US (I do have a US return address, so that's not a problem) since it's such a hassle to get down there. Point well taken re: the "foot in door" technique, but I don't really know how else to make the deal happen if I'm not able to sell the pieces myself in a timely manner. If it were up to me, I would buy the ring outright and then take my time to sell my jewelry, but my husband feels strongly that he wants me to sell the jewelry first. This could take a long time and now that I've decided I want my old ring back, I'd be so sad if it sold after sitting there for 8 years! I've sent the seller pictures and he's given me an estimate -- definitely low given what I paid, but I'm not sure I could do much better selling privately (they're very small pieces...nothing major). Probably a good idea to visit some local jewelers to see what I could get, especially since the Canadian dollar is currently stronger than the US dollar. Urgh, I so wish he would come down in price!

 

[staci76]

Ooohhh kennedy, I sincerely hope you'll be able to purchase your original ring back. IMO, it's the best one listed on this thread so far (and it sounds like you really love it as well). The center stone looks gorgeous and I love the details on the sides of the setting too! It's a one of a kind piece that would probably be extremely hard to find again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you...

 

[LGK]

Ooohhh kennedy, I sincerely hope you'll be able to purchase your original ring back. IMO, it's the best one listed on this thread so far (and it sounds like you really love it as well). The center stone looks gorgeous and I love the details on the sides of the setting too! It's a one of a kind piece that would probably be extremely hard to find again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you...

Ditto! It really seems like the best deal even though it's over budget, and my favorite setting of the options so far (well, I liked the setting from Nikki a lot, but, I really love "your" ring's setting too.) And the stone looks quite nice, and the fact that you remember it being fiery is a good sign too!

 

[kennedy]

Staci -- Thanks! It's helpful to hear that others think the stone looks good. By the way, I love the rings in your avatar!

LGK -- So glad you popped in! I'm totally freaking out about this purchase. The seller came down to $8800 today. From everything I've seen, it's really not a bad deal. Of course there are the crazy, cheap Ebay deals, but compared to other retailers, I think it's a good price. I'm just hung up on the stone not being "good enough." Based on the pictures you've seen, do you think the stone looks like it could be top notch? Any concerns you might have in terms of symmetry or faceting? I know there aren't many pictures and I know you're just making educated guesses, but I would love to know your final thoughts before I pull the trigger and send a check on Monday! Thanks for all the hand holding -- this is definitely one of the more stressful purchases I've made!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Why not send it to Neil again to see how he assess it? That might set your mind at ease a little. Or open another can of worms.

Re:selling. Have you seen the new Preloved PS Jewels forum? It allows you to link your advertisments on Diamond Bistro or Ebay to get attention for the items. Many people have good luck that way and you would likely get more than you would selling to a jeweler, and you might find a Canadian buyer. Just another idea.

ETA: And I feel you on the stress. I feel it to whenever I make a large purchase, especially remotely. It is really hard to spend so much and not double think yourself!

 

[LGK]

Staci -- Thanks! It's helpful to hear that others think the stone looks good. By the way, I love the rings in your avatar!

LGK -- So glad you popped in! I'm totally freaking out about this purchase. The seller came down to $8800 today. From everything I've seen, it's really not a bad deal. Of course there are the crazy, cheap Ebay deals, but compared to other retailers, I think it's a good price. I'm just hung up on the stone not being "good enough." Based on the pictures you've seen, do you think the stone looks like it could be top notch? Any concerns you might have in terms of symmetry or faceting? I know there aren't many pictures and I know you're just making educated guesses, but I would love to know your final thoughts before I pull the trigger and send a check on Monday! Thanks for all the hand holding -- this is definitely one of the more stressful purchases I've made!

(PS was down all day for me- I assume it wasn't just my computer!)

Oooh, glad he dropped the price, even a little bit helps! I totally think it could be a really lovely OEC- the patterning is what I personally prefer, which is symmetrical but not perfectly so (like the AVRs- those are almost... too perfect, YKWIM?) A nice snowflakey pattern, basically. The center facets aren't looking dead in any photo, that's a good sign. The outline looks nice and round, no wonkiness. It photographs pretty much like my larger OEC does, very similar faceting pattern, with the snowflake-y arrow heads and a bit of randomness in the center and a large, but not too large, open culet. And it looks like it's got a similar size table (under 50% is my guess) which gives lots of Kozibe effect, and I like that myself. And nice high crown visible in the profile. So yeah- I think it looks extremely promising. And I do love the way it's set- getting the right setting as a package deal is great.

You remember it being strikingly fiery, and that's a great sign- you may not have known much about old cuts when you got it, but even so, you can still notice if a stone has a dark middle or if it's OMG SPARKLYYYY!

I really do think it's the best of the possibilities you've found- great setting, nice size, white, and the cut looks quite promising. Eh, sometimes it sucks to overshoot the budget- but when you're already gonna spend a lot it's sometimes worth it to squeeze a bit more out rather than be not happy with an expensive item. Learned that one the hard way!

And I totally hear you on the commitment panic. I do that too, when I've been futzing around with a project endlessly and then finally commit. It's scary! (Settings are usually what send me into a tailspin, for years sometimes - tooooo many options, I think).

 

[kennedy]

Dreamer -- You know, I thought about getting it appraised, but I do worry that it will just open up a can of worms and add more stress. It's a tough call in this case since I know both the seller and the ring, so I don't have to worry about being scammed the way I did with the Ebay purchase. That said, it would put my mind at ease if the appraiser said the stone was top notch, but something Kelpie said in another thread really hit home for me: "Old cuts are more about art than techy stuff. If you like a perfect cut, go with an AVR." I think I'm going to try to trust my eyes in this case. By the way, I can't wait to hear about the deal that just fell into your lap!!

LGK -- Thank you for your detailed evaluation of this stone and I'm glad to hear it shares some characteristics with your gorgeous OEC! And I think you're right that even though I knew very little about cut back then, I would have noticed if the diamond wasn't sparkly. Interesting that a bit of randomness in the center is a good thing -- I think I was thinking that a "perfect" pattern is desirable the way it is in an H&A. I'm a little concerned about the EGL SI2 grade, but I don't remember ever seeing anything in that stone. The close-up picture looks clean as well. And, yes, getting it all as a package deal is very appealing and will save me a lot of angst in the future. Fingers crossed it all goes well!!!!

 

[LGK]

Well, in terms of the patterning, it's pretty much *all* personal taste right there. I find I like some randomness in the center, but more symmetry where the fat "arrow-heads" are that make the snowflakey pattern. I have had a couple of perfectly cut OEC "non-diamonds" that are faceted more like an AVR than an actual antique OEC, with very, very symmetrical center facets- I didn't like it nearly as much as the real antiques' slight asymmetry. But in this, it really is all about what your eye likes. It's pretty hard to find actual antique cuts with center symmetry.

The EGL clarity grade might not be off- especially EGL USA is either on par with GIA/AGS or even more strict as far as clarity goes. (Color obviously being a whole nother thing...)

Totally rooting for you to love it again in person! And yeah, personally I'd probably forgo the appraisal in this instance since you've already had your hands on it, and you know and trust the vendor. And just evaluate it in person- look for edge to edge fireworks, no lazy facets either in the center or the outer edge.

 

[kennedy]

Well, in terms of the patterning, it's pretty much *all* personal taste right there. I find I like some randomness in the center, but more symmetry where the fat "arrow-heads" are that make the snowflakey pattern. I have had a couple of perfectly cut OEC "non-diamonds" that are faceted more like an AVR than an actual antique OEC, with very, very symmetrical center facets- I didn't like it nearly as much as the real antiques' slight asymmetry. But in this, it really is all about what your eye likes. It's pretty hard to find actual antique cuts with center symmetry.

The EGL clarity grade might not be off- especially EGL USA is either on par with GIA/AGS or even more strict as far as clarity goes. (Color obviously being a whole nother thing...)

Totally rooting for you to love it again in person! And yeah, personally I'd probably forgo the appraisal in this instance since you've already had your hands on it, and you know and trust the vendor. And just evaluate it in person- look for edge to edge fireworks, no lazy facets either in the center or the outer edge.

So, would you say that old cuts that appear to have center symmetry (like the one Gypsy posted in her thread) are more likely transitional cuts?

Interesting about EGL being strict on clarity. I had no idea. I was somewhat surprised that the certs on both diamonds Neil appraised were accurate within one color/clarity grade (color was lower on one and clarity on the other). Given what some people were saying at the start of this thread, I was expecting the certs to be off by 3-4 color and clarity grades.

The seller of my ring said I could return it if I'm not in love with it still, so I guess I have nothing to lose. I just wish I could get it out of my head that there is some "perfect" OEC or "perfect" ring out there that I'm going to miss out on. My only other concern is the yellow gold. I NEVER wear yellow gold, but I think it works for this ring. Might be nice to have one piece that's different from all the others.

 

[Gypsy]

Ditto everything LGK said about your stone. I REALLY prefer it over all the others. I think you will be so happy when you have it back.

Can't wait to see what you decide.

 

[kennedy]

Ditto everything LGK said about your stone. I REALLY prefer it over all the others. I think you will be so happy when you have it back.

Can't wait to see what you decide.

Since I know you've been looking for OEC's as well, I'm just wondering if there are any stones/rings you've seen out there in this price range (8-9k) that you think I should consider before sending my check tomorrow? Would this stone satisfy your need for symmetrical faceting (based on the few pics I've posted)?

ETA I know I'm totally obsessing about this, but I'm having serious commitment issues I think partly because I'm spending way more than I intended to which means this is IT for me for a very long time!

 

[Gypsy]

Yes, I like the faceting very much on your stone. I like the ring as a whole very much as well.

Are there rings I would look at further if I had your budget, yes. But I've posted most of them for you and they don't catch your eye. I think we have different tastes in settings... but I like your stone choices.

AVC's are WAY too symmetrical for me too. So are RB's... and they have splintery facets to boot, so they just don't suit me at all.

I am very used to having a stone that draws my eye IN ( step cut) so I tend to be much more focused than LGK about the center facets and the culet. So between the two of us... she's okay's the outer snowflake on yours and I've okayed the center facets.

I do understand being nervous. There is a LOT of sequrity in buying a super ideal hearts and arrows. That goes OUT the window with fancy cuts to an extent. But at least there you get certificates and scans and so on. THAT goes out the window with many old cuts, since the majority (especially in my price range) aren't certified and most are already set so scans are non-existent. Lots to be nervous about. I went through "potentials" on my favorites on ebay today and I have A LOT of potentials and some are VERY much contenders. But I really feel that for all of them I need MANY more pics and several second and third opinions.

There's one I have my eye on that I feel in my gut is going to be it but the pics are super crappy. But even if the seller gets me perfect pics... I'm going to be double and triple checking on here and everywhere before I buy.

 

[staci76]

Staci -- Thanks! It's helpful to hear that others think the stone looks good. By the way, I love the rings in your avatar!

Thank you. The old cut in the antique ring in my avatar is on the smaller side (approx. 1/2 ct) but I can tell these types of stones are stunning from the flashes I see in my little fireball.

I think the yellow gold definitely works in your old ring and wearing yellow gold on one hand and platinum/white metal on the other looks great to me.

 

[kennedy]

Well, I pulled the trigger on my old ring and then pulled the plug (to mix metaphors). I actually put the check in the mail today and then felt anxious and panicked all day. I realized that I just wasn't feeling okay about spending all that money right now. My original budget was 7k max and I was hoping to stay under that. If I'm going to be paying full retail, I really think I need to go to a few stores and try on some rings in person. I will be down in California for Thanksgiving and plan to go see my old ring in person then (it's been there for 8 years, so hopefully it won't sell in the meantime). If I must have it, I'll revisit spending the extra money then, but maybe there are some other rings for that price I'd prefer. I just can't commit to this one right now with a clear conscience. Moreover, It seems like there might be some deals to be had out there and I just haven't explored all my options. I don't mind going down in color and clarity, so I feel like I should be able to get a decent size OEC for 7k or less. So....if anyone finds any great OEC's in my price range, send em' my way! Thanks!!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Kennedy good decision, you have to trust your gut. I was struggling to decide myself on a diamond and found reasons why not to pull the trigger a million times, and then the right decision came to my mind and it was (relatively ) smooth sailing after that! When you know, you will know.

 

[LGK]

Honestly, if you don't feel like you're ready- just wait. Stuff comes up for sale all the time! I often sit on categories on ebay for months before pulling the trigger on something. I waited 6 months to find a pair of antique chandelier earrings- and it paid off in spades.

Your old ring is killer gorgeous, but yeah- sometimes you just gotta stick to a solid budget. Totally understand you on that. $9K is a LOT of money!

 

[kennedy]

Kennedy good decision, you have to trust your gut. I was struggling to decide myself on a diamond and found reasons why not to pull the trigger a million times, and then the right decision came to my mind and it was (relatively ) smooth sailing after that! When you know, you will know.

Thanks, Dreamer. I actually thought of you today during the decision making process as I feel like you have a good head on your shoulders when it comes to this sort of thing. I think there's some part of me that feels I shouldn't be buying any diamonds right now (just had a baby, global economic crisis....little things like that, so spending so much more felt really wrong even though I have been saving this money for a long time. Perhaps if I saw the ring in person and truly fell in love, I'd feel differently, but I just need to explore my options now. Have sent emails to a bunch of diamond vendors (including ID Jewelry after seeing what they came up with for Gypsy), so I'll see what they all find.

When are you going to reveal what you bought??

ETA to LGK -- It's so hard. When I hear you say the ring is "killer gorgeous" I get a little panicked that I'm missing out. But then my friend today said that she wasn't so wild about the setting which causes me to doubt the ring. I'm having a hard time finding where I am in all of this. Honestly, I go back and forth about 5 times an hour. One moment I think I made the right decision, the next moment I'm thinking I was a fool to pass it up. I can't tell if my anxiety will lessen once the ring is in my hands and the purchase is complete or if my anxiety is a sign I need to slow down and look around some more. Isn't this supposed to be fun??

 

[LGK]

Kennedy good decision, you have to trust your gut. I was struggling to decide myself on a diamond and found reasons why not to pull the trigger a million times, and then the right decision came to my mind and it was (relatively ) smooth sailing after that! When you know, you will know.

Thanks, Dreamer. I actually thought of you today during the decision making process as I feel like you have a good head on your shoulders when it comes to this sort of thing. I think there's some part of me that feels I shouldn't be buying any diamonds right now (just had a baby, global economic crisis....little things like that, so spending so much more felt really wrong even though I have been saving this money for a long time. Perhaps if I saw the ring in person and truly fell in love, I'd feel differently, but I just need to explore my options now. Have sent emails to a bunch of diamond vendors (including ID Jewelry after seeing what they came up with for Gypsy), so I'll see what they all find.

When are you going to reveal what you bought??

ETA to LGK -- It's so hard. When I hear you say the ring is "killer gorgeous" I get a little panicked that I'm missing out. But then my friend today said that she wasn't so wild about the setting which causes me to doubt the ring. I'm having a hard time finding where I am in all of this. Honestly, I go back and forth about 5 times an hour. One moment I think I made the right decision, the next moment I'm thinking I was a fool to pass it up. I can't tell if my anxiety will lessen once the ring is in my hands and the purchase is complete or if my anxiety is a sign I need to slow down and look around some more. Isn't this supposed to be fun??

Haha, well- it is stressful. I've always had a mini freakout after spending $$. It really matters what *you* think about it- I'm sure you know that; it can be so hard to know sometimes. If it's been sitting for 8 years, I'd say chances are really good, it'll be there a bit longer. You really can wait a little and see if it still seems like the right ring in a week, or a month. And if there isn't anything that's perfect right now, wait and keep an eye out and see what turns up. The market in antique cuts has definitely seen more competition lately, but stuff comes up for sale all the time. Luckily, you're looking for a fairly easy-to-find size, and you aren't holding out for, like, a super white color or anything- so you'll definitely be likely to see some good candidates show up.

 

[Circe]

Kennedy good decision, you have to trust your gut. I was struggling to decide myself on a diamond and found reasons why not to pull the trigger a million times, and then the right decision came to my mind and it was (relatively ) smooth sailing after that! When you know, you will know.

Thanks, Dreamer. I actually thought of you today during the decision making process as I feel like you have a good head on your shoulders when it comes to this sort of thing. I think there's some part of me that feels I shouldn't be buying any diamonds right now (just had a baby, global economic crisis....little things like that, so spending so much more felt really wrong even though I have been saving this money for a long time. Perhaps if I saw the ring in person and truly fell in love, I'd feel differently, but I just need to explore my options now. Have sent emails to a bunch of diamond vendors (including ID Jewelry after seeing what they came up with for Gypsy), so I'll see what they all find.

When are you going to reveal what you bought??

ETA to LGK -- It's so hard. When I hear you say the ring is "killer gorgeous" I get a little panicked that I'm missing out. But then my friend today said that she wasn't so wild about the setting which causes me to doubt the ring. I'm having a hard time finding where I am in all of this. Honestly, I go back and forth about 5 times an hour. One moment I think I made the right decision, the next moment I'm thinking I was a fool to pass it up. I can't tell if my anxiety will lessen once the ring is in my hands and the purchase is complete or if my anxiety is a sign I need to slow down and look around some more. Isn't this supposed to be fun??

Kennedy, I've been lurking on your thread, learning - but you've been getting such great advice that I never motivated to jump in! But on that last sentence ... hoo, boy!

YES. And this is why they say "ignorance is bliss," because once you get to the degree of knowledge we have, coupled with the degree of info. we usually get on the internet, instead it's this anxiety-producing endurance guessing game. Gaaaaaaaaah!

I just went through the exact same process. It took me, hm, two and a half months, and for large chunks of it I was right on the verge of saying, "Honey, let's forget it, we've officially been priced out of the market." Eventually, I found something awesome, and for under budget - it just took some footwork! I'm in awe of anybody who can find deals on eBay on old cuts - what I found was an incipient ulcer. I think your plan of going to try things in person (while keeping an eye on what's out there in the meantime) is exactly the right way to go.

In the meantime, just try to enjoy the process and bring the fun back. I found that when I stopped with the purpose-driven shopping and just wandered around thinking "I have the opportunity to get something really cool ... maybe the ring I want ... maybe a watch ... maybe a aigrette - hey, you never know, they could come back in style! - so I'm going to try on everything that catches my eye!" I felt really luxe and happy. I'm going to try to do the same with the remainder of the budget as I eyeball possible setting changes ....

 

[Dreamer_D]

Kennedy I find that when I try to stretch my budget is when I get really anxious. For this new purchase I had mentally set myself a limit of $5000, it was what my husband and I settled on. And then everything I was looking at was going to cost more! Like you, but even more extreme, I reserved and backed out and reserved and backed out about 8 times in a two to three week period. Every time I stopped myself because deep down I knew it was not exactly what I wanted and/or I was spending more than I was comfortable with.

I have learned that a *big* part of my enjoyment of jewelry is that the completed piece -- diamond setting everything like I want it -- is within my mental comfort zone for spending. And that does not necessarily mean my total budget or saved money either I have learned that my true budget comfort zone means in budget and a deal on the purchase. A good example of a totally mind clean and guilt free purchase for me was my secodn baby gift, which I got on ebay for a steal. Stumbled on a Birks ring that retails for $4000, buyer was asking $1500 and I got it for $1100. Guilt free purchase! The ring I bought this time was more pricey, endging closer to my max budget and that did make me a little more anxious, but it was also a really good deal so I felt better about it.

Anyways, you might want to think a little bit about what you are actually comfortable spending, then tailor your wants. For me, it turned out that the three stone ring I had been planning was just not going to happen in my budget in a way that would make me happy. So I changed direction completely and got somethng else entirely that I have always wanted. Maybe you need to rethink your comfort zone for spending and do a a switcheroo on your desired purchase?

 

[decodelighted]

Something to thing about: you parted with that ring once ... *willingly*. It's human nature to NOT want someone else to have something. But not sure if it's worth 9K to stop that someone! HA! Sounds to me like you've seen other total combo packages that you like BETTER than the one you had? Am I right? Unless you've been DREAMING about getting that ring back for years -- I'd say keep looking.

 

[decodelighted]

Dreamer D ... you bought the Aurora didn't you? C'mon -- spit it out!

 

[kennedy]

LGK -- Yes, I think right now I'm having a hard time figuring out what I feel about the ring. Perhaps that's a sign that it's not true love or perhaps it's a sign that spending this much money triggers an emotional response in me that clouds my ability to access my feelings. I think one of the arguments in favor of me getting the ring is exactly what you said: the market for old cuts is getting increasingly competitive and I don't want to get priced out of the market! But you're right that something else will turn up -- it always does, right?

Circe -- I'm glad you decided to chime in having gone through this yourself with a wonderful end result (congrats, by the way). I wish I could figure out a way to have fun with this. I find with jewelry I oscillate between being totally obsessed or not interested much at all. Hard for me to find a middle ground, which makes the times I'm obsessed not particularly easy. One of the practical problems for me, now that I live in Canada, is that I no longer have the luxury I once had living in a major American city of being able to walk into half a dozen amazing jewelry stores within one square mile where I could try on ring after ring. It's really changed the way I'm able to shop and not in a good way.

Dreamer -- Glad to know I'm not the only one making deals and backing out. I felt terribly emailing the seller yesterday, but I guess that's par for the course when you're in that line of work. Probably seems like a bigger deal to me than to him. Anyway, I think you're right that I do need to think about what I'm comfortable spending...if I'm even comfortable spending anything. When I pulled the plug on the deal yesterday, I was expecting to feel relieved, but I wasn't. I felt somewhat regretful. The guilt was gone, but the desire still there. Is there an smaller amount I could spend that would satisfy the desire and keep the guilt at bay? That's the big question and one I'll have to ponder over the next little while. Meanwhile I'm fighting the urge to just email the seller back and say, Changed my mind AGAIN....sending you another check! Yes, I'm a nutcase.

Deco -- Yes, I gave up the ring willingly, but not without regret once I realized that OEC's are my true love. I have indeed thought about the ring for years, not so much because of the setting, but because of the diamond.

Here's where I am now:

If I'm being totally honest, the thing that holds me up about the setting is the yellow gold. If it were platinum, I think I would feel very differently about that ring. I even once had the ring rhodium plated, but that wasn't quite right either. I think the ring is beautiful in yellow gold and like yellow gold now more than I ever have, but is it me? All that said, the more I look around, the more I think the ring is actually a decent deal. Finding nice J color stones in the 1.5-1.6 ct range already in a nice setting with sidestones for $8800 -- well, it just hasn't happened yet. Even if I ended up resetting the stone in a few years and doing something else with those 4 twenty point OEC's...well, I'm not sure I would have done too badly. Am I trying to talk myself into this? I don't know. And then there is the separate issue of whether I feel okay about spending this money right now no matter how good the deal is.

I was in touch today with ID jewelry. Yekutiel sent me a picture of this 1.4 M, VS stone for $4700. While that's alot cheaper than my ring, the stone is not nearly as nice and significantly more yellow. And I'd have to find a setting! He quoted me 6k for another stone that was a 1.3 K, VS -- very similar to OWD's pricing for the 1.3 L, VS. My guess is it would cost closer to 8k to get a 1.5 J, no? Seems like if I'm not comfortable spending that much, I'm going to need to adjust my expectations of what I can get.

 

[Gypsy]

He's finding some really lovely ones isn't he. I think it's really lovely. Kelpie's OEC is an M... do you like hers? I love hers, and I love Coati's and they are both M's.

PRETTY.

 

[kennedy]

He's finding some really lovely ones isn't he. I think it's really lovely. Kelpie's OEC is an M... do you like hers? I love hers, and I love Coati's and they are both M's.

PRETTY.

Do you find the center dark?? I'll post specs later...depth 63, I think.

 

[Laila619]

Dreamer D ... you bought the Aurora didn't you? C'mon -- spit it out!

I think so, too!

 

[Gypsy]

Ask him to put it in a mounting and take a picture of it face down (he's not in the office till Monday for the Jewish Holidays). You'll get a better idea I think of it's pavilion facet performance. He's also extremely honest, ask him what he thinks of the pavilion.

 

[kennedy]

Ask him to put it in a mounting and take a picture of it face down (he's not in the office till Monday for the Jewish Holidays). You'll get a better idea I think of it's pavilion facet performance. He's also extremely honest, ask him what he thinks of the pavilion.

That's a good idea. He said he'd get back to me on Monday with a stone with higher color. That said, I love the M's I've seen on here (Coati's, LGK's, Kelpie's) and I love the reduction in price, so I'm totally open to lower colors as long as the cut is there. I'm also hoping to stay closer to the 6-7k range.

ETA Wanted to post the specs on the stone from ID:

1.41 EUR M-VS1
EGL USA #59017212
7.08x6.93x4.44
Depth 63.3
Table 49
crown 20.8
Pav 38.4
fluorescence None

I'm still coming back to this one, though, but worried that the stone isn't a true OEC and will have too much white light return. And the price seems high for a .98 ct stone.

 

[LGK]

Between the two, I think the M color loose stone is more my personal cup of tea; I think the darkness in the pic is obstruction/camera reflection, so it's tough to tell if the center is dark or not. I'd totally ask him!

If it's a true M it'll be quite white if you stay away from contrasting melee. Look for an all-filigree and no melee setting, if you want it to look super white. If you don't mind looking at a bit of face up color- like, it'll look more like a soft antique white rather than plain ol' white- then a platinum setting with melee is fine. I thought contrasting melee made a huge difference in the face up color on the M OEC I've got. But, seeing the contrast and *caring* are two totally different things...

It shouldn't look actually yellow- just soft off white. Looking for an M color is a good idea if you want size and a cheaper price tag. There's a lot more lower colors like that out there too. I think the color looks just fine with antique faceting, it looks appropriate, y'know?

 

[Gypsy]

LGK... um... can I ask a favor?