shape
carat
color
clarity

Going for the HG - please help me pick my upgrade - OEC vs OMC

OEC or OMC for the HG upgrade?


  • Total voters
    33
  • Poll closed .

sweetpea&babycorn

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
1,085
After much obsessing, and selling the upgrade I thought was going to be my last, I am now really trying to actually make this my last upgrade.
My engagement ring is the only large statement piece I prefer to wear, and I'd like to get folks' thoughts on two options:

1) 4.58 OEC, GIA N SI1, 10.67 - 11.04 x 6.37 mm:
1639856101598.png

2) 5.74 OMC, GIA N SI1, 10.89×10.83×7 mm
1639856200213.png


The price difference is about 4K, and this would be the difference IRL:


1639856400245.png


I've seen videos of both, and really do like both stones quite equally.
My initial preference was for stone #2 due to its pillowy shape and larger carat size.
But the 4.58 is also beautiful and made me catch by breath, is the less expensive option of the two, and if I want that pillowy/cushion shape I could set it in a cushion shaped bezel.

They're identical in color and clarity grade per GIA, so that's not a factor to consider.
Price per carat, the second is a better "deal" though I know it may be unfair to do that with their different cut grades.

So what's a very lucky girl to do?
 
Any video?
 
I picked oec but would like to see more pics and vids! Hard to tell performance etc without more eye candy.
 
All things relatively equal, which shape will have staying power for you? I bought a cushion cut ring and then realized that I truly preferred the rounder OEC shape.
 
I loved your last upgrade! I am going to give you very honest advice because I really, really would like to see you happy with your upgrade as a final one!

1) This is not a well cut OEC. It is way out of round for one thing. It doesn't come close to the cut of the stone in your avatar picture. Please wait until you find an outstanding stone. This one isn't.

2) I'd have to see more shots of this stone and probably a video. I cannot say that I'd choose it based on that one picture.

I really urge you not to rush and not to settle. There are more diamonds out there than these two.
 
I loved your last upgrade! I am going to give you very honest advice because I really, really would like to see you happy with your upgrade as a final one!

1) This is not a well cut OEC. It is way out of round for one thing. It doesn't come close to the cut of the stone in your avatar picture. Please wait until you find an outstanding stone. This one isn't.

2) I'd have to see more shots of this stone and probably a video. I cannot say that I'd choose it based on that one picture.

I really urge you not to rush and not to settle. There are more diamonds out there than these two.

Agree, I hope my honesty is taken as nothing more than hoping you find something lovely.

I really find the asymmetry of option 1 displeasing and overall the cut is substandard compared to yours. I really think it will be disappointing when you compare them.

the Omc is at such an angle that it’s hard to assess. At first glance it looks like the faceting is messy.

Agree I really wouldn’t rush. This is your last upgrade!
 
I loved your last upgrade! I am going to give you very honest advice because I really, really would like to see you happy with your upgrade as a final one!

1) This is not a well cut OEC. It is way out of round for one thing. It doesn't come close to the cut of the stone in your avatar picture. Please wait until you find an outstanding stone. This one isn't.

2) I'd have to see more shots of this stone and probably a video. I cannot say that I'd choose it based on that one picture.

I really urge you not to rush and not to settle. There are more diamonds out there than these two.

I was worried about this as well for OP but since it’s the one picture wasn’t entirely sure.
 
Can you view them in person? If the oec made you catch your breath then don’t worry about the imperfections so long as the price is adjusted accordingly. Think of all the people who post here who say the love their wonky antique cut. Plus notice you didn’t mention the imperfections in the oec when you were comparing the two diamonds.

OTOH if you sense you can find something better then wait.
 
Oh guys, thank you for your honest feedback! I did love my last ring, truly it was gorgeous and it was the hardest one to let go of. But I fell head over heels in love with antique cushions/OMCs and I love that pillowy shape with chunkier facets.

I sometimes think I’m both under and over thinking this process and I'm kind of exhausted. It seems almost impossible to to find the perfectly imperfect antique stone within my budget, but maybe I'm being impatient? I'm just not sure if I can find anything better for my budget, which I already expanded to try to find THE stone. If anyone follows thebijouxbox on IG, she recently had a gorgeous 5.2 OMC that I missed, and I also missed a 4.85 OMC that Grace had.

I’ve reached out to SO many vendors with zero luck or complete silence. I've been offered stones way out of my budget even when I told them the max I was willing to spend. So I feel like I'm sort of on my own, need to compromise somewhere, and just trust my eyes.

In regards to these stones, I won't be able to see either stone in person.

The 4.58 is from JbG, and I have a zoom meeting set up with Grace. The video is in the listing

Here's a video of the 5.74 (I don't think I can embed in post):
 
@sweetpea&babycorn I am sorry you’re feeling frustrated! Your other stone was so perfect that I think it may be hard to top that’s all ;) Perhaps give the community your budget and desired specs and they can help you shop!
 
I do not think you should go for a stone that you are not thrilled with, but I also do not think you should distrust your gut if a stone wows you simply because you could pick apart the specs. Yoram has made a few posts recently about loving true old cuts--like this one, where he says "I am always willing to give up on excellent symmetry and polish in return for such disorderly sparkle so to speak...": https://www.instagram.com/p/CXoazl_It65/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I personally decided to go with a true antique that stunned me, rather than a new "ideal" cut OEC, and I have no regrets.
 
If you go with the small will you regret not getting the bigger size and upgrade again?
 
Can you refresh us on what parameters you value the most?
What you are willing to compromise on vs what you arent?

I think knowing this info will help you get comments tailored to what you like and prefer and towards your goal, so it’s useful to you.
 
FWIW I don't care for the round based on the images in the listing; the cushion to my eyes has some potential ... I see a pinwheel-esque pattern that perhaps IRL could make for a beautiful stone ...

A diamond this size, and particularly if it is really your last upgrade, personally I think you need to be bowled over by the stone's face-up look and its performance.

My 2 cents -- if you really can't choose between the two, then neither is your stone and I strongly recommend you keep searching.
 
That 5.2 ct stone that you posted from Dolly was a good buy-but important to note that it was uncerted and did face up slightly smaller than the 2 that you are looking at.

I’m going to be slightly contrarian and say that you need to look at 4.58 ct irl. I’m not expert, but I have been watching the 4 ct + old cut market for months . Also, I had the opportunity to see quite a few larger old cuts at JAWS from multiple vendors. I looked at 3 larger old cuts at Grace’s booth-from K to U/V and I can tell you that each one was special in its own way. Grace has a great eye-I would order this stone in to look at.

ETA: can’t tell much about the 5.74 from the vid. It may have potential but I think the Grace stone will get snapped up first.
 
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That JBG OEC might face up large, but only because it’s incredibly shallow for an OEC (only 58% depth). I would skip it and keep looking
 
I would keep looking. I'd recommend contacting Alex Park at ParksFineGroupInc on Insta to see if he has something or can search for one. He also loves the excellent cut and symmetry stones. Good Luck on your search.
 
If you cannot see either stone in person, maybe pass and save up. Or else will they let you purchase and return? If you can’t do either of those, then hard pass.
 
Agree, hard pass if you can't order a stone to look at with full return policy.

I am open to the second stone. I would require at least a couple more videos...one in natural light and in any other lighting they can provide. A nice head-on picture to see the facet pattern would be helpful, too, Next step if you still love it, then have it sent to you to look at (even with only a 2 day decision period). No way I'd buy without the opportunity to see the stone in person. I ordered several when I was looking at AVRs, and I would not have bought without seeing them.

I totally get your desire for a statement e-ring. But it's not going to make the statement you really want unless it is a beautifully cut stone. People may see it and think wow, that's huge! But I'd prefer people think, wow, that is one of the most beautiful diamonds I have ever seen! However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just don't buy something you aren't in love with.
 
@sweetpea&babycorn I am sorry you’re feeling frustrated! Your other stone was so perfect that I think it may be hard to top that’s all ;-) Perhaps give the community your budget and desired specs and they can help you shop!

Thank you M, I know you've been following my journey and have been so helpful with your thoughts.

Weirdly, as beautiful as my previous ring was, I started craving something with broader, chunkier facets, and so it became less perfect, for me.

My hard stop is $43K for the stone, and DK said he could make me a two tone platinum and RG solitaire bezel setting for less than $1500 which is fantastic.

My specs are: 10.5mm+ diameter, L-N range but would consider O/P for the right stone, eye clean from 12 inches. Ideally antique cushion/OMC with pillowy shape. Cert isn't a hard requirement but price needs to reflect lack of one.

I do not think you should go for a stone that you are not thrilled with, but I also do not think you should distrust your gut if a stone wows you simply because you could pick apart the specs. Yoram has made a few posts recently about loving true old cuts--like this one, where he says "I am always willing to give up on excellent symmetry and polish in return for such disorderly sparkle so to speak...": https://www.instagram.com/p/CXoazl_It65/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I personally decided to go with a true antique that stunned me, rather than a new "ideal" cut OEC, and I have no regrets.

I really appreciate this @CircularBrilliant and this is where I struggle because there is a huge premium on the "perfect" true antique cut stone - there have been plenty that have made my heart skip a beat but they're priced at least 50-60K, which I just can't comfortably spend, even if I saved for it. Would you mind sharing your stone?

I was thrilled with the OMC, but started overthinking it because it wasn't "perfect."

If you go with the small will you regret not getting the bigger size and upgrade again?

I don't think I would regret it, especially with the price differential of 4K for just 15% more in face up area.

Can you refresh us on what parameters you value the most?
What you are willing to compromise on vs what you arent?

I think knowing this info will help you get comments tailored to what you like and prefer and towards your goal, so it’s useful to you.

Without compromises, I want a warm cushion shaped antique stone, with largest dimensions for my budget while making my heart sing. And while I understand that the last parameter can only judged by me, I do value what other eyes think, because I want to make sure I'm getting a decent value for what I'm spending. I hope that makes sense. I don't mean to be obscure on purpose, I just wonder how close to "perfect" can I get given my budget limitations? Sometimes I'm not even sure, I think it really depends on the stone...

FWIW I don't care for the round based on the images in the listing; the cushion to my eyes has some potential ... I see a pinwheel-esque pattern that perhaps IRL could make for a beautiful stone ...

A diamond this size, and particularly if it is really your last upgrade, personally I think you need to be bowled over by the stone's face-up look and its performance.

My 2 cents -- if you really can't choose between the two, then neither is your stone and I strongly recommend you keep searching.

Thank you for your thoughts! When I saw the cushion, I was initially wowed by it. It was set in a double halo which was too much for me to take in, but I could see the beauty of the stone despite the bulky setting. Then I started to scrutinize the stone with more videos that the seller sent me and it wasn't until they sent me the video of it loose that I thought "ohhh I think I really want this one." It has that beautiful pillow shape, great dimensions, warmth. But it's not "perfect," which might be unfair given that it's a true antique without an astronomical price tag, but the price still would be a stretch.

My husband is encouraging me to go for what would really make me happy, but it's hard to swallow a 4K price difference if I end up feeling the same about both stones.

That 5.2 ct stone that you posted from Dolly was a good buy-but important to note that it was uncerted and did face up slightly smaller than the 2 that you are looking at.

I’m going to be slightly contrarian and say that you need to look at 4.58 ct irl. I’m not expert, but I have been watching the 4 ct + old cut market for months . Also, I had the opportunity to see quite a few larger old cuts at JAWS from multiple vendors. I looked at 3 larger old cuts at Grace’s booth-from K to U/V and I can tell you that each one was special in its own way. Grace has a great eye-I would order this stone in to look at.

ETA: can’t tell much about the 5.74 from the vid. It may have potential but I think the Grace stone will get snapped up first.

Oh that's true! But its dimensions were what I was looking for, and I seriously would've bought that stone but my ring hadn't formally sold yet.
I love Grace's taste, and she would have so much of my money if I had a larger jewelry fund. My 2.49 was from JbEG and then my 3.03 was from Erica, and I never saw either with my own eyes before purchasing, and when I received them, I obviously wasn't disappointed by them.

I would keep looking. I'd recommend contacting Alex Park at ParksFineGroupInc on Insta to see if he has something or can search for one. He also loves the excellent cut and symmetry stones. Good Luck on your search.

Thank you! I'm in the minority in that I did not have a friendly interaction with Alex, but I do love the stones he posts for sale. I remember reaching out to him about trading in my ring and he gave me this insanely lowball price. His comments sort of rubbed me the wrong way too, and he didn't seem friendly at all without our interaction, like I wasn't worth his time unless I was going to make a definite purchase from him. While this was all through IG, I understand that words alone don't always convey consent and tone, and it may have been a really busy time for him, but I just don't feel comfortable dealing with him.

If you cannot see either stone in person, maybe pass and save up. Or else will they let you purchase and return? If you can’t do either of those, then hard pass.

Agree, hard pass if you can't order a stone to look at with full return policy.

I am open to the second stone. I would require at least a couple more videos...one in natural light and in any other lighting they can provide. A nice head-on picture to see the facet pattern would be helpful, too, Next step if you still love it, then have it sent to you to look at (even with only a 2 day decision period). No way I'd buy without the opportunity to see the stone in person. I ordered several when I was looking at AVRs, and I would not have bought without seeing them.

I totally get your desire for a statement e-ring. But it's not going to make the statement you really want unless it is a beautifully cut stone. People may see it and think wow, that's huge! But I'd prefer people think, wow, that is one of the most beautiful diamonds I have ever seen! However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just don't buy something you aren't in love with.

This is definitely something to consider. I would be purchasing both using layaway plan, and I know that Grace has a no return policy. However, I trust her, and knowing that I wouldn't be able to refund makes this a little more challenging. Maybe I should just make a trip to Cali to see these stones, they're both in southern CA, ha.

I will say I am more in love with the cushion than the OEC.

This video of the cushion is in partial natural light taken by a window, still set in the double halo:
 
Thank you M, I know you've been following my journey and have been so helpful with your thoughts.

Weirdly, as beautiful as my previous ring was, I started craving something with broader, chunkier facets, and so it became less perfect, for me.

My hard stop is $43K for the stone, and DK said he could make me a two tone platinum and RG solitaire bezel setting for less than $1500 which is fantastic.

My specs are: 10.5mm+ diameter, L-N range but would consider O/P for the right stone, eye clean from 12 inches. Ideally antique cushion/OMC with pillowy shape. Cert isn't a hard requirement but price needs to reflect lack of one.



I really appreciate this @CircularBrilliant and this is where I struggle because there is a huge premium on the "perfect" true antique cut stone - there have been plenty that have made my heart skip a beat but they're priced at least 50-60K, which I just can't comfortably spend, even if I saved for it. Would you mind sharing your stone?

I was thrilled with the OMC, but started overthinking it because it wasn't "perfect."



I don't think I would regret it, especially with the price differential of 4K for just 15% more in face up area.



Without compromises, I want a warm cushion shaped antique stone, with largest dimensions for my budget while making my heart sing. And while I understand that the last parameter can only judged by me, I do value what other eyes think, because I want to make sure I'm getting a decent value for what I'm spending. I hope that makes sense. I don't mean to be obscure on purpose, I just wonder how close to "perfect" can I get given my budget limitations? Sometimes I'm not even sure, I think it really depends on the stone...



Thank you for your thoughts! When I saw the cushion, I was initially wowed by it. It was set in a double halo which was too much for me to take in, but I could see the beauty of the stone despite the bulky setting. Then I started to scrutinize the stone with more videos that the seller sent me and it wasn't until they sent me the video of it loose that I thought "ohhh I think I really want this one." It has that beautiful pillow shape, great dimensions, warmth. But it's not "perfect," which might be unfair given that it's a true antique without an astronomical price tag, but the price still would be a stretch.

My husband is encouraging me to go for what would really make me happy, but it's hard to swallow a 4K price difference if I end up feeling the same about both stones.



Oh that's true! But its dimensions were what I was looking for, and I seriously would've bought that stone but my ring hadn't formally sold yet.
I love Grace's taste, and she would have so much of my money if I had a larger jewelry fund. My 2.49 was from JbEG and then my 3.03 was from Erica, and I never saw either with my own eyes before purchasing, and when I received them, I obviously wasn't disappointed by them.



Thank you! I'm in the minority in that I did not have a friendly interaction with Alex, but I do love the stones he posts for sale. I remember reaching out to him about trading in my ring and he gave me this insanely lowball price. His comments sort of rubbed me the wrong way too, and he didn't seem friendly at all without our interaction, like I wasn't worth his time unless I was going to make a definite purchase from him. While this was all through IG, I understand that words alone don't always convey consent and tone, and it may have been a really busy time for him, but I just don't feel comfortable dealing with him.





This is definitely something to consider. I would be purchasing both using layaway plan, and I know that Grace has a no return policy. However, I trust her, and knowing that I wouldn't be able to refund makes this a little more challenging. Maybe I should just make a trip to Cali to see these stones, they're both in southern CA, ha.

I will say I am more in love with the cushion than the OEC.

This video of the cushion is in partial natural light taken by a window, still set in the double halo:

I think the cushion is nicer between the two.

BUT The link to videos is to a private drive and therefore videos aren’t viewable without individual permission. I would remove the link and would not share anything to or from your private Google account. It makes you vulnerable from a security standpoint

You can easily upload videos for free to YouTube!! It’s a much safer and easy way to share videos that actually complies with forum rules
 
I found a stone that is above your budget on 1stdibs. I believe that 1stdibs charges their dealers 15% commission and 3% cc processing. If you minus out those fees, the price seems like it would be within negotiating range of your budget.

If the stone looks promising, I think this one might be in driving range for you :)L/ SI1, 10.81 x 10.17 x 6.69 (65% depth)

 
I would work with someone to find a stone, whether it be Grace, Adam at OWD, Larry at Platt, etc. If this is truly the last one, have someone try to help with the search. Ilya at Ivy and Rose will source as well.
 
I think the cushion is nicer between the two.

BUT The link to videos is to a private drive and therefore videos aren’t viewable without individual permission. I would remove the link and would not share anything to or from your private Google account. It makes you vulnerable from a security standpoint

You can easily upload videos for free to YouTube!! It’s a much safer and easy way to share videos that actually complies with forum rules

Thank you for bringing this to my attention @Cerulean ! I'll fix that now. I don't know how to upload YT videos without my account being visible. I'll figure something out. I also don't know how to remove the links from my previous posts but I did delete the videos from my drive. Oh what a mess.

I found a stone that is above your budget on 1stdibs. I believe that 1stdibs charges their dealers 15% commission and 3% cc processing. If you minus out those fees, the price seems like it would be within negotiating range of your budget.

If the stone looks promising, I think this one might be in driving range for you :)L/ SI1, 10.81 x 10.17 x 6.69 (65% depth)


Thank you for finding this! I don't know how exactly 1st Dibs works, but if I can negotiate with jeweler directly it'd be great to avoid those feels and try to get within budget!

I would work with someone to find a stone, whether it be Grace, Adam at OWD, Larry at Platt, etc. If this is truly the last one, have someone try to help with the search. Ilya at Ivy and Rose will source as well.

Thank you. I've been trying to be patient with vendors but I find myself messaging them multiple times - sometimes I wonder if they think I'm not a serious buyer. Adam is so lovely with a great stock of stones, but presented me options 5K out of my budget. I do hope he'll have something that will fit my limitations. I've also reach out to CJD and couple other smaller vendors with IG accounts. I'll ask Grace during out Zoom meeting if she can help source if these two options don't pan out. I've been following Platt on IG and check their website for new arrivals. I also check Jack Weir and Sons, Victor Barbone, Ivy and Rose, Exquisite Jewelers, eBay, and Etsy. Can't say I'm not trying, lol.
 
Thank you for bringing this to my attention @Cerulean ! I'll fix that now. I don't know how to upload YT videos without my account being visible. I'll figure something out. I also don't know how to remove the links from my previous posts but I did delete the videos from my drive. Oh what a mess.

Thank you for finding this! I don't know how exactly 1st Dibs works, but if I can negotiate with jeweler directly it'd be great to avoid those feels and try to get within budget!



Thank you. I've been trying to be patient with vendors but I find myself messaging them multiple times - sometimes I wonder if they think I'm not a serious buyer. Adam is so lovely with a great stock of stones, but presented me options 5K out of my budget. I do hope he'll have something that will fit my limitations. I've also reach out to CJD and couple other smaller vendors with IG accounts. I'll ask Grace during out Zoom meeting if she can help source if these two options don't pan out. I've been following Platt on IG and check their website for new arrivals. I also check Jack Weir and Sons, Victor Barbone, Ivy and Rose, Exquisite Jewelers, eBay, and Etsy. Can't say I'm not trying, lol.

I know it’s not easy sharing videos since you can’t host them on the platform. I created a separate YouTube account (I have a “junk” email address) - but anyhow, curious to see the stone in videos!
 
@sweetpea&babycorn you keep repeating “pillowy” so I’m thinking an OEC won’t be for you this go around! Try not to sweat 4K difference if you can afford it bc years from now if it’s the stone for you, I don’t think you will be thinking of the 4K! Thanks for the specs will keep an eye out.
 
I really appreciate this @CircularBrilliant and this is where I struggle because there is a huge premium on the "perfect" true antique cut stone - there have been plenty that have made my heart skip a beat but they're priced at least 50-60K, which I just can't comfortably spend, even if I saved for it. Would you mind sharing your stone?

I was thrilled with the OMC, but started overthinking it because it wasn't "perfect."
I know where you're coming from with you about overthinking it -- that's exactly what I wanted to *avoid* for my e-ring. I've been on PS for a long time, and learned an incredible amount here. There have been many projects where I've loved getting analytical, and I have much appreciation for modern superideals (my studs and necklace from BGD are amazing!).

For my e-ring, though, I wanted it to be an emotional choice. I wanted to find a stone that I loved on sight, and I hoped to find that in a true antique piece because I think there is something really special about a piece made by hand before the advent of modern technology. I was so thrilled to find mine! She is in her original art deco setting, and an added bonus, the maker's mark for Rubel Freres is still clear -- the first piece of jewelry my SO bought for me was from VCA, and the historical ties between the houses just made the whole thing felt meant to be :-)

Here she is:270051B5-983E-4A34-BCCB-D80E17D62D06.jpeg

99E948D4-283E-4B64-87C0-801E330D5AE8.jpeg

 
I found a stone that is above your budget on 1stdibs. I believe that 1stdibs charges their dealers 15% commission and 3% cc processing. If you minus out those fees, the price seems like it would be within negotiating range of your budget.

If the stone looks promising, I think this one might be in driving range for you :)L/ SI1, 10.81 x 10.17 x 6.69 (65% depth)


You know what, I’ve seen this ring. Adam showed it to me, I knew it looked familiar because of the reflection of the inclusion around 3 o’clock. Adam priced this at just above 48K and couldn’t come down on the price.
 
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