Help deciding on this OMC??

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

How exciting- finally in hand! It's a very romantic stone. So happy for you.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yeah they didn’t start faceting girdles until well into the 20th century. Untouched OECs and OMCs have bruted girdles, which are very thick and white and “frosted” looking or they have knife edge girdles which are prone to chipping. So an old cut of this era with a faceted girdle has had some work done recently. Likely a girdle clean up but I’d wager a bit of a polish too as the polish is very good and many antiques are just good or even fair for polish. I dont personally have a problem with those kinds of small modern touches as they really help the optics and longevity of the gem. And yours is a truly gorgeous stone worth preserving.

 

[bee24]

More videos/pictures! Debatably better in the day!

Probably terribly to admit but this the first OMC I have seen in person. I have seen OECs though. For some reason this stone seems to lean a bit towards an OEC, do we think this could be a later OMC then? Any thoughts? I love thinking about its history and when it was cut. I could be very wrong, I’m clearly no expert!

 

[bee24]

Yeah they didn’t start faceting girdles until well into the 20th century. Untouched OECs and OMCs have bruted girdles, which are very thick and white and “frosted” looking or they have knife edge girdles which are prone to chipping. So an old cut of this era with a faceted girdle has had some work done recently. Likely a girdle clean up but I’d wager a bit of a polish too as the polish is very good and many antiques are just good or even fair for polish. I dont personally have a problem with those kinds of small modern touches as they really help the optics and longevity of the gem. And yours is a truly gorgeous stone worth preserving.

Thank you! I really appreciate the history. You referenced a book in a different thread and I have been meaning to read it. I’d love to have more knowledge about these old cuts. Thanks for all your expertise!

 

[bee24]

Hello! I have been actively searching for side stones now and I think these have potential. Vendor estimates they are K/L 4.8mm each. The center stone in the video is the same mm and color (M) as my stone but an OEC. I asked the vendor if the side stones had the OEC flower pattern that I love and he said I’d have to decide if they do when I see them in person, if I purchase. I went to a local place to discuss a custom setting and they had similar sized CZs that I was able to put next to my stone. First picture is a screenshot of the vendor video and second picture is of my stone with CZs. Thoughts on size/ratio? I was hoping for lower colored side stones but have not had any luck yet, do we think K/L will be too white next to a larger M?

I have asked if he had any smaller stones and he will hopefully get pictures to me tomorrow…just to look at different ratios.

Also, I’m guessing it’s fine to continue discussion on this thread please let me know if it’s a faux pas!

 

[Dreamer_D]

They are very pretty and nicely matched. I’m such small diamonds you can’t really make out the facet pattern in person. What you notice is more the general level of chunkiness, the table size, the crown height, the diameter. And they look good.

Proportion wise they look nice, and it depends what look you want. I wonder if you have 4mm cz to compare? I think smaller sides would really make your center pop and look huge. These sides are more a three stone look vs smaller would be more an accent. Not sure what you are after.

As to color when I was trying to match my side stones to my KL center I initially had a J color stone and I thought it was too white. I think you might notice these as being whiter than your center but really you need to see in person to know for sure.

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

I agree, in fact, I'm the one that wants moooaar color, always.
I happen to love a prong so I would be happy with either 8 or 10 depending on what the design calls for. I even like variations on prong number between main and sides.
I have a three stone CS ring with 8 prongs. The only thing I would change is I would beef them up a bit. Beautiful, but a little delicate. It depends on the thickness and length of the prong. You want to secure but not obscure, ya know?

These are my observations from this board over several years, take with a grain of salt as I have no personal experience with any of these venders.

• I would reach out to DK first, personally.

• CvB has great stuff but can be a bit unreliable- she prefers for people to text/call her directly. Some people she's very receptive/attentive to and some do not have this experience. I can't really figure out why that is.

• Sako is super talented but can have/needs 'artistic' difference and license and his budget has a % of overage you should plan for because of it.

• Erika Winters does beautiful work- don't know if she takes outside stones and you're paying top retail for every setting. So, money.

If you have a very particular aesthetic you're going for then I would suggest the smaller creatives who do that kind of work exclusively if none of these pan out.

*Sorry it's very dark, but I took these by monitor light just now to show my prongs to illustrate. Also, the purple reflection just looks cool.


My ring and band was made by JuliaB on Etsy. I've been very happy with the quality of her work.

JuliaB on Etsy! Wow! Should Iwrite this down, or not?

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

JuliaB on Etsy! Wow! Should Iwrite this down, or not?

Yes, she doesn't get enough love! But, make sure you spell vendor correctly, because I sure didn't

 

[bee24]

They are very pretty and nicely matched. I’m such small diamonds you can’t really make out the facet pattern in person. What you notice is more the general level of chunkiness, the table size, the crown height, the diameter. And they look good.

Proportion wise they look nice, and it depends what look you want. I wonder if you have 4mm cz to compare? I think smaller sides would really make your center pop and look huge. These sides are more a three stone look vs smaller would be more an accent. Not sure what you are after.

As to color when I was trying to match my side stones to my KL center I initially had a J color stone and I thought it was too white. I think you might notice these as being whiter than your center but really you need to see in person to know for sure.

As always, thank you for your reply! The vendor found another matched pair but only 4.4mm so the size difference was minimal compared to the 4.8s in the video above. I’m going to order some loose CZs in a few sizes to get an idea. Originally, I wanted the classic three stone ring, not a center stone w side stones. However, this center stone is bigger than I originally anticipated and I love the shape. I really want to highlight the shape and so playing w different sizes may be the best way to do that. The vendor said he thought he could find a match pair in the M/N range…so we’ll see what he comes up with. I’m just anxious to get this stone on my finger! Back to the drawing board for setting ideas while I wait…ha! Thanks again!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I have a little box full of CZs in different sizes and shapes! It’s super helpful for visualizing different combos.

You could do pears too. You can even have modern cut pears recut into old cut style!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Maybe this thread will be helpful for visualizing. I think if you want the “accent stone” look you might need to go under 4mm. Here is @oldcutclubmember s ring with a similar size cushion center and it’s paired with 3.76mm oecs. I love this look! For a more classic theee stone I think 5mm+ would be better.

Get ready for a BARRAGE of pictures because I am obsessed with this ring and have taken a ton of pictures in the 7 months I’ve had it.

First up, the three stone ring:
- Center - 2.81 ct GIA N SI1 Faint Fluor (8.23 x 8.10 x 5.98 mm)
- Sides - 2 OECs approx .45 ctw (3.75mm each)
- Platinum - high polish for the prongs and the baskets/donuts, soft brushed for the shank

Here are the glamour shots from Caysie.

The tiny, delicate prongs, the proportions, the petite split shank, the profile… I honestly love everything about this 3 stone and I wouldn’t change a thing. I know the contrast between the low color of the center stone and the higher color of the side stones will bother some people but I actually love it for this ring! The contrast adds another layer of visual interest to my eyes and furthers the contrast of the 2 different finishes. Perhaps I would feel differently if the side stones were more substantial in size or if this had been an engagement ring.

Here are my pics.

The details of the setting.


This stone is such a bright chameleon!







Here is a video if you aren’t sick of this ring yet.
This shows the details of the ring/setting pretty well - video taken indoors under natural daylight by a window

I see now that your cushion faces a bit larger so maybe 4mm would achieve a similar look?

 

[bee24]

Maybe this thread will be helpful for visualizing. I think if you want the “accent stone” look you might need to go under 4mm. Here is @oldcutclubmember s ring with a similar size cushion center and it’s paired with 3.76mm oecs. I love this look! For a more classic theee stone I think 5mm+ would be better.




I see now that your cushion faces a bit larger so maybe 4mm would achieve a similar look?

Yes! I love @oldcutclubmember ’s ring. I think those proportions really work.
Here is a video of the 4.8 vs 4.4 which is such a tiny difference but visually, I think does make a big impact (to me, hyper-analyzing them). However, these are both K/L so they may be too white.

I found a different pair from a different seller, the pictures/videos are not great and it seems to be an unknown seller on here… these are also listed as K/L 4.4 and 4.6mm but these seem warmer than the ones above.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I can totally see the difference between the 4.8 and 4.4s in that video and I really like the smaller ones!

I think .2 may be too big a difference in size for the second pair you showed. It might be visible looking at them with such small stones? Also curious to see a side shot to be able to compare crown heights and table sizes bc I wonder if they have slightly different cut styles?

 

[bee24]

I can totally see the difference between the 4.8 and 4.4s in that video and I really like the smaller ones!

I think .2 may be too big a difference in size for the second pair you showed. It might be visible looking at them with such small stones? Also curious to see a side shot to be able to compare crown heights and table sizes bc I wonder if they have slightly different cut styles?

Good point! I think I would definitely see the difference in that .2mm difference, especially as I’ll be staring at it all the time. I got excited because they seemed warmer and there is something quite thrilling about “the find”. I did ask for more videos but no response. That seller has a variety of loose stones so maybe they’ll have a closer match. However, Adam at OWD seemed confident he’d find a warmer match for me but waiting is hard.
Thanks for your insight, as always!

 

[bee24]

Me again! @Dreamer_D do you think these have any potential?
First video with solo stones, one is 5.3x5.4mm and the other 5.1x5.2mm. These are definitely a bit more wonky shape, one looks deeper too… I was thinking I’d want OECs to highlight the shape of my stone but these do seem to have a slight squaring that could be perfect? Or not lol. The vendor said they reminded her of my stone (same seller) which is why I’m considering.

Next video, smaller stones are .84 ctw and the larger are .92 ctw they are both estimated L or M….smaller seem warmer to me. The video isn’t great, I would like to see the facets better, I know they are tiny but they look dirty? I am waiting for the mm on both of these still.

ETA it seems any time I link a Vimeo video it is extra blurry- sorry for the poor quality.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Me again! @Dreamer_D do you think these have any potential?
First video with solo stones, one is 5.3x5.4mm and the other 5.1x5.2mm. These are definitely a bit more wonky shape, one looks deeper too… I was thinking I’d want OECs to highlight the shape of my stone but these do seem to have a slight squaring that could be perfect? Or not lol. The vendor said they reminded her of my stone (same seller) which is why I’m considering.

Next video, smaller stones are .84 ctw and the larger are .92 ctw they are both estimated L or M….smaller seem warmer to me. The video isn’t great, I would like to see the facets better, I know they are tiny but they look dirty? I am waiting for the mm on both of these still.

I like the patterning on these, it is a better match to the center.

 

[bee24]

I like the patterning on these, it is a better match to the center.

Which ones do you like?

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Which ones do you like?

The wonky first pair(5.3/5.1) in the videos with the wider pavilion cuts and higher crowns.

 

[Dreamer_D]

To be clear, are the 5-ish mm cushions in the top video the 0.92cttw stones on the right in the bottom video?

 

[bee24]

To be clear, are the 5-ish mm cushions in the top video the 0.92cttw stones on the right in the bottom video?

Sorry, no, three different sets of stones.
The video with just the one set are the 5mm ones and are 1.2 cttw, both 3.75mm deep. Other two sets I do not have mm yet but are the .84cttw and .92cttw.

The 5mm ones are bigger than I was looking for but I am considering them as the seller feels they are a good match w my center.

Hope that clarifies, sorry for the confusion.

 

[bee24]

Sorry, no, three different sets of stones.
The video with just the one set are the 5mm ones and are 1.2 cttw, both 3.75mm deep. Other two sets I do not have mm yet but are the .84cttw and .92cttw.

The 5mm ones are bigger than I was looking for but I am considering them as the seller feels they are a good match w my center.

Hope that clarifies, sorry for the confusion.

Too late to edit my previous post. I just got the mm of the other two sets.
4.84-4.95 for the larger pair and
4.29-4.37 for smaller (but chunky) pair.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I like all the options. The cut on the smallest pair is the least well matched but please believe me when I say you won’t be able to see it at all with the naked eye!

All else equal I might lean towards the larger cushion pair because from a collector and rarity perspective that is the harder cut style to locate. They do really seem to match the soft cushion outline of your main stone. What is the color? And what price are you being quoted?

 

[bee24]

I like all the options. The cut on the smallest pair is the least well matched but please believe me when I say you won’t be able to see it at all with the naked eye!

All else equal I might lean towards the larger cushion pair because from a collector and rarity perspective that is the harder cut style to locate. They do really seem to match the soft cushion outline of your main stone. What is the color? And what price are you being quoted?

Thanks for the reply! Yes, that was my thought on the cushion pair. I had planned on OECs because I thought I wouldn’t find a matching pair to my center…but now it feels like a possible perfect match. They were sold to her as J/K but we both agreed they seemed warmer (she sent about 8 videos) but she hasn’t given me an estimate on color or clarity…they seem worn on the girdle which I know to expect in older stones but I do plan on prongs. She did say that they are not a perfectly matched pair that you can find with OECs. Price is 1500! The other two sets are smaller and I was quoted a higher price for them (different seller).

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yeah that’s a good price. Can you buy them and see how you like them with your main stone in your own hands?

 

[bee24]

Yeah that’s a good price. Can you buy them and see how you like them with your main stone in your own hands?

Yes! That’s my plan, seller said if I don’t think they match then I can return. I bought them last night! She estimates they are Ls and VS. Hopefully the color difference isn’t blaring to my eyes but I think the matched cushion shape will out weigh a slight color difference. We will see. I’ll post pictures when I receive them next week, I’m out of town this coming week so I must (impatiently) wait.

Thank you for your insight and every PSers help! I know the side stones are small and I feel a bit obsessive with my postings seeking advice! The search is very fun but also completely new to me so the guidance I receive here is very appreciated!

I’m hoping to use a local bench for the setting, I have not had much luck with communication with CVB or Sako… the local place does everything in house (cads/wax molds/etc) so I’m going to start there…I think.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Don’t even worry about posting so much just look back through my threads archive or really any of us offering you help and you will see us all posting 1000 questions about every single detail!

And it’s worth focusing on the details for these side stones. 5mm is actually about the point where the faceting can become more evident to the naked eye, and at any size the appearance and light play of diamonds is also very important. I can’t wait to see pictures!

I have not had much luck with local benches, and I find setting stressful and confusing lol Sorry not to have much help to offer there! Caysie prefers being contacted by text, but she and Sako are one-person shows and artisans and that is a particular kind of experience. You have to persist to get in touch. You might prefer working with your local bench where you get to work face to face and there are multiple people to help you. Explore your options.

My main advice is to insure your diamonds before they are set. Jewelers Mutual will insure loose stones during setting if you provide an appraisal for the stones or receipts and a quote for the cost of the mounting. I discovered damage to a stone immediately after collecting a ring once and was so glad I had coverage and could handle the replacement on my own without having to argue with the jeweler or rely on the jewelers decision-making for a replacement. And if you are insured your diamonds are covered during shipping if you end up working with a jeweler who isn’t local.

 

[bee24]

They are here! And I think they are perfect. The slight cushion shape makes me so happy. They really feel like little minis of my center stone. Thoughts? They are a higher color which is much more apparent in pictures than in person.

@Dreamer_D I apologize for not replying, I thought I had but was on vacation so I must have not pressed reply though I typed a response. Thank you for the advice! I’m planning on using jewelers mutual. I’m just trying to decide whether I use the receipts from the purchases or get an appraisal. However, they all three seem unique/special and I worry the receipts won’t convey that… always so many decisions! The center stone is GIA but the side stones are not…They are only 1.2ctw so I was not planning on it.

 

[maryjane04]

Oh gosh I am so excited for you. They look lovely and well matched and perfectly proportioned! I can't wait for you to set it. It will be a killer 3 stone ring!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Don’t even worry about not replying before your vacation!

I love these cushions! The cuts are so nice and well matched with your center. The size looks so nice. I can see a slight color difference but I don’t think it matters. All three stones have the same buttery, lemony base body color, and that is so important for matching a suite of more tinted stones. Like body tint can be brown, or grey, or yellow, or green, and so having such a similar tone for your suite is a real find. It doesn’t bother me at all that the center is slightly more tinted in this case. I would be more bothered by different body tones/colors.

Regarding insurance, when making a claim they don’t care about the finer nuances, all they would care about is the value and the major stats like color, clarity, carat. It would be up to you during the replacement or repair process to determine whether you were happy with the replacement, so making sure the replacement fit your cut standards would be up to you as long as the replacement value was adequate and the major specs matched. But that is where I would encourage you to get an appraisal bc you got a good price that is below retail and if you have to replace a stone you don’t want to be limited financially in where you can search for the replacement.

As for lab reports I’d get them just because I like having reports for my special gems, but obviously you don’t need them, even for insurance.

 

[Mreader]

I love the pairing!