Old European vs. Round Brilliant?

[Lily85]

Hi all! I'm deciding on old European vs. round brilliant cut for my engagement solitaire. I think old European looks so romantic, but I'm worried down the road I will regret not going for the sparkle factor of the round brilliant. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[missy]

Have you seen both cuts in person? My advice is to see as many as you can and realize that no one OEC is alike however you can definitely see which cut you prefer. Chunky vs splintery for one. The best thing to do is see as many as you can IRL before you commit. They are different flavors to be sure. Both beautiful but different. Each OEC is unique so perhaps if you love the chunky facets and romantic feeling an OEC brings you just need to find the one that has the right amount of "sparkle" factor for you. OEC's have lots of sparkle IMO. Just different than an MRB.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Lily85]

Thanks Missy! I agree that the best thing to do is go see them in person!

 

[missy]

Thanks Missy! I agree that the best thing to do is go see them in person!

Where are you located? If you are near NYC I cannot think of any better place to view old cuts than Adam's place at Old World Diamonds. He has an amazing selection of old cuts.

 

[AdaBeta27]

The Good Old Gold August Vintage round (AVR) is the best of both worlds. Good Old Gold has numerous online videos of H&A modern RBs and AVRs.

 

[Lily85]

Thanks! I live in NYC! Might stop by there and also head out to Long Island to visit GOG!

 

[rubybeth]

The Good Old Gold August Vintage round (AVR) is the best of both worlds. Good Old Gold has numerous online videos of H&A modern RBs and AVRs.

I like this quick video comparing a Hearts & Arrows ideal cut vs. an August Vintage Round: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea7G1PWU9BU

I personally prefer the bolder flashes of the August Vintage or a Old European Cut, vs. the splintery look of the modern round brilliant, but it's very personal, and only you can decide what you prefer.

 

[arkieb1]

I think it also depends on the size of the stone too the smaller the stone the less you will notice the difference in cut patterns you can still see a difference up close but on the hand the bigger the stone the easier it is to notice. It's also a myth that OECs have less fire & sparkle, they have plenty of fire & sparkle - the two different cuts just perform differently in different lighting situations.

 

[elizabethtwrs]

I looked at lots of diamonds and pics online and thought for sure it was an OEC for me, as I wasn't a fan of the splintery look at all. But once I actually got my OEC on my hand, I do catch myself admiring MRBs on other people a lot! Especially since I am under flourescent office lighting majority of the time and my OEC doesn't seem to perform well under those conditions. It does throw off all sorts of mesmizing pastel lights under night street lighting under trees for some reason though, and that is my favourite time of the day to stare at it lol.

There's a possibility that I might buck the trend here and go from OEC to mrb, instead of the other way round. What I wished I had done was get both stones under a great return policy and really compare them on your hand under various light conditions, to determine what pleases your eye most. Good luck deciding!