Thoughts on this OEC

[sweetpea&babycorn]

Hi friends, I would love input and more sets of eyes on this ring. It’s the ultimate upgrade which includes the setting I’ve been drooling after: a milgrain bezel. In addition, jeweler is willing to let me trade in my current ring at my asking price

I love the cut of this stone, but my hesitation is that it’s not certed and their internal gemologist graded it O/P. I sent jeweler a video of my ring (AGS M) and he said based on his eyes they were similar color, however when I saw pictures of this ring, it is MUCH warmer than I could ever photograph in mine.




And if this is a fair question: what do you think would be fair asking price for this? It’s a hair over 4.5 carats in platinum setting. I’m so far off from what is going on with the antique diamond market but looks like prices have gone higher since I last bought my diamond (2017).

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Thanks all!

 

[elizat]

If you are seriously interested in the stone, I would ask for them to send it to GIA. There is no way that I would purchase a stone of that size or that cost without a GIA certificate. I also don't think most other buyers would purchase a stone of that size without sending it to GIA. The fact that they haven't done it already makes me think that it's going to come back lower and they are aware of that.

There's a big difference if it comes back as S-T v the stated o-p.

I wouldn't even discuss pricing with them until it is actually certified and you both know what you are talking about as far as the stats.

 

[Tourmaline]

I actually looked into this one before I decided on my OEC. If you look closely, you can see that the stone isn’t round (part of the edge that isn’t covered by the bezel is visible). That may or may not bother you. The lack of visual symmetry of the table bothered me.

Here is a picture of the side view of the stone you’re considering. The crown seems a bit crooked and shallow to me, especially with such a small table, which means it probably has a low crown angle, at least in some areas.



Bottom line: it’s a bit wonky, which may or may not bother you.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

If you are seriously interested in the stone, I would ask for them to send it to GIA. There is no way that I would purchase a stone of that size or that cost without a GIA certificate. I also don't think most other buyers would purchase a stone of that size without sending it to GIA. The fact that they haven't done it already makes me think that it's going to come back lower and they are aware of that.

There's a big difference if it comes back as S-T v the stated o-p.

I wouldn't even discuss pricing with them until it is actually certified and you both know what you are talking about as far as the stats.

After his comments color comparisons, I am leaning towards pushing them to send to GIA to cert, especially at this pricepoint. I agree, I wonder if the color grade will come back lower. Thank you!

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

I actually looked into this one before I decided on my OEC. If you look closely, you can see that the stone isn’t round (part of the edge that isn’t covered by the bezel is visible). That may or may not bother you. The lack of visual symmetry of the table bothered me.

Here is a picture of the side view of the stone you’re considering. The crown seems a bit crooked and shallow to me, especially with such a small table, which means it probably has a low crown angle, at least in some areas.



Bottom line: it’s a bit wonky, which may or may not bother you.

@Tourmaline did you happen to see this with your own eyes? I live too far away to consider visiting. The wonkiness you pointed out I wouldn't have noticed from the photos I've seen and the video they gave, so I don't think it would bother me. The things you point out to me in the photo you attached do... I wonder if the diamond is not set straight? Or the bezel doesn't fit the stone correctly? Wouldn't it be dangerous for the edge of the diamond to not be covered by the bezel? This picture you shared is also not one I've seen before, nor on their website. I'll plan on asking them for more pics.

 

[Tourmaline]

@Tourmaline did you happen to see this with your own eyes? I live too far away to consider visiting. The wonkiness you pointed out I wouldn't have noticed from the photos I've seen and the video they gave, so I don't think it would bother me. The things you point out to me in the photo you attached do... I wonder if the diamond is not set straight? Or the bezel doesn't fit the stone correctly? Wouldn't it be dangerous for the edge of the diamond to not be covered by the bezel? This picture you shared is also not one I've seen before, nor on their website. I'll plan on asking them for more pics.

No, I didn’t see it in person. They sent me the photo because I asked specifically to see a side view. It shows a wonky diamond shape (nothing to do with the bezel), and it also shows rather intense yellow body color.

The bezel doesn’t cover part of the stone because the stone is not round.

 

[Tourmaline]

The table is narrow (not actually an octagon), and the culet is off-center. Here’s a closeup of the table in their head-on picture.

 

[Tourmaline]

Here’s that same closeup, rotated.

 

[Mreader]

It is really pretty, but if the current stone you mention is the one in your avatar and the thread on the 3ct, I like the facet pattern of yours better. I don't mind wonkiness in stones and I can find them charming, but the pattern on your stone looks more "organized" for lack of a better word. And based on the video it does look warmer than your current stone (though that is only one video). Asking for it to be sent to GIA means unmounting it which will will also show if there are chips etc around the girdle. What do they say the clarity is?

 

[lovetodream]

I have no dog in this fight, but @Tourmaline, I bow to your detailed eye! on first glance, i just thought "buy it!" And it still may be fantastic for the price. But either way - you are in good hands, @sweetpea&babycorn

 

[Cerulean]

I like the facet pattern of your avatar much more, honestly

 

[Tourmaline]

I have no dog in this fight, but @Tourmaline, I bow to your detailed eye! on first glance, i just thought "buy it!" And it still may be fantastic for the price. But either way - you are in good hands, @sweetpea&babycorn

I also have no dog in this fight.

 

[Tourmaline]

I’ve just looked through the thread on your current diamond, and it is a million times nicer than the one you are considering. The only upgrade would be size, and not enough to justify such a downgrade in all other areas.

 

[Rfisher]

You said you love the facet pattern of the larger one - so I will assume you are looking for a stone with a blocker peripheral area than yours (very beautiful) has.
Have you found any other contenders?

especially If the vendor is unwilling to send it for a lab report - I’d be very leery of a vendor who is willing to make a statement comparison of color between their stone and pictures/videos of mine.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

Thanks so much for input so far. I don't mind the pattern on mine, it's definitely like a blend of flowery and blocky facets depending on how clean it is and the lighting. The symmetry on my stone is not perfect, though I never minded it.

Feedback so far has been very helpful, there is something about this ring that's just lovely but I felt I needed convincing to look at it from a different angle before shelling out extra money for it. I am strongly considering an upgrade, and I've been eyeing some items at JbG, but I'm trying to see if I can get the stone and setting I want together. This one almost/could fit the bill, just need some clarity from the seller.

@Tourmaline your eye for this is amazing! If you came across other contenders, please feel free to share!

 

[Tourmaline]

@Tourmaline your eye for this is amazing! If you came across other contenders, please feel free to share!

This one is incredibly lovely, warm in color, with a slightly longer-petal flower pattern than I was wanting. I believe he’d take up to $5,000 off the price. I did see this one in person and it’s fantastic.

4.80CT Round Brilliant Diamond Yellow Color VS2 Clarity GIA Antique Old European - Etsy

This Engagement Rings item by LionDiamonds has 16 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from New York, NY. Listed on Feb 14, 2024

www.etsy.com

Here’s the same stone on eBay:

4.80CT Round Brilliant Diamond Yellow Color VS2 Clarity GIA Antique Old European | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 4.80CT Round Brilliant Diamond Yellow Color VS2 Clarity GIA Antique Old European at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Here is a picture of it that I took myself.



Here’s a really cool stone, with a bit more depth and a mine cut center pattern:

GIA Ultra Clean 5.01ct Old Euro Diamond VVS2 Ring Heavy Platinum Statement 15.9g | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for GIA Ultra Clean 5.01ct Old Euro Diamond VVS2 Ring Heavy Platinum Statement 15.9g at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

There were some really lovely ones at Jack Weir & Sons in between when I got my stone and now, but they seem to have been sold.

 

[Cerulean]

Thanks so much for input so far. I don't mind the pattern on mine, it's definitely like a blend of flowery and blocky facets depending on how clean it is and the lighting. The symmetry on my stone is not perfect, though I never minded it.

Feedback so far has been very helpful, there is something about this ring that's just lovely but I felt I needed convincing to look at it from a different angle before shelling out extra money for it. I am strongly considering an upgrade, and I've been eyeing some items at JbG, but I'm trying to see if I can get the stone and setting I want together. This one almost/could fit the bill, just need some clarity from the seller.

@Tourmaline your eye for this is amazing! If you came across other contenders, please feel free to share!

I totally understand wanting to find the “package deal” with a setting you love, but I think that will make this quite a bit tougher and I would just build in the expectation that you’ll need to get it set by someone

 

[elizat]

This one is incredibly lovely, warm in color, with a slightly longer-petal flower pattern than I was wanting. I believe he’d take up to $5,000 off the price. I did see this one in person and it’s fantastic.

4.80CT Round Brilliant Diamond Yellow Color VS2 Clarity GIA Antique Old European - Etsy

This Engagement Rings item by LionDiamonds has 16 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from New York, NY. Listed on Feb 14, 2024

www.etsy.com

Here’s the same stone on eBay:

4.80CT Round Brilliant Diamond Yellow Color VS2 Clarity GIA Antique Old European | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 4.80CT Round Brilliant Diamond Yellow Color VS2 Clarity GIA Antique Old European at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Here is a picture of it that I took myself.



Here’s a really cool stone, with a bit more depth and a mine cut center pattern:

GIA Ultra Clean 5.01ct Old Euro Diamond VVS2 Ring Heavy Platinum Statement 15.9g | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for GIA Ultra Clean 5.01ct Old Euro Diamond VVS2 Ring Heavy Platinum Statement 15.9g at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

There were some really lovely ones at Jack Weir & Sons in between when I got my stone and now, but they seem to have been sold.

I hate and like that you linked the 4.8!

I have been considering a stone purchase for months and I don't like much sub 45k. This is my top one.

OP, please buy this one so I can say I'm not upgrading anything!!!

There is really not much out there that is 4.3 to 5 under 50k worth looking at, in my view. They were all pretty decent compromise stones. This is one of the nicest options in that price range.

I have decided that if I do buy a larger stone I probably need over $70k and I'm just unwilling to do that.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

I totally understand wanting to find the “package deal” with a setting you love, but I think that will make this quite a bit tougher and I would just build in the expectation that you’ll need to get it set by someone

Yupyup, this is reality that I don’t want to face I contacted Grace about a couple options so we’ll see what she thinks

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

I hate and like that you linked the 4.8!

I have been considering a stone purchase for months and I don't like much sub 45k. This is my top one.

OP, please buy this one so I can say I'm not upgrading anything!!!

There is really not much out there that is 4.3 to 5 under 50k worth looking at, in my view. They were all pretty decent compromise stones. This is one of the nicest options in that price range.

I have decided that if I do buy a larger stone I probably need over $70k and I'm just unwilling to do that.

Same here! Going over 50K including selling or trading in my ring is just isn’t a good life choice for us right now. But 35Kish I could swing. I’m realizing this is a much harder goal to attain.

I looked at this 4.8 and reminded me more of a transitional than OEC. I prefer the chunkier facets of an OEC, but I’ll keep this one in mind.

 

[elizat]

Same here! Going over 50K including selling or trading in my ring is just isn’t a good life choice for us right now. But 35Kish I could swing. I’m realizing this is a much harder goal to attain.

I looked at this 4.8 and reminded me more of a transitional than OEC. I prefer the chunkier facets of an OEC, but I’ll keep this one in mind.

It reads transitional to me too v OEC, but that was kind of a bonus for me.

My first preference is OMC, then transitional then OEC.

Under 35k is hard. I have been looking for months and finally landed on not doing the upgrade at this time. I am just resetting what I have instead.

I have a feeling we looked at the same stones on websites and probably IG. None of them really wowed me. It's a hard price point.

 

[Mreader]

It reads transitional to me too v OEC, but that was kind of a bonus for me.

My first preference is OMC, then transitional then OEC.

Under 35k is hard. I have been looking for months and finally landed on not doing the upgrade at this time. I am just resetting what I have instead.

Which stone is this @elizat? You have quite an amazing collection so I don’t know which ring you are referring to

 

[elizat]

Which stone is this @elizat? You have quite an amazing collection so I don’t know which ring you are referring to

It's really just a bunch of stuff! Slimmed down with the help of Grace recently. You are honestly much too nice!

I am resetting the 3.09 OMC. It will go into a CvB Clara. Platinum interior bezel, 20k rose gold body. Pics attached. Opposite of the exemplar photo.

Sorry for the diversion, OP! It definitely is a hard budget for the size goal. Lots of shallow stones out there in that range or ones with clarity issues.

Ivy and Rose sometimes get larger ones in too, so worth checking there as well occasionally.

 

[Mreader]

It's really just a bunch of stuff! Slimmed down with the help of Grace recently. You are honestly much too nice!

I am resetting the 3.09 OMC. It will go into a CvB Clara. Platinum interior bezel, 20k rose gold body. Pics attached. Opposite of the exemplar photo.

Sorry for the diversion, OP! It definitely is a hard budget for the size goal. Lots of shallow stones out there in that range or ones with clarity issues.

Ivy and Rose sometimes get larger ones in too, so worth checking there as well occasionally.

Oh yes I remember this one. Beautiful setting that will give you lots of coverage

 

[Tourmaline]

@elizat and @sweetpea&babycorn I was looking in the same price range and almost settled for a 4ct one that looked amazing in a video when I thought the video was at a slight angle, but then I realized when I had it in person that the culet was seriously off center, and I could not live with that.

Again, a beautiful one turned up on the Jack Weir & Sons website after I had bought mine, but it’s gone now. That’s a good site to watch, though.

 

[Tourmaline]

@elizat Are you aware of this one? I received videos of it and seriously considered it. They are flexible on price.

Old European Cut Loose Diamond Vintage & Rare 5.25 Ct GIA Certified O-P SI-1 | eBay

Stock # GIA 525OPSI1<br>GIA Certificate Included<br>Report# 5172941204<br>Item Type: Loose Diamond<br>Gemstone: Diamond<br>Diamond Weight: 5.25 Carats - Old European Brilliant Cut - 9.91 - 10.61 x 7.68 MM <br>Center Diamond Color: O - P<br>Diamond Clarity: SI 1<br>Polish: Good<br>Symmetry...

www.ebay.com

 

[Tourmaline]

Oh my goodness! This one wasn’t out there when I was looking. I would have bought it. There’s no way it’s their estimated M color, haha! It’s closer to the end of the alphabet, but look at that facet pattern! Swoon!

5.16 Carat Old European Cut Diamond Solitaire Ring 18ct White Gold | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 5.16 Carat Old European Cut Diamond Solitaire Ring 18ct White Gold at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

Oh my goodness! This one wasn’t out there when I was looking. I would have bought it. There’s no way it’s their estimated M color, haha! It’s closer to the end of the alphabet, but look at that facet pattern! Swoon!

5.16 Carat Old European Cut Diamond Solitaire Ring 18ct White Gold | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 5.16 Carat Old European Cut Diamond Solitaire Ring 18ct White Gold at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

THIS IS GORGEOUS and is a lot of what I am looking for. But I agree, seems a tad too warm for my eyes.

 

[elizat]

@elizat Are you aware of this one? I received videos of it and seriously considered it. They are flexible on price.

Old European Cut Loose Diamond Vintage & Rare 5.25 Ct GIA Certified O-P SI-1 | eBay

Stock # GIA 525OPSI1<br>GIA Certificate Included<br>Report# 5172941204<br>Item Type: Loose Diamond<br>Gemstone: Diamond<br>Diamond Weight: 5.25 Carats - Old European Brilliant Cut - 9.91 - 10.61 x 7.68 MM <br>Center Diamond Color: O - P<br>Diamond Clarity: SI 1<br>Polish: Good<br>Symmetry...

www.ebay.com

I had, I think. They do run a bit together, at times! Thanks for linking that one, I think I may have seen it.

My issue is that I am keeping my OMC. It is 9.28 x 8.79. Keeping it because an OMC over 3 carats is hard to find and lovely faceting. My stone has a bigger table for an OMC, but it all works together very well. I came to the conclusion that 1 mm each way approx, was not enough of a bump for the cost.

I did buy an 11 mm OEC CZ, to see what I think of that, but never had it set.

Kind of thinking that if I do a larger stone, I may go for an antique asscher. But I don't wear my emerald cut much. So there's that.

I collect shapes, I guess. I have a few OMCs (my preference), an emerald cut, a yellow oval modern, a yellow oval rose cut, an antique pear, an antique oval, and some smaller OECs in other rings.

I have an OEC with Grace right now in a three stone, 1.52 ct for the OEC and it was my least worn ring. I can't say if that was because it was round or the size.

My finger is a size 6.75, but I size for 7 due to humidity. I feel like my shorter and fuller fingers don't play well with round stones.

4.62ct Asscher Cut Diamond, GIA M VVS2

Really, truly, one of the prettiest antique Asscher cut diamonds to land on our lap of late! This diamond is just everything we love with the cut - those sharp lines, the charming culet and best of all - the cut itself! A very very lively stone with the face up of a 5.50ct diamond and faces up...

www.jewelsbygrace.com

This one looks nice in video on IG.

So, I guess the conclusion is I don't have a flipping clue what I'm doing even though I have sold off a lot of stuff and have more to be listed with Grace!

 

[Mreader]

THIS IS GORGEOUS and is a lot of what I am looking for. But I agree, seems a tad too warm for my eyes.

That photograph is so weird you may want to ask them to send you other pictures though because the strange way it’s photographed it might pick up the warmth way more than in real life.