I may be blind.... but I have been checking rhino's videos over and over and been searching here and on PS but have yet to find a comparison video or picture of these two. It would be amazing to see the similarities and differences. I am on the fence on what to purchase when I do...

By a vintage OEC do you mean an actual vintage/antique stone cut several years ago?

I haven't seen both either, but I imagine that the vintage stone would probably have some quirks and character (perhaps not perfectly round, etc.), and would most likely be a warmer color. The August Vintage stones wouldn't be actual "vintage," so there might be a bit of a loss on character and history. They are, however much more standardized and would probably perform technically better optically, since that's what they're cut primarily for. You'll also have more choices when it comes to higher colors.

I know that the avr is ags certified and cut for maximum optics. But I guess what I would really just like is to see them side by side and see how the avr looks next to an oec. And not necessarily their lit optics but the actual cut. Hopefully rhino sees this and does a video!

A video would be neat. Of course, vintage diamonds are going to all be cut somewhat differently, they're not standardized like AVRs, so a video can't show all the variations possible. It would be nice to see a video how the AVR compares to a couple of different representative vintage stones, though!

Cough, cough, Jonathan can send me a nice big AVR and I'd be happy to pit it against a really nice antique OEC in a photo shoot smackdown

Seriously, though, comparing an AVC to an antique stone is apples to oranges. Every antique diamond is different - no two are alike and each will perform differently. On the contrary, AVR's are uniform, they all look and act similarly. They are both beautiful and will appeal to different people - it's just a matter of finding what speaks to you.

Grace and I can look at a tray of OEC's and we'll almost never both choose the same stones as our favorites. That's one of the wonderful things about true old cuts - each diamond is completely unique. Some are quirky and wonky and adorable (like me!), others are symmetrical and more "mainstream" in their appearance - there's something for everyone and the stones in circulation now are all that ever will be.

In fact, less as time goes on because there are dealers who are routinely buying old cuts for purposes of recutting them. If given the opportunity, I'd choose an old cut every time (obviously, lol) because these beautiful little pieces of history are rare and amazing and deserve to be preserved. But, of course, it's a very personal choice. For others, the emphasis is on technology and performance and "perfection" in the numbers - I think newly cut stones like AVR's appeal most to those who would otherwise buy a modern RB, but want something different. Those who love antiques, however, are usual pretty loyal to the oldies.

The thing is is that I see these avrs on GOG and they are beautiful and perfect. But when I see an OEC with its pastel colors and its wonkiness it gets me everytime. The avrs on GOG are awesome but the oec's on jbeg make my heart go pitter patter and take my breath away. I guess I have answer to my question

Hey Jsmith, I know I have some of these around ... coming right up.

Here's the primary thing you really need to be aware of Jsmith.

Genuine OEC as well as even most of today's cut OEC's are all over the board with regards to their optics. In this video below I compare 5 OEC's including an AVR prototype at the time of that shooting.



Most of the OEC's that I see today are also EGL graded while the AVR's are primarily AGS graded. The EGL stones will appear to be a better buy, bigger diamond less money etc. but if one does the math and the actual grading they work out pretty similar in most cases, pound for pound. I have some others too but this one came to mind.

In the AVR's ... these are OEC's I designed after studying actual OEC's over a long period of time and refining each facet set to produce the finest optics I believe they could attain tweaking crown mains, pavilion mains, stars, lower halves, upper halves etc. My favorite videos of them are those that include natural daylight shots akin to this.



bottom line ... I wanted an OEC with predictable results from diamond to diamond. I didn't want to have to hunt among EGL diamonds for a needle in a haystack. I wanted the nicest optics I could find in eacy and every one.

This is not to take away from genuine antiques. I fully understand the lure and character of genuine OEC's and we feature those as well. I believe I do in fact have genuine OEC's in stock if that's the route you want to go.

Thank you so much for those videos! I didn't know you had so many more videos on vimeo. This whole time I just kept watching the ones on youtube over and over.

The video with the 1.24ct avr has blown me away. The rainbow of colors is amazing.

Thank you for making my decision an easy one. I will for sure be going with an avr when I will be purchasing my diamond.