Radiant-GIA Cut Class 2 88% Light Return?

[Jenna51580gr]

I am looking for 2ct Radiant, I have read the following books, How to Buy a Diamond, by Fred Cuellar and Diamond Buying Guide by Renee Newmann GG. I was hoping to find a GIA Cut Class 2(or atleast 88% light return) for Radiant. I realize there is no standard agreeded upon specs for Radiant and have been following Fred Cuellar''s guide:
Table 53%-65%
Total Depth% 56-65%
Crown Angle 32-35
Crown Height 11.2-16.2
Girdle Thickness 0.7-2.7%
Pavilion Angle 43.3-46.8
Pavilion Depth 41.51-43.1
Polish and Symmetry Atleast Good

My Question is there another way to guarantee that I will have atleast 88% Light Return on Radiant? I also have read several posts about the forum liking AGS over GIA certification. Does that hold true for Radiant as well? Could I possible have both certifcates? I will thank you in advance for any help.

 

[Independent Gal]

Honey, I think the first thing you should do is to search under ''Fred Cuellar'''' on this forum. Many on here see him as a scam artist.

 

[oldminer]

88% light return is not a standard measure anyone uses. GIA does not have a class 2 for fancy cuts. Keep on looking for information because you have not gotten off to a good start. You can do a lot better on Pricescope.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Since you are reading, are you familiar with this?

http://www.radiantcut.com/OriginalRadiant.aspx

cheers--Sharon

 

[Jenna51580gr]

Yes I looked up Fred Cuellar and I do agree he seems shady.

 

[Jenna51580gr]

Yes I am familiar with the Orignal Radiant I did not want to buy one because I thought I was just paying a premuim for hte name Orginal Radiant.

 

[Jenna51580gr]

I am truly heart broken that no one can offer me any help with the specs of a well cut Radiant. And every jeweler I have talked tells me something different. I guess if I want a well cut diamond that their guidelines for the Round is the only way to go.

 

[Independent Gal]

Jenna, how about having a look under ''Knowledge'' at the top of this page? There''s an article about cut standards for fancy shapes that might be helpful.

See if this chart helps too. It is from here:

http://www.gemappraisers.com/oldcutgraderules.asp

 

[denverappraiser]

Jenna,

Don’t get too frustrated. You’re right, it’s more difficult than you originally thought but it’s not impossible. I agree with the above that the Cuellar book is, at best, an interesting piece of advertising, but the Renee Newman book is considerably better.

#1 You can’t buy a radiant without looking at it. You just can’t. You can order it in from a far away dealer for inspection, you can get professional assistance in the inspection if you aren’t confident to do it yourself but you simply can’t do it the way you are attempting.

#2 Dealers are not all the same and the difference is not just in the price. Since you are going to have to choose which ones are worth the shipping fees to bring in, either to you directly or to your favorite store, you are required to rely on the advice of the dealer. This makes the first task one of shopping for a dealer, not shopping for a diamond. Different dealers communicate well with different customers and finding a good fit is important. The one that promises to give you what you want for the cheapest price is unlikely to be the same as the one who can actually do it so, again, the issue boils down to evaluating the integrity of the dealer. You do this by walking into their stores, reading their websites and other advertising, talking to them on the phone and by email, reading the advice they provide on the forums, checking their records with BBB and similar organizations, Googling their name and looking for comments that others have made about them, talking to your friends who may have done business with them before etc. Ask questions that you already know the answers to and listen to what they tell you. Trust your gut. Concentrate your energy on this step. If you get it right, the rest becomes remarkably easy.

#3 After you’ve found a dealer or two that deserve your business it gets much easier. Tell them what you want and listen to their advice. Let them find you a stone and buy it.

#4 Take it to a professional appraisal for inspection and ask them specific questions that you are concerned about. If the dealer left out something, or they gave you an answer that left you uncertain, ask the appraiser. That’s what your paying them for. This is where you can verify that your confidence in the jeweler was well placed.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver