by David Atlas, GG(GIA),Sr. Mbr, NAJA, ASG(AGA) Horsham. PA

I am going to assume that you are familiar by now with all the necessary knowledge you need to be a smart value and quality oriented shopper or you would not have arrived at this document. So, in some sense, congratulations on your efforts are in order. If you have deep love for what a diamond looks like and has grown to represent over the past centuries, you will now add an additional layer or two of knowledge about diamonds that are not round, brilliant cuts, but about diamonds in the myriad of other shapes nature and diamond cutters provide to us. I won’t cover every shape here one at a time, but you may be able to gain an appreciation for what one must seek out in finding the fancy shaped diamond that gives the ultimate pleasure of ownership and beauty.

Accredited Gem Appraisers, more commonly known as AGA, came out in 1986 with the AGA Cut Class charts which defined a system of grading the quality of round and major fancy shaped diamond’s cut by measuring various parameters of their dimension combined with a small degree of discretion for the grader as spelled out in the rules of usage for the charts. At that time AGA had a very good idea of what constituted a fine round diamond and we also knew a lot about fancy shaped stones, but did not want to commit ourselves to the definition of the finest crafting of fancy shapes. We were still learning and exploring the options. There are so many more possibilities with fancy shaped diamonds compared with rounds. By March 2002 AGA finally announced the Ideal Cut and Premium Cut parameters for the major fancy shaped stones. These are the 1A and 1B grades. Fancy shapes from the grade of 2B and better frequently have a very fine look to them and may combine all the right attributes successfully. Some princess cuts look very nice at even lower grades, 3A to 4A, and are commonly the ones you can find to purchase. They may look great to you, but there is some issue we would have with the way they are cut that has an impact on the overall success of the appearance. later, we will cover this in a bit more detail. AGS more recently developed their cut grading for round, princess and emerald cuts. This is a fine system, more scientific than the AGA system, but both have quite comparable results. The AGS0 princess cut is a rather unique cut and while it does not fit the AGA system perfectly, no one can say AGS has it wrong. Nearly every AGS0 diamond meets very high standards of beauty and performance.

The most important element with fancy shape diamonds, after you have decided on the basic shape, is the pleasing nature, the aesthetic quality, of the outline. There are marquise stones that are slender and rather pointy. There are others than are nearly rugby ball shaped. Some pear shaped diamonds have very broad shoulders where they might have a more rounded top. Certain ovals should almost be called Movals because they have almost pointy ends. Yes, there are Povals, asymmetric Parquise and other imaginary shapes, too. No one really uses those terms, so please, don’t quote me out of context as endorsing these. I don’t. I do want you to see there is a bit of humor even in the diamond business. Not a lot, but just a bit.

So, you make your choice about the basic shape, then you choose the beauty factors of the outline. Lastly you need to think about the length to width ratio of all but square stones. A marquise at a 2:1 ratio (eg. 10mm x 5mm)looks very different if compressed into a 1.6:1 ratio (eg. 8mm x 5mm). The outline will be greatly altered. You need to look at digital images or at the diamonds themselves before you jump to a hasty decision about what length to width ratio makes the whole choice process work for you. In the AGA Cut Class charts for fancy shapes and within the AGS system, as well, you will find a wide range of “suggested” or acceptable ratios. This is the important part, the choice is YOURS, not mine or any lab’s. It is personal and gives you the control of selecting what is right for you. A general principle to keep in mind is that the longer and narrower a diamond, the less likely it is to have the best optical performance. Round and square shapes will likely be the most brilliant configurations. Occasionally some consumer will ask me if a slightly out of square princess cut is “square enough”. It is if you can’t see the difference or if the slight difference seems meaningless. There is nothing technical about what your eyes see or don’t see.

Think about the person who will wear this diamond and where it will be worn. The typical engagement ring stone may need to fit tiny, short, or bulky fingers or long, slender, large fingers. A pendant stone may be needed to accentuate height, or to fit in a small neck space of a person who is not so large. We understand that the personality and character of people is mirrored in their diamond selection in some cases. Now, this may not apply to you, but we understand the gregarious, outgoing types like the marquise, quiet and shy ones like emerald cuts, and that today’s techies are into princess cut. We say, why not? Selecting a diamond is a mirror your personality. What kind of clothes would you buy or which car would you like to own?

After you get the shape and outline issues resolved, then you should consult the AGA Cut Class charts and the many references for the AGS system if applicable, for fancy shaped diamonds. At that point, you can work on the range of parameters that will nearly be sure to find you a lovely diamond. I would urge you to look for fancy shapes that combine the parameters from 2B to 1A successfully. There are painfully few 1A or 1B fancy shapes in the market because before March 2002, no one dared to define them. Pricescope has one of the world’s best known sources of AGS0 princess cuts and he supplies a very limited number to his vendors in the USA. If you search him out, he will assist you to get a superb diamond through one of several US outlets. Now, as demand is created, diamond cutters will cut more of these stones for you to wear. It is very much consumer driven although smart diamond sellers will also get on the bandwagon to promote the concept. Look at the great success of selling ideal cut round diamonds. The selling of fine cut fancy shaped diamonds has a long way to go playing catch up. I have searched some private internet listings for diamonds that meet the AGA and AGS0 standards and there is a premium on these great shapes. You may find a bargain, but over time, the market perfects itself. Surely, there will be higher prices for finely cut fancies than for fair or poorly cut ones. The market already indicates this is the case.

There will be those expert gemologists who tell you they have a certain fancy shape that has tremendous brilliancy, fire and scintillation that falls outside the fine shape grades defined by AGA or AGS. They may be telling you’re the truth and those stones must also be considered. I am not advocating that you make a purchase without looking, learning and understanding. The BrillianceScope™, The Ideal-Scope or Firescope™, The AGS ASET device, ImaGem’s Verigem, the Octonus DiamCalc program, Ogi Firetrace and others to come will demonstrate that high light return is possible in many unusual parameters, BUT most of these diamonds will have some detriment in the cut quality that is covered in the AGA Cut Class charts or the AGA-DFS system. Many will be overly deep and therefore not show enough of their diameter for the weight you are paying for. Some may have dangerously shallow crown heights or crown angles that might hurt their long term durability. Some will have an outline or length to width ratio that is difficult to accept.

The AGA Cut Classes and the AGS systems for fancy shapes takes the description of the diamond cutting craft to a new level. The aesthetics of shape selection, outline preference, length to width ratio are all left to the consumer. There are some things that should not be dictated and the choice of what you deem beautiful should not be determined by diamond dealers or simply by electronic devices. However, by following the AGA and AGS guidelines you will not get a diamond with a cutting fault that could result in lowered durability or reduced appearance for the weight. It is our belief that within the top cut grades lies the very best combination of beauty and value in a fancy cut diamonds. The rest is up to you.

I used to grade diamonds every day in my old lab for cut quality. We use our measuring tools, our eyes and our brains. When a diamond looks wonderful and lies outside of the best cut grades, we try to define how well it looks and also to decide if the "fault" is one we can detect and understand. No diamond cut grade is written in stone. Beauty is VERY subjective. Time and more knowledge may lead us to even better parameters and updated advice in the years to come. The industry has learned to accept constructive advice. Truthfully, since I published the AGA Cut Class system in the later 1980’s, I have had little constructive advice given to me. I have had my share of skepticism and criticism, but I believe we now know the methodology was correct. In an industry that has so many outspoken members, it is as if we had hit a mute button on the remote. I suppose we must have done something pretty much right or we’d have heard something major by now. Nevertheless, input and discussion are still welcomed. Always be prepared for future changes. This is the best information out there today. It may be the best for quite a long while to come.

David S. Atlas
GG(GIA) ASG(AGA)Sr. Mbr. NAJA
D. Atlas & CO., Inc., est. 1898