Why buy an ideal cut if the diamond is always dirty??

[eyesoftexas]

Just voicing my opinion. I spent all this time searching for perfect ideal cuts with all of the great angles yada yada yada. Meanwhile my wife (who is a very neat and orderly person) is now wearing the ring and I have noticed that it no longer sparkles. It is because it is dirty. But I have also noticed that it does not take much – greasy finger print, light wind with some dust in the air, even lint from pockets and it knocks that brilliance and sparkle down to nothing. My wife’s old ring (nicknamed “frozen spit”) looks similar to her new ring. When I told her that she needs to clean it to keep it sparkling she replied “why would I bother it looks great to me.” So in the end I could have easily bought a good cut and saved a ton of money and even possibly bought a much bigger stone. My lesson is not to get caught in the numbers game because for most, good enough will likely suffice. I just happen to be a diamond junkie because of pricescope!!!

 

[mm]

I had a diamond seller tell me that certain cut angles, that were not ideal in terms of light return, were less likely to get dirty- so they would actually sparkle longer.

He said it was not fully understood by the diamond industry as to why this occurred.

Being the skeptic that I am, it all sounded a bit dodgy- but mayby there is some truth to it? Cutnut, leonid??

 

[pqcollectibles]

All diamonds sparkle less when dirty. Grease/oils are particularly bad. Well cut diamonds will just sparkle better thru everyday wear, in between cleanings. A good cleaning won't help a poorly cut diamond.

 

[niceice]

Because a non-ideal cut diamond would look worse! Here's an experiment for other retailers to try in their store... Take two diamonds and set them in standard solitaire style engagement rings... Both diamonds the same size, same clarity, same color, one a precise ideal cut diamond and the other a diamond of average make and then give them to one of your female associates to wear for a week "all the time" one on each hand... And after a week, put them in your display case without cleaning them and let your clients make their choice regarding this issue based on what they see... You know what? Every one of the people we've shown this little experiment to seems to prefer the ideal cut diamond.

There really isn't a simple way to say this, so we're just going to be blunt. The real issue here isn't the diamond, it is the fact that your wife either doesn't know how to, or doesn't feel like cleaning her jewelry on a regular basis, or simply take it to a jeweler to have it cleaned... Some people buy really expensive cars and never have them detailed... So be it, but thankfully a lot of women DO take great pride in their jewelry and do take 30 seconds every other week or so to give their puppies a quick bath in a little ammonia and warm water (50/50 mixture) and give it a light scrub with a soft bristled tooth brush (this method is for diamonds only folks!) to keep them looking their best... Perhaps it is a matter of pride, perhaps it is simply a matter of know how... If your wife is happy with the way her diamonds look dirty, well, we suppose that you can save yourself a bunch of money the next time you buy her a special bobble, but it sure would be nicer to buy her something special and have her appreciate your investment, both in the time you spent selecting a very special diamond for her and the money you spent to purchase it for her, and give it a bath once in awhile... Could it be something as simple as she just doesn't know how to clean her ring and you caught her off guard?!?! Lots of people make kind of silly statements when they're caught off guard and perhaps a bit embarrassed about something...

 

[Shay37]

I'm a fanatic about my diamond being clean. At the very least, I clean it once a day with a spritz of windex and a soft brush and a hot water rinse. Once a week I soak it in ammonia and water and then brush it gently and rinse. If, throughout the day, I notice that I have gotten something on the diamond (grease, etc.) it gets cleaned yet again. But, as I said, I'm a bit of a fanatic. LOL

Shay

 

[niceice]

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On 5/11/2004 1:39:35 AM Shay37 wrote:

If I find one more diamond site my husband is going to divorce me!----------------

"It's cheaper to keep her, buy the rock!"

Your tag line totally cracked us up!

 

[valeria101]

Hm...

How about this:

#1: H&A diamonds get top brilliance when washed;
#2: Not-so-great cut ones get top brilliance when recut.

it sounds like washing is easier...

It would be interesting to see what happens with the respective "awerage" and H&A when their pavilions get in the dark (dirt, or bezels) with no more excuse (and light from behind) provided by a high, opened setting.

 

[verticalhorizon]

Just to double-check on the 50/50 ammonia/water cleaning mix... this WON'T hurt platinum, correct?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

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On 5/11/2004 12:33:17 AM mm wrote:

I had a diamond seller tell me that certain cut angles, that were not ideal in terms of light return, were less likely to get dirty- so they would actually sparkle longer.

He said it was not fully understood by the diamond industry as to why this occurred.

Being the skeptic that I am, it all sounded a bit dodgy- but mayby there is some truth to it? Cutnut, leonid??----------------

I have discused this with Sergey who promises me that he will turn his incredible mind to the problem.

My intuitive gut feel (and the results of a few unscientific experiments) is that slightly shallower diamonds come off better, but big tables suffer badly when you view them from an angle - they get a big dead moon shape arc.
So it is likely that R&T's experiment showed what I just mentioned re the table size etc.
R&T it would be more interesting to me to do your same experiment with the slightly shallow and ideal cuts.

 

[Iceman]

Its a good question and a simple answer as you have read.

Some times the answer is right there , you have to have somebody tell you what you know

 

[Daniela]

Diamonds should be kept clean. They cost too much not to be at their best every day. I scrub mine daily, much like others on this board do.

If she really refuses to do it, then scrub it for her. She'll laugh at you at first, and then think that the gesture is sweet.

Daniela

 

[strmrdr]

The #1 thing a woman will say when you ask them about their ring after looking at it is that "I need to have my ring cleaned".
Id say that a full 90% of those that I have discussed diamonds with have said that.

 

[Magnum]

I've found a pretty good technique to use to keep a diamond clean on a day-to-day basis. I'm not sure what type of cloth it is, but that gray cloth that comes with Ray Ban glasses really does a good job cleaning the surface of the diamond. My fiancee carries it in her purse, and a quick wipe with that cloth takes off any grease or dirt that's on the diamond. It's nice, because it only takes about ten seconds, and you can give your diamond a quick wipe down just about anywhere. Admittedly, it may be a little hard to reach the bottom or the sides of the diamond (a good ammonia bath or ultra-sonic cleanser with do that job), but really, as long as the top of the diamond is clean, it should display the maximum amount of sparkle.

 

[Daniela]

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On 5/11/2004 10:59:48 AM strmrdr wrote:

The #1 thing a woman will say when you ask them about their ring after looking at it is that 'I need to have my ring cleaned'.

Id say that a full 90% of those that I have discussed diamonds with have said that.


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This is soooo true. I have heard that countless times.

 

[niceice]

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On 5/11/2004 9:37:38 AM verticalhorizon wrote:

Just to double-check on the 50/50 ammonia/water cleaning mix... this WON'T hurt platinum, correct? ----------------

No, this solution will not hurt platinum or gold, but it will DESTROY many softer porous gems and gems that "may" have been treated or dyed such as, but not limited to, opals, emeralds, pearls, malochite, onyx, lapis, etc. so only use this method on diamond jewelry... Sapphire / Ruby jewelry "can" be cleaned by this method, but you really should consult with a qualified local jeweler with direct reference to the specific piece that you are planning on cleaning by this method before doing so...

By the way, chlorine bleach and similar cleaners are a big "No - No" with regards to jewelry... And mercury will coat gold, turn it white and cause it to shatter into a bunch of little teeny pieces which can't be recovered... Found that one out a few years ago when one of our clients broke a thermometer in her hand... Scary!

 

[Brian Knox]

Hi eyesoftexas,

You are absolutely right, I see this everyday with some(not all) customers bringing in rings for inspection, work, etc.

Some rings have such a film on the bottom of the diamond that the diamond might as well be a monkey wards frozen spit cluster $@#&.

Yes, I am talking about AGS zero cuts and GIA ex/ex diamonds.

Diamonds are like a combination of tiny mirrors and if they are dirty they simply do not reflect light.

I have to add however, that some customers are meticulous in the cleaning of diamonds.

Many customers are not as meticulous and many rings will only clean up with a good ultrasonic and /or steam cleaneing to remove stubborn dirt.

 

[eyesoftexas]

I like the idea of cleaning with a cloth - sounds easy enough for the quick little wipes. Obviously when you have little ones, cleaning rings is less of a priority than cleaning the little ones' mouths.

But I did try Robin&Todd's experiment with the two rings I had and I can say that the ideal cut sparkled slightly more but not much (certainly could not say that this ring was worth 5x!!). In reality both diamonds looked pretty dead. Where I could really tell the difference was in the color. The ideal diamond was a better color (G vs. I) and it looked much whiter even though it was dirty. Obviously the amount of film on a diamond will have an effect but I am wondering if Robin&Todd's experiment really shows through because of color?

 

[niceice]

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On 5/11/2004 1:46:52 PM eyesoftexas wrote:

but I am wondering if Robin&Todd's experiment really shows through because of color?
----------------

To clarify, we want to make sure that you understand that when we ran our experiment in our store, we used two diamonds of equal size with the same clarity and color, the only difference was the proportions...

5 times as much!?!?! We hope that the two diamonds are of different sizes, clarity and colors...

 

[Shay37]

Thanks, R&T. The inspiration hit when I had to order something online and my husband handed me his credit card to do it. He left the room and then came back all of a sudden asking, "You didn't buy another diamond, did you?" (he looked scared, and I think he was serious)

Notice he said "another" diamond?

It's a good thing he loves me!

Shay