H&A Owners...

[04diamond<3]

This might sound extremely ignorant, but I've seen a lot of pictures of H&A diamonds and I understand the significance of a hearts and arrow cut diamond, I'm just wondering if it is ever annoying seeing the arrows? I'm a bit OCD and can't stand a smudge on my diamond and even though I know you can't compare a smudge to an arrow, I still get the feeling that maybe I'd be annoyed by it?

 

[TC1987]

No. The arrows only look black in the pictures. IRL, they are usually either flashes of fire or brilliance. I have one diamond that has some symmetry issues and on rare occasions, I've seen its arrows look like dark or gray lines. But the ideal cuts, no, they've never looked like black lines, and the arrows are gorgeous, not annoying.

eta: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-fire-thread.77649/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-fire-thread.77649/[/URL]

 

[diamondseeker2006]

These stones are just perfectly symmetrical and show splintery flashes of light. One that was not cut symmetrically would bother me a LOT more!

 

[GreenBling]

This might sound extremely ignorant, but I've seen a lot of pictures of H&A diamonds and I understand the significance of a hearts and arrow cut diamond, I'm just wondering if it is ever annoying seeing the arrows? I'm a bit OCD and can't stand a smudge on my diamond and even though I know you can't compare a smudge to an arrow, I still get the feeling that maybe I'd be annoyed by it?

Wouldn't you be even more annoyed without the perfect symmetry of H&A?

 

[04diamond<3]

Thanks TC. That kind of answered my question. I've never seen one in person and all the pictures I've seen either have the really dark arrows or a lighter version, but Ellen's pictures helped. I've always loved her stone! I'm considering two stones that I'm waiting to see in person and was just curious to know before they got here.

 

[gem_anemone]

I strongly believe that I would not be as "in love" with my H&A stone if it did not have perfect symmetry, but I don't know for sure. I have some other stones that are much smaller and also cute, but just not as great. Someday I will own a decent sized pair of likely non-H&A diamond studs and then I will be able to give you an unbiased answer

 

[JaneSmith]

This might sound extremely ignorant, but I've seen a lot of pictures of H&A diamonds and I understand the significance of a hearts and arrow cut diamond, I'm just wondering if it is ever annoying seeing the arrows? I'm a bit OCD and can't stand a smudge on my diamond and even though I know you can't compare a smudge to an arrow, I still get the feeling that maybe I'd be annoyed by it?

I know what you mean. The first time I saw pictures of an ideal cut diamond with those "ugly black arrows", I thought what the ...?
But you only see that in very specific lighting at the perfect angle. In real life, they just look gorgeous!

 

[04diamond<3]

Thanks for understanding JaneSmith! I'm not at all bashing H & A's! I was just curious since almost all the pictures I've seen of them have the arrows looking so dark.

Gem_anemone - Had you owned a non h&a prior to getting your current one? The other stone is "premium/ideal" cut and from the pictures I've seen it's just as gorgeous just not labelled "Hearts and arrows".

 

[MichelleCarmen]

There are some people who do not like the look of perfect H&A symmetry so that is OKAY! That is why there are other cuts and shapes of diamonds for people to shop from.

 

[gem_anemone]

Gem_anemone - Had you owned a non h&a prior to getting your current one? The other stone is "premium/ideal" cut and from the pictures I've seen it's just as gorgeous just not labelled "Hearts and arrows".

I've owned only this H&A diamond as an ering stone.

 

[LittleRiver]

I love fiddling with my ring so that I can see silvery flashes of arrows.

I am also somewhat OCD (I don't leave my office without aligning papers and folders to be parallel to the desk), so optical symmetry was important to me. It would bother me to have a "messy" stone!

 

[TC1987]

There is actually something that the cutter can do wrong that results in the arrows looking heavy and black most of the time. I think it's a too-short girdle facet and /or a too-shallow pavilion angle? I saw a picture of it the other day and should have bookmarked it but didn't. I'll admit that I never really took the time to study all the nuances of minor facets and painting and digging and all of that, haha. It might be covered on those tutorials that Good Old Gold has, or their Articles. But those diamonds would be few, I'd imagine. Most of the H&A diamonds that I've seen, and the two that I own, are gorgeous and do not have black lines in them ever, that I have noticed. If you set them up just so for the camera, you can make the arrows look black like that.

I don't think I'd ever tire of the H&A pattern. Lack of symmetry and/or wonky faceting would mother me far more. I like the arrow effect, and the hearts are of little importance to me except when I am evaluating a diamond for symmetry.


eta: first diamond, Grade 3 of the GIA cut system has that dark pavilion mains example, in a GOG article
http://www.goodoldgold.com/Articles/GIACutGrading/Grade3/

 

[dreamer_dachsie]

Arrows are only black when there is something black right in front of the lens. Otherwise they are silvery or reflect ambient color.

And arrows will show up in any RB diamond that has superior optical symmetry, not only H&A branded stones.

 

[04diamond<3]

Arrows are only black when there is something black right in front of the lens. Otherwise they are silvery or reflect ambient color.

And arrows will show up in any RB diamond that has superior optical symmetry, not only H&A branded stones.

Dreamer - I actually just saw pics of you 1.66 and they looked stunning! I think at this point, I'm too young to justify the price of a true H&A, but we'll see. My upgrade will be ideal at the least. Going to look at stones tomorrow This is all dependent on my 1ct being traded, so we'll see.

TC - thanks for all the info!