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Author Topic:   princess versus radiant
girlsbestfriend
rough rock

Posts: 4
From:toronto, ontario, canada
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 08-20-2001 08:19 PM    
Hi,

I'm new to this whole diamond thing but recently got engaged and am now looking for that perfect ring. I've looked around and I like the squarish cuts, but not the emerald. I like the princess cut, but was looking through some websites and noticed the radiant cut as well, but can't really find a good explanation as to the difference, other than the fact that the radian has tapered corners. Is there a difference in terms of brilliance? Any guidance would be much appreciated.
 

leonid
Moderator

Posts: 824
From:Toronto, Ontario
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 08-20-2001 08:31 PM    
Hi GBF

It's nice to see more and more people from Toronto here

According to Garry Holloway (Cut Nut) you will find any non square stones look shocking thru Ideal-Scope - lots of light leakage. Not even 1 in 100 radiants pass his test, and about 1 in 10 princess's look fair to good thru the ideal-scope.
 

girlsbestfriend
rough rock

Posts: 4
From:toronto, ontario, canada
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 08-20-2001 08:46 PM    
Thanks. Not to sound like a moron (I told you I was new at this diamond thing!) but what's an ideal scope? It seems from your answer that if I'm set on a square shaped diamond, I'm better off with a princess rather than a radiant in terms of light leakage (which I take it is a bad thing)...does that sound right?

 
leonid
Moderator

Posts: 824
From:Toronto, Ontario
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 08-20-2001 08:57 PM    
Oh, I'm sorry...

Here you can read about ideal-scope: http://www.pricescope.com/idealscope_indx.asp

Basically it's a tool to visualize areas that leak light and hence reduce light return.

As lower the symmetry of the stone as less light return will be. That is why round shape is the most brilliant.

So there is better chance to get more brilliant princess if it has square proportions.

However, when people buy fancy shapes they value the shape over the brilliance.
 

girlsbestfriend
rough rock

Posts: 4
From:toronto, ontario, canada
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 08-20-2001 09:00 PM    
Thanks again...I'll check out the ideal scope site. Will probably be back in a few days with more questions!

 
leonid
Moderator

Posts: 824
From:Toronto, Ontario
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 08-20-2001 09:01 PM    
Here is another shape, Flanders:


www.flanders-brilliant.com

Jonathan from Good Old Gold has an example of Flanders cut with Firescope image: www.goodoldgold.com/flanders_1_28ct_h_vvs2.htm

White areas show the light leakage

here is another one, http://www.goodoldgold.com/flanders_1_04ct_g_vs2.htm :

Not bad for fancy shape. Garry, what do you think?

[This message has been edited by leonid (edited 08-20-2001).]
 

leonid
Moderator

Posts: 824
From:Toronto, Ontario
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 08-20-2001 09:15 PM    
Now Radiant to compare:
www.goodoldgold.com/rad_1_35ct_g_vs2.htm


 

girlsbestfriend
rough rock

Posts: 4
From:toronto, ontario, canada
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 08-20-2001 09:22 PM    
Oh gosh..this ring choosing thing is going to be difficult (not that I'm complaining). Thanks for the info...I'll have to think about it, but looks like the flanders the way to go if I want a square shape.

Do you happen to know if it's illegal to copy the lucida setting? My jeweller told me that Tiffanys has a trade-mark/patent or something like that and that she won't be able to make an exact replica, but she could do something similar. But I was on this website (www.dvatache.com) and some of their settings look identical to the lucida, so I'm a bit confused. I love that setting, but don't really feel like having my fiance fork out $20K if I can get a fairly decent replica legally.
 

leonid
Moderator

Posts: 824
From:Toronto, Ontario
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 08-20-2001 09:34 PM    
No, it shouldn't be difficult. I just tried to demonstrate the light leakage thingy

You might just want to compare several diamonds and choose the one you like the most without all this rocket science

Here are some previous threads about Lucida. Although Lucida is a trademark you could find similar settings from other sources.
www.pricescope.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000155.html
www.pricescope.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000316.html

[This message has been edited by leonid (edited 08-20-2001).]
 

Cut Nut
cut rock

Posts: 218
From:Melbourne Australia
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 08-21-2001 05:05 AM    
I did find a nice radiant the other day - first i ever saw.
You really should not get too hung up on all this stuff if you like a fancy shape.
If you want to find the best you can then as Jonathon has been buying his better looking stones - use an Ideal-scope or Fire Scope(tm).
The choice really is shape or ideal cut round. There is nothing wrong with the shape choice.

 


 
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