Photos of Lightbox Jewelry

[vintageloves]

So I got the 1ct princess today! First off, it's huuuge. I've never held a diamond as big as 1ct in my hands before outside the watchful eye of a store security guard. Second, it's very sparkly. In the photo on lightbox, there seemed to be some dead spot in the middle of the piece that is not evident in person. I don't know a thing about princess cuts, but it seems nice to me. I included my wedding band next to it, to try to show that it out sparkles the rounds, or at least that was the thinking, the picture is pretty terrible but it was the best I could do with my cell phone. Third, the pave is very tiny and really does not add much to the piece. Colorwise, I think there's the slightest bit of warmth, maybe an H.

You guys, it's so, so, so lovely. I would recommend lightbox without hesitation. I am very impressed.

 

[tkyasx78]

can you take a picture next to a ruler?


this will help us see how many MM the stone is!

So I got the 1ct princess today! First off, it's huuuge. I've never held a diamond as big as 1ct in my hands before outside the watchful eye of a store security guard. Second, it's very sparkly. In the photo on lightbox, there seemed to be some dead spot in the middle of the piece that is not evident in person. I don't know a thing about princess cuts, but it seems nice to me. I included my wedding band next to it, to try to show that it out sparkles the rounds, or at least that was the thinking, the picture is pretty terrible but it was the best I could do with my cell phone. Third, the pave is very tiny and really does not add much to the piece. Colorwise, I think there's the slightest bit of warmth, maybe an H.

You guys, it's so, so, so lovely. I would recommend lightbox without hesitation. I am very impressed.

 

[vintageloves]

can you take a picture next to a ruler?


this will help us see how many MM the stone is!

I'd love to, but I had enough trouble with the one picture!

However I do have a clear ruler with mm measurements and it does seem to face up a little smaller than it should. According to diambd, it should measure 5.51 square, and I would put it more at 5.3, but it's hard to tell with a ruler. When my husband comes home, I might have him double check and see what he thinks.

 

[vintageloves]

Ok. So maybe I found time to take another picture after all. I think you can get a better sense of the cut in this picture. I still plan to return it, but it's getting harder by the second!



I tried with the ruler, but it wouldn't focus properly. Sorry .

 

[kgizo]

@vintageloves. I wonder if the princess is 0.9-0.95ct bc Lightbox won’t sell anything larger than 1 ct and there is melee in the bail? If that is the case the 5.3mm may be fine. Regardless of the actual ct weight, it does look very pretty.

 

[vintageloves]

@vintageloves. I wonder if the princess is 0.9-0.95ct bc Lightbox won’t sell anything larger than 1 ct and there is melee in the bail? If that is the case the 5.3mm may be fine. Regardless of the actual ct weight, it does look very pretty.

According to the description, it's a 1ct center stone independent of the pave, but if you look at the fine print, anything from .95-1.1 counts as 1ct, so you could very well be correct that it's lighter. It's still very substantially sized. Too large for casual wear, imo.

 

[stonewell]

My order finally arrived... It was getting late here and we had an overcast and rainy day. I wanted to catch whatever daylight was left and didn’t clean any of them in advance; they’re straight out of the box. So, please forgive the poor quality photos - they weren’t the best.

I purchased the 1 carat princess, .50ct round and the .50ctw blue studs.

First, here are the (overcast) outdoor photos:



The blue is definitely more noticeable from an angle. Wearing them with my ACA studs, I can see the difference, but if I were to wear them alone, I doubt I’d notice they’re blue.



The princess measures 5.52mm x 5.49mm. From what I gather, this is consistent with a 1 carat princess, but I honestly don’t know much about the cut.



The round pendant measures 5.06mm x 5.08mm.



Next up, some magnified photos!

 

[stonewell]

Here are 30x photos of both pendants. The second is at 3.5x zoom on my iPhone.



I was able to find the Lightbox logo on all the pieces using my 60x loupe. Here is the best shot I could capture on the princess.

 

[stonewell]

Finally, ASET and Idealscope images... big disclaimer: These are mounted pieces and I had to rig things in a way that allowed me to photograph it. So, these aren’t the ideal conditions in which to take cut images and it somewhat affects the outcome. However, I think you can still get a general sense of the cut quality.

1 ct. Princess pendant



.50ct Round pendant




.50ctw Blue studs - these were the most difficult to take and the lighting was the worst of the bunch. So, keep this in mind as you interpret the images.



Overall, I don’t think anyone is expecting ideal cut stones. If you are, don’t. They all appear to some degree of leakage, some more so than others. Honestly, I could see it even before I took the images. However, I’ve also been spoiled with ideal cuts and that certainly affects my opinion.

This is also just one set of pieces and there may be some very well cut items out there in the mix. I’m genuinely curious to know if there is wide cut variability across similar items. I suspect there may be. If so, then it’s just luck of the draw in terms of what you may receive.

That said, the color appears to be quite good - the pendants were whiter than my GIA G stone but not as white as my GIA D color stone. The clarity is also excellent. I didn’t see any obvious inclusions, even under my 10x loupe.

 

[kindred]

@stonewell Thanks for the great pictures! I am surprised by the amount of leakage your diamonds show. My husband is going to try to see if he can get some pics of mine with an Idealscope this weekend since I am hopeless at it. Any tips?

Are you planning to keep yours?

 

[stonewell]

@stonewell Thanks for the great pictures! I am surprised by the amount of leakage your diamonds show. My husband is going to try to see if he can get some pics of mine with an Idealscope this weekend since I am hopeless at it. Any tips?

Are you planning to keep yours?

TBH, I was fighting with my iPhone X the entire time while taking the cut images. lol Every time I got the scope and phone lined up properly, the camera would swap lenses around when I zoomed in. I plan to borrow my son’s iPhone 6 and see if the single lens will work to take better photos. Would love to see your images for comparison!

I’m undecided if I’ll keep them all. I do like the blue studs and am considering the pink ones as well. The princess pendant is quite beautiful, but I feel I would enjoy the pink bezel pendant more. Hopefully, that will be available soon. I’m thinking of giving the .50ct round pendant to my daughter if she doesn’t have one already. If she does, then that will likely be the one I return.

 

[peacechick]

So pretty! I like the kite style that the princess has been set in. But is it me or does the princess pendant not look that much bigger than the 0.5 round?

 

[MamaBee]

Those are great photos! I’m thinking it may be worth it for me to get two princess pendants and have them set into studs. I’m hoping they offer larger studs in 10k white gold because it truly wouldn’t bother me. I would just rhodium plate them occasionally and I know they will be sturdy..Fingers crossed!

 

[OoohShiny]

Thank you for the really excellent pictures, @stonewell! Diamonds are very hard to take photos of and you did an excellent job especially to capture the logo inside them!

As you say, not a surprise that they are steep/deep and a bit leaky, but I guess it's no different to what Jo(e) Public is used to in the wider market and therefore aligns with any expectations they may have.

I also imagine that Lightbox/De Beers don't want to cut them to SuperIdeal standards because then it would show up the rest of their (natural) stones and make the MMDs more attractive a prospect lol

They are quite tempting - I was thinking that the pink or the blue would make a great 'birth of a child' gift, depending on the sex! (Noting, of course, that we must not perpetuate the 'right/wrong colours' cultural associations with certain colours lol)

 

[vintageloves]

So pretty! I like the kite style that the princess has been set in. But is it me or does the princess pendant not look that much bigger than the 0.5 round?

That was the first thing I noticed. And you save $400 with the round.

@stonewell Thanks so much for sharing the fantastic pictures! I have to say, my princess out preforms any diamond I already own. I do think the cut is very good for the average consumer, and better than I was expecting.

Is it crazy that those blue studs make me want to pierce my ears? At 37.

 

[MamaBee]

That was the first thing I noticed. And you save $400 with the round.

@stonewell Thanks so much for sharing the fantastic pictures! I have to say, my princess out preforms any diamond I already own. I do think the cut is very good for the average consumer, and better than I was expecting.

Is it crazy that those blue studs make me want to pierce my ears? At 37.

That’s good to know because I’m thinking of my princess studs to be a fun pair to wear..Everything I own doesn’t have to be top shelf. I have top shelf in some of my jewelry but I am also very happy with much less..

 

[DoeEyes]

Wow this is awesome! Thanks for posting!

I am definitely Joe Public and you're absolutely correct that these blow me away. This is my first exposure to diamonds and prices of things made me sick. What I wanted to spend was going to get me something really small and awful quality. Lightbox is completely perfect for me. White and sparkly at the right price.

I'm curious if the aset and idealscope images would be better if the stone were loose. I'm planning to have my round one removed and set into a ring, but if someone in the Philly area has those tools and wants to take some pictures before it's set, we could meet up and make it happen.

 

[stonewell]

Glad to hear everyone’s finding the photos to be useful.

@OoohShiny, I totally agree. Given sizes of the of these stones and price value, I am much more inclined to forgive the cut. If LB comes out with >1 carat, maybe not so much. However, I’m seeing reports of vendors taking lab stones and recutting them. Perhaps this will be a new cottage industry that follows. Parks Fine Group just posted yesterday a 1.85ct OEC on IG that was cut from a 2ct+ lab MRB. I’m seriously thinking of hitting him up to inquire on a 2-3ct option.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Boe2XLhhKmK/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=ci3yreh0uatx

@Mamabean, I vote YES on geting a pair of 1ct princess pendants to make into rocking studs... that would be delicious!

@vintageloves, it’s never too late to pierce your ears! I’m most interested in adding color variety to my collection and it would be impossible for me to acquire pinks/blues of any size. LB is planning to introduce additional colors down the line too.

@frogplus, it would definitely make a difference to take cut images when the stones are loose. Hopefully someone is nearby who can help. If not, I can lend you my ASET if you’re really interested. LMK.

 

[DoeEyes]

@frogplus, it would definitely make a difference to take cut images when the stones are loose. Hopefully someone is nearby who can help. If not, I can lend you my ASET if you’re really interested. LMK.

Definitely interested if you're local or it's not too expensive to ship. It's annoying because I'm certain there's someone in Philly with both aset and idealscope who would let me come over and snap some pics, but because my boyfriend and I are still being secretive about looking at rings, it would be way too obvious if I posted on the Philly groups asking for this. Everyone I know would see it in their timeline and immediately know I'm looking at diamonds. I don't want to ruin it! Maybe I should make a separate post in Rocky talky looking for Philly PSers with aset and idealscope.
I could also be really sneaky and make a fake Facebook profile...

The only hurdle is that I don't know who I'm going with for my setting yet. I might use a local jeweler and if I do I could ask her to pop it out of the setting and let me take it for a few days before starting on the ring, but if I go with Yoni and ship it out I would feel bad asking her to do anything and not coming back, since I do want to use her for other things. How hard is it to pop out of the LB setting? Maybe one of the big name stores would do it for free.

 

[DoeEyes]

Called Golden Nugget, they said they would pop it out either free or like $5.

 

[twang07]

@stonewell thanks for the amazing pictures! I am excited for my own pendant, but looking at your pictures makes me realize, that I don't know how to look at diamonds when they are mounted. For instance, I have tried many times with my ACA studs, but I see something really similar to the pictures you posted where it just looks like leakage. I know this can't be true cause I saw the ASETs before I bought the stones. Do you have any advice on how to get these pictures when they are mounted?

 

[stonewell]

@frogplus, I’m in CA, so I’d be happy to mail the ASET scope to you. Feel free to contact me via Loupetroop. My contact info is also listed on there.

https://loupetroop.com/users/stonewell

 

[OoohShiny]

@OoohShiny, I totally agree. Given sizes of the of these stones and price value, I am much more inclined to forgive the cut. If LB comes out with >1 carat, maybe not so much. However, I’m seeing reports of vendors taking lab stones and recutting them. Perhaps this will be a new cottage industry that follows. Parks Fine Group just posted yesterday a 1.85ct OEC on IG that was cut from a 2ct+ lab MRB. I’m seriously thinking of hitting him up to inquire on a 2-3ct option.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Boe2XLhhKmK/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=ci3yreh0uatx

That does look nice, thanks for posting!

$7k USD, though? That seems quite high... but perhaps I have already adjusted unknowingly and subconsciously to Lightbox's "$800/ct" mantra... LOL

Putting price to one side, it's great that some companies are willing to cut/re-cut MMDs - I don't believe the PS-recommended vendors will offer the service (at least I've seen no indication at this moment in time), for which we have to respect their position - but I hope that in due course we can see some awesome fancy- and step-cuts coming forward using MMD rough, at prices that can't be resisted!

There's no way I'm going to be able to afford the 2ct+ colourless VVS Asscher I want otherwise lol

 

[stonewell]

@twang07, mounted jewelry is tricky to photograph. I’ve never been able to take one that I felt was truly representative of what I see irl when I simply view it with the scopes. Since you want the bottom edge of the scopes to line up with the girdle, I think you can simply view it while holding the piece facing a strong light source from behind it until it comes in focus. It may take a bit of practice. One other tip is to use tweezers to hold the item. I found my fat fingers wouldn’t allow sufficient, even light and also cause an inaccurate image.

 

[stonewell]

That does look nice, thanks for posting!

$7k USD, though? That seems quite high... but perhaps I have already adjusted unknowingly and subconsciously to Lightbox's "$800/ct" mantra... LOL

Putting price to one side, it's great that some companies are willing to cut/re-cut MMDs - I don't believe the PS-recommended vendors will offer the service (at least I've seen no indication at this moment in time), for which we have to respect their position - but I hope that in due course we can see some awesome fancy- and step-cuts coming forward using MMD rough, at prices that can't be resisted!

There's no way I'm going to be able to afford the 2ct+ colourless VVS Asscher I want otherwise lol

I know what you mean! LB has definitely reanchored my pricing expectations. lol Mission accomplished, DeBeers. I’m totally smitten with old cuts, but wouldn’t mind a large asscher or emerald either! It’s only a matter of time so I foresee one in your future.

 

[MamaBee]

I’m making myself and you guys crazy talking about my wanting princess cut earrings. I LOVE princess cut stones BUT I’m wearing cz princess cut ones to see how they feel. They’re a pain in the neck getting them to stay straight! I’m second guessing getting them now! Am I nuts? Do you ever say you want something and totally change your mind? I think I will get a princess something but not the earrings. I’m certified loony. I am going to get something from lightbox..

 

[DoeEyes]

I’m making myself and you guys crazy talking about my wanting princess cut earrings. I LOVE princess cut stones BUT I’m wearing cz princess cut ones to see how they feel. They’re a pain in the neck getting them to stay straight! I’m second guessing getting them now! Am I nuts? Do you ever say you want something and totally change your mind? I think I will get a princess something but not the earrings. I’m certified loony. I am going to get something from lightbox..

Do they have to stay straight? I feel like those square studs are always slightly turned when I see them on other people and that's just the look.

 

[MamaBee]

Do they have to stay straight? I feel like those square studs are always slightly turned when I see them on other people and that's just the look.

That makes me crazy..I have to fix pictures on the walls that are crooked, etc. I’m glad I tried out the cz’s..and didn’t get the Lightbox ones because I wouldn’t have been able to try them on. I see a few things I would get at Lightbox..I’ll just get a princess cut maybe in a ring or something that won’t turn on me..

 

[ChristineRose]

Late to this thread but thrilled to see the ASET! I too am a little surprised they are that bad/deep. It makes me wonder how they grow their stones. CVD stones start as little squares and grow up into a rectangular box; HPHT stones are sort of like little deflated soccer balls and equal in height/width/depth. I'd have to think a bit and see if I can convince myself that a deep diamond preserves more weight.

https://www.gia.edu/identifying-lab-grown-diamonds

At least part of the reason so many GIA XXX are deep is that the standard allows deep stones for the simple reason that a lot of their test subjects preferred the deep stones. The real problem is that almost all GIA XXX are cut to the exact edge of the standard, resulting in a stone that at best a fraction of people thought was pretty nice.

 

[vintageloves]

That does look nice, thanks for posting!

$7k USD, though? That seems quite high... but perhaps I have already adjusted unknowingly and subconsciously to Lightbox's "$800/ct" mantra... LOL

Putting price to one side, it's great that some companies are willing to cut/re-cut MMDs - I don't believe the PS-recommended vendors will offer the service (at least I've seen no indication at this moment in time), for which we have to respect their position - but I hope that in due course we can see some awesome fancy- and step-cuts coming forward using MMD rough, at prices that can't be resisted!

There's no way I'm going to be able to afford the 2ct+ colourless VVS Asscher I want otherwise lol

I think MMD have a bright future ahead of them, which will only lead to more opportunities for consumers. More availability, more shapes from better cutters, better prices, more acceptance in the industry... it's all a matter of time.

There were trade magazine articles assuring traditionalists that consumers were only going to want the colored lightbox diamonds, not the whites. Adorable. Eventually the market is going to realize customers do want budget friendly white MMDs and some enterprising company will sell to that consumer base. If lightbox doesn't move beyond the idea that these are fun, toss-away diamonds, someone else will.

I am right there with you on wanting something fabulous in 2ct. Maybe an antique cushion? A girl can dream!

Oh, and I'm keeping my princess, all! My husband came up with a new fun-money budget and the deal was that this was pre-budget and does not count, but if I return it the replacement does come out of my available spending pile, so no brainer!