shape
carat
color
clarity

5.46 OEC recut with SW

Inked

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
742
Yeah... soooo.... for like 30 years i have known i wanted 5 carats. I always tried to pretend I didnt, and then I would buy a bigger diamond and realized i still didnt love it. I have super long fingers and just feel like 2 carats looks small on me. So then I got 2.5... then I got 3.... and then i realized, just get the 5 and be done. Part of why i didnt want 5 carats is I dont want to wear $100k on my finger. I wouldnt feel comfortable. The earth mined antique diamonds I have liked are around $100k. I really struggled with this. I just dont want to wear $100k on my hand. I know people say you can insure it and I get it, i just cant do it. It's like... we all have what we feel the value of something is. Like some people won't spend $20k on a trip, or some people wont spend $100k on a car, it's all what YOU feel ok spending on. For me, I am the car person, my husband is the trip person, but i just cant mentally spend that much on a diamond. It's just a personal mindset for me. I have a dollar limit of what i will spend on one piece of jewelry.

So a HUGE HUGE shoutout to @peppermintpatty - I LITERALLY could not have done this without you!!!!!! If you knew how many emails I sent her... LOL! Seriously, she really really helped me with this! Every.Single.Day. for 3 months... LOL. She has become my jewelry bestie as well as a true friend!! And AS ALWAYS, @Kim N - she put a second set of eyes on the base MRB i bought and gave me her thoughts.

Started out with 6.05 H color VS1 MRB from loosegrown. They're slow, but they come through! I actually bought 2, and returned one, no issues with the return, very responsive customer service team, very happy with them although it took 4 weeks to come. Ouch.

Here's the before, from loosegrowndiamonds, 6.05 H color
b4IMG_4816.jpg

b4image0.jpeg


Sent to southwest, Ashley was great as always during intake, explaining what can and cant be done, but they are a little slow. They told me 1 week, it was almost 3 weeks later, worth the wait of course, but just in your head know that it will take longer. They charge by the carat of the beginning weight.

I asked for an angular/blocky OEC, not flowery, i asked "Can i get an OEC that could be confused for transitional?" LOL. I asked him, can it be 'off' or wonky, or is it machine cut and it will be 'perfect' because i really didnt want perfect, i wanted a little 'imperfect' thats the charm of old cuts! He said he would see what he could do. I asked for no bigger than 5.2 carats, 11mm, so cut extra off LOL. They hit the 11.1mm but it actually had to be 5.46ct to get the angles/facets, percentages, mm that i wanted. The 11mm was the key, i didnt want bigger than that! It has a nice tall crown, perfect culet size, blocky facets, clear crisp, i love it!

I asked for this facet pattern (below is not mine, this is what i asked for)
Old-European-Cut-Diamond.png

And also below facet inspiration (again, not mine, this was on Jewels by Grace's instagram in 2020 and i always loved it!)
jewelsbygrace.jpg

This is what I got! 5.46, 11.11mm, i elected not to recertify, but i will assume it's still an H VS1, although as i learned previously, ya neva know... LOL

SWDC-456c-af17-7caac733d340.JPG


This is in my driveway diffused light

In the woods with my dog diffused light

In the sun, it just looked like it was glowing

0image3.jpeg

climage0.jpeg

rbimage1.jpeg

climage1.jpeg

bimage0.jpeg

pIMG_6751.jpg

image2.jpeg

yelimage2 (1).jpeg



I am doing a simple 18k setting, i photoshopped a little image to give a gist of it

Copy of shoulders.png

This is why i am selling a bunch of stuff on pre-loved.. LOL! Anyone looking for a nice 2ct pear lab - go see my preloved post!
 
Last edited:

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,273
omg this is dreamy! I am forever looking for a checkerboard transitional style cut, and know I'll eventually just have Ashley at SW recut one for me from an RB.

Congrats on such an amazing stone!
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,273
PS. did Ashley or anyone help you decide what "base" stone to use? Are there characteristics that make one stone a better candidate for this type of recut vs another?
 

Inked

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
742
PS. did Ashley or anyone help you decide what "base" stone to use? Are there characteristics that make one stone a better candidate for this type of recut vs another?

I did it on my own... For me, i guess I was looking for the body color that 'spoke' to me, because i felt like the cut is getting redone, so it didnt matter, but the color would remain the same. I struggled with if i should do HPHT or CVD ... because I know most consensus is that HPHT is grown more like an earth diamond. CVD CAN have internal graining which you really want to be careful of if you're putting giant facets, so you need to look for that. I just looked at, oh, probably 1,000 diamonds... LOL! I actually wish i was kidding but i am not... LOL

I'd say the color was the thing that i focused on, i wanted some warmth, i feel like when i look at videos they all look clear but somehow grey, i wanted to see warmth over cold.

I purchased it from loosegrowndiamonds but the video is no longer available from there, and it's not on loupe360, but it still exists at brilliance... LOL so he's a video of it before recut:
https://www.brilliance.com/lab-grow...make-vs1-clarity-igi-certified-SKU-LG22425630

I wanted H or I color, but not yellow looking, no internal graining, tried to find a high crown, because that doesn't seem to change with the recut. This is my 3rd recut and it seems like the crown height doesn't really alter too much, so i tried to find one that already had a high crown. That *would* have been a really good question for me to ask Ashley... duh. The one i bought had decent crown height but i dont know if i needed it, definitely a question for southwest.

When i found one i thought looked good with the body color and clarity and (lack of) internal graining, I asked @Kim N if she wouldnt mind taking a peek and she said she didnt see too much internal graining, so i went with that one!

I had been looking for VVS1 or VVS2 in general because they always just seemed so much clearer to my eye, like, no fuzziness, just bright and clear, CRISP but i couldnt find the right combo of VVS2 and H or I color, so i dropped to VS1, but again, personally i always thought the VVS 'bases' just looked really crisp. I just wanted to avoid the 'grey' that i feel like most videos have, i wanted a little warmth. Of course i have it and it just looks so white to me.

There was part of me that thought maybe i should have went with HPHT to just get the 'best' but i honestly didn't see any difference to MY eye with performance or 'look' of my HPHT recut or my CVD recut, so i decided to save the money.
 

HerefortheBling

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 29, 2021
Messages
178
It is absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations
 

Inked

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
742
A little "perspective".

I really dont think it looks like almost 5.5 carats, or like it's "that big", but i guess that just means i belong here. Or have mental issues. or both. lol

Inside fluorescent light
peIMG_6761.jpg

outside
peIMG_6772.jpg
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,273
It's huge on you, in the best way!!
 

maryjane04

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 21, 2013
Messages
1,551
Its definitely huge hahaha.. how I wish I could get finger coverage like this! It looks fantastic @Inked
 

Jax172

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 11, 2002
Messages
1,662
WOW! That is an amazing diamond. Can't wait to see the ring.
 

Lisa Loves Shiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
4,729
Oh my this is gorgeous! Super, super gorgeous. The size, the facet pattern- Chef's kiss!!
 

Kim N

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
6,463
It is incredibly beautiful and huge! :love: The facets are utter perfection! Can't wait to see it set.
 

molecule

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
655
I'm loving the stone and design inspiration, but I would worry about how flush it would be to the nearby fingers.
 

Inked

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
742
I'm loving the stone and design inspiration, but I would worry about how flush it would be to the nearby fingers.

Well, you know talking about goal weight... have you heard of 'thigh gap'?? I have finger gap ... LOL!!! :lol: My knuckles are so big, so i have spaces between my fingers even when clenching my fingers close. It's also in a gem holder so it's currently 10mm high... aka skyscraper!! @peppermintpatty suggested a get a cz to test it out before i committed to something too big, and i took her advice and bought a cheapy amazon 6 carat CZ to test out. I definitely have mental issues because i thought 6 carat was perfect ... :lol::lol:
 

Inked

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
742
Wow! That’s an amazing result!! Love it!! So happy you reached your goal weight! :lol: Looking forward to seeing it set.

hahaha! now if only i could get back to my pre-menopause a$$ weight... :lol:
 

Kim N

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
6,463
AS ALWAYS thank you SO SO SO MUCH for all your help and patience! LOL

You're very welcome, and I love seeing your projects come to fruition!
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,856
My, my, they did themselves a fabulous job on that rock!
I love the mounting, too. The little folate detail is just *chef's Kiss*
908321

And it's a classy and tasteful honker, woman!
 

peppermintpatty

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 15, 2008
Messages
1,301
@Inked Congratulations!!! I am so happy for you! Your diamond is gorgeous. The new photo's are stunning. I think you wear it well. You lucky girl with the long fingers ;-) I think your ring holder has it sitting up fairly high and I don't think your actual setting will. That should make a big difference.

I am glad I was able to help in some small way. You really did know exactly what you wanted. I think everyone should be so lucky as to have a bestie jewelry friend. You have been there for me every step of the way too. It's nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to share in the excitement! The best part beyond our friendship is that at the end of the day we are getting/got exactly what we want. So thank you!!!

Ashley did an amazing job with the recut, you have a beautiful diamond. I love it!!!
 

Pomelo

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 20, 2015
Messages
543
@Inked absolutely stunning! Sorry if I’m being blind, when will she be set and on your finger in that gorgeous 18k brushed gold?
 

Mreader

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
6,184
Love the look on you! Congrats!
 

musicloveranthony

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 1, 2014
Messages
1,560
Wow, this is such a cool adventure and what a fantastic outcome. It's beautiful!!
 

JV36912

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Dec 26, 2017
Messages
703
No words for this. it's just gorgeous!! Hope you get lots and lots of enjoyment out of it!
 

Inked

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
742
@Inked absolutely stunning! Sorry if I’m being blind, when will she be set and on your finger in that gorgeous 18k brushed gold?

I'm not sure when i will have the completed ring. Honestly, i havent even sent it to have the setting made yet, it took 3 months to get it between getting the base and then the recut, i currently have it in a gem holder and i am just not ready to send it in yet! LOL!
 

Inked

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
742
@Inked Congratulations!!! I am so happy for you! Your diamond is gorgeous. The new photo's are stunning. I think you wear it well. You lucky girl with the long fingers ;-) I think your ring holder has it sitting up fairly high and I don't think your actual setting will. That should make a big difference.

I am glad I was able to help in some small way. You really did know exactly what you wanted. I think everyone should be so lucky as to have a bestie jewelry friend. You have been there for me every step of the way too. It's nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to share in the excitement! The best part beyond our friendship is that at the end of the day we are getting/got exactly what we want. So thank you!!!

Ashley did an amazing job with the recut, you have a beautiful diamond. I love it!!!

Ummm... don't forget you talked me into needing an old MINER too, so we're not done here yet... :lol:
 

MMtwo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
4,530
What a beautiful ring. Congratulations for chasing your dream and making this beautiful ring happen!!
 

jaqjaqjaq

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
468
I tell you what, this forum is dangerous! Your diamond is absolutely stunning and the fact that you can pull off a 5.5 carat stone - I am jealous! I can’t wait to see it set!!!
 
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