After PS, would you not buy a super ideal cut?

[kmoro]

After getting educated on super ideal cuts here on the Pricescope forum, would you buy anything else?

Now that I know what I know, I just wouldn’t be happy with less than super ideal.

What about you?

 

[aussiemel]

I agree with you. PS has taught me so much!! That said, I'm very happy with the diamond I have.

If I was to buy another one I would certainly spend a lot of time researching it and get a super ideal or equivalent, PS has opened my eyes to the world of top quality stones.

 

[tyty333]

I have to admit, it would be very difficult not to buy a super ideal. Depending on the circumstances though, you never know.

 

[bmfang]

Well if you’re talking in the context of round brilliants, it sure is difficult. For other shapes though, I’d be willing to take a punt (especially if it’s a shape where no such “super ideal” version exists).

Though having said that, with what guys like Rhino, VC and Yoram do with these little gems in non round shapes, that makes it much more difficult!

 

[OoohShiny]

I think a lot would depend on budget, and also what shape I was looking at - MRBs would probably have to be SuperIdeal because my good lady's CBI has ruined me but I love stepcuts, which are a different animal altogether, it seems, and have to be assessed more on beauty/visual performance than the numbers...

 

[missy]

Yes for sure and I have already done so...my OEC is a true old cut so not super ideal. But super ideal for me.

If I was buying an MRB yes I would get super ideal for an ER. But for everything else I just buy with my eyes and what I find to be breathtaking and beautiful. And I have not been disappointed.

I love PS because it informs and educates and then armed with that knowledge each of us makes the best decision for us. Knowledge is power.

 

[MeowMeow]

Depends on if I could afford it. I may never be able to buy one ever. In which case I will be asking for help to find the best one for the money I do have at the time. My hill to die on is cut. And slightly clarity. So I want the best I can get for the money i have. And if somehow it's super ideal, awesome! That's my dream! Otherwise as well cut an ideal as possible is the goal.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Ditto the above.
Colored gems, colored diamonds, fancy shapes and old cuts, I would totally go non super ideal.

Rounds...depends on purpose and budget. I would probably buy a round with an an AGS0 and 1A grade with good ASET and Idealscope images that wasn't from a superideal vendor if it meant getting more diamond for the money Or getting a trait that I couldn't find in a superideal (like faint brown modifiers or non-blue fluro). I"d also get ideal cut, but non ideal cut for things like side stones and pendants (in fact, that's what my pendant stones are!).

 

[ctsamg]

Yes, for the cost I found the tradeoff did not make sense for me personally. Lots of buyers on here end up not getting a super ideal branded diamond but instead find a diamond that outperforms 98% of the diamonds out there based on the knowledge you can gain here. Remember super ideal is a marketing term not an independent standard.

It's a mistake to think the only way to get a great diamond is via WF, BGD or HPD (although budget allowing that is the easiest way)

 

[AprilBaby]

I would get a smaller diamond if that were the budget to have an ACA. I can say that because I already have several.

 

[Karl_K]

Talking MRB
There are some combos outside the ideal cut range that fascinate me to one extent or another.
If I could afford to buy diamonds just for fun just for me it would be in those ranges if I could find them or have them cut.
In colored diamonds the ranges are different for top color and looks than many ideal cuts.
I love ideal cuts also they are beautiful diamonds, but I am fascinated by the outsiders.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Talking MRB
There are some combos outside the ideal cut range that fascinate me to one extent or another.
If I could afford to buy diamonds just for fun just for me it would be in those ranges if I could find them.
In colored diamonds the ranges are different for top color and looks than many ideal cuts.
I love ideal cuts also they are beautiful diamonds, but I am fascinated by the outsiders.

Ditto, I love the unusual and unique most of the time. Probably why I"m more a colored stone girl at heart. I love the hunt!

I have AGS0 diamonds for my 5 stone ring, ACA for my bangle, and can't really pick up a significant difference. I can tell them apart, and the ACA has a bit more symmetry in brightness, but that's under close scrutiny. I think they all look the same performance wise from a casual glance or across a room. Certainly I get compliments on my 5 stone all the time for how "blinding" it is.

The other diamond I own in a fancy light yellow off getting reset to amp up the yellow.
I'm honestly unlikely to buy another ACA at this point since most of my jewelry "staples" are done.

 

[OoohShiny]

Talking MRB
There are some combos outside the ideal cut range that fascinate me to one extent or another.
If I could afford to buy diamonds just for fun just for me it would be in those ranges if I could find them or have them cut.
In colored diamonds the ranges are different for top color and looks than many ideal cuts.
I love ideal cuts also they are beautiful diamonds, but I am fascinated by the outsiders.

I would be intrigued to know more about these combos if you are happy (and permitted!) to discuss them

 

[TreeScientist]

Yes, for the cost I found the tradeoff did not make sense for me personally. Lots of buyers on here end up not getting a super ideal branded diamond but instead find a diamond that outperforms 98% of the diamonds out there based on the knowledge you can gain here. Remember super ideal is a marketing term not an independent standard.

It's a mistake to think the only way to get a great diamond is via WF, BGD or HPD (although budget allowing that is the easiest way)

Ditto for us. I guess the cost difference may vary depending on the other 3Cs, but looking in the range we ended up with (colorless, VS clarity, .9ish carat) it would've been about 25-30% more to go the SuperIdeal route vs finding a equally well cut diamond on the open market. Not worth it IMO.

If someone was buying completely blind without any background knowledge of diamonds whatsoever (and no desire to learn), then I would recommend they go with a SuperIdeal. Easiest way to end up with a well cut diamond. And one could argue that, doing a cost/benefit analysis of the time required for just going on a SuperIdeal website and just clicking "Buy" on a diamond that meets your carat/color/clarity requirements (10 minutes) vs searching out an almost equally well-cut diamond on the open market (likely time investment of 10-20 (or more) hours), the time gained by going the SuperIdeal route may make up for the 20-30% price differential depending on one's hourly pay rate. Or, if someone was absolutely sure they would trade up in the future, then the upgrade programs may be worth it.

But if one has a desire to learn about diamonds and finds the search to be a fun hobby, like a treasure hunt for grown-ups, then perhaps the hours aren't something to be calculated as "lost time" in a cost-benefit analysis. After all, I think most regular posters on PS have spent way more than 20 hours total looking at diamonds.

Also, like @Karl_K, I am fascinated by the outliers. If we were to purchase another stone one day for another piece of jewelry, I would probably try to find something truly unique. Like that one in a million authentic antique (not modern day repo) OEC that has ideal light performance, or a 60/60 that was cut so tight that it gave off fire equivalent to a SuperIdeal, or those rare high-CA (36.5+) MRBs that exhibit absolutely no leakage under the table. Finding any of these stones would be like a real-life treasure hunt, but would certainly be fun. And then you can nerd-out on the uniqueness of the cut with other diamond lovers should you happen to come across one "in the wild."

 

[ctsamg]

Ditto for us. I guess the cost difference may vary depending on the other 3Cs, but looking in the range we ended up with (colorless, VS clarity, .9ish carat) it would've been about 25-30% more to go the SuperIdeal route vs finding a equally well cut diamond on the open market. Not worth it IMO.

If someone was buying completely blind without any background knowledge of diamonds whatsoever (and no desire to learn), then I would recommend they go with a SuperIdeal. Easiest way to end up with a well cut diamond. And one could argue that, doing a cost/benefit analysis of the time required for just going on a SuperIdeal website and just clicking "Buy" on a diamond that meets your carat/color/clarity requirements (10 minutes) vs searching out an almost equally well-cut diamond on the open market (likely time investment of 10-20 (or more) hours), the time gained by going the SuperIdeal route may make up for the 20-30% price differential depending on one's hourly pay rate. Or, if someone was absolutely sure they would trade up in the future, then the upgrade programs may be worth it.

But if one has a desire to learn about diamonds and finds the search to be a fun hobby, like a treasure hunt for grown-ups, then perhaps the hours aren't something to be calculated as "lost time" in a cost-benefit analysis. After all, I think most regular posters on PS have spent way more than 20 hours total looking at diamonds.

Also, like @Karl_K, I am fascinated by the outliers. If we were to purchase another stone one day for another piece of jewelry, I would probably try to find something truly unique. Like that one in a million authentic antique (not modern day repo) OEC that has ideal light performance, or a 60/60 that was cut so tight that it gave off fire equivalent to a SuperIdeal, or those rare high-CA (36.5+) MRBs that exhibit absolutely no leakage under the table. Finding any of these stones would be like a real-life treasure hunt, but would certainly be fun. And then you can nerd-out on the uniqueness of the cut with other diamond lovers should you happen to come across one "in the wild."

Looking at a 2.5ct I found the cost difference to be 30%+

 

[Karl_K]

I would be intrigued to know more about these combos if you are happy (and permitted!) to discuss them

I am hesitant to give numbers because the odds are that if someone found one with those numbers the small details would not be right and the small details matter when you go outside.
But I will say that I would love to play with extreme bic and fic cuts.

Right now I am fascinated by 40/40 small table short lgf% oec cuts of old.
They sound weird, the numbers are weird, and for someone used to a mrb they look weird in profile, but based on virtual they work shocking well.
Finding an old example seems to be very hard and even today they are most likely soon recut into a modern stone if they have good clarity and color if they come into trade hands.

 

[Kaycee2018]

Ditto for us. I guess the cost difference may vary depending on the other 3Cs, but looking in the range we ended up with (colorless, VS clarity, .9ish carat) it would've been about 25-30% more to go the SuperIdeal route vs finding a equally well cut diamond on the open market. Not worth it IMO.

If someone was buying completely blind without any background knowledge of diamonds whatsoever (and no desire to learn), then I would recommend they go with a SuperIdeal. Easiest way to end up with a well cut diamond. And one could argue that, doing a cost/benefit analysis of the time required for just going on a SuperIdeal website and just clicking "Buy" on a diamond that meets your carat/color/clarity requirements (10 minutes) vs searching out an almost equally well-cut diamond on the open market (likely time investment of 10-20 (or more) hours), the time gained by going the SuperIdeal route may make up for the 20-30% price differential depending on one's hourly pay rate. Or, if someone was absolutely sure they would trade up in the future, then the upgrade programs may be worth it.

But if one has a desire to learn about diamonds and finds the search to be a fun hobby, like a treasure hunt for grown-ups, then perhaps the hours aren't something to be calculated as "lost time" in a cost-benefit analysis. After all, I think most regular posters on PS have spent way more than 20 hours total looking at diamonds.

Also, like @Karl_K, I am fascinated by the outliers. If we were to purchase another stone one day for another piece of jewelry, I would probably try to find something truly unique. Like that one in a million authentic antique (not modern day repo) OEC that has ideal light performance, or a 60/60 that was cut so tight that it gave off fire equivalent to a SuperIdeal, or those rare high-CA (36.5+) MRBs that exhibit absolutely no leakage under the table. Finding any of these stones would be like a real-life treasure hunt, but would certainly be fun. And then you can nerd-out on the uniqueness of the cut with other diamond lovers should you happen to come across one "in the wild."

Agreed 100%. If my ering were a branded super ideal, the cost would have been about 25% higher and I can’t see much, if any, difference in performance, so for me its not worth it. But for those that can discern a significant difference, I can understand why super ideals are the only way they’ll go. Same for those who value the generous upgrade policies most super ideal vendors offer, or who don’t want to or can’t take the time for the “hunt”. There is certainly a market for super ideals and I can see the attraction, but for me it’s not worth it.

 

[junebug17]

I made sure the diamond studs I purchased recently fell within the parameters I've learned about during my time here on PS. They are well cut but not super ideal and I am ok with that. The super ideals were much more expensive and smaller, and I just wanted to stay at a certain price point. My earrings are beautiful and I am happy with them. I am very glad for the knowledge I gained about cut here on PS. This knowledge did help me pick out a very nice pair of diamonds.

 

[whitewave]

It would simply depend on what I was working on.

 

[nojs]

I would and I have. After learning more, I’m much more inclined to just go with my eyes. Spread is something I also look for, although it would mean slight compromises on the cut. That said, I appreciate the beauty of a super ideal and enjoy my e-ring with such a stone.

 

[Irving]

After getting educated on super ideal cuts here on the Pricescope forum, would you buy anything else?

Now that I know what I know, I just wouldn’t be happy with less than super ideal.

What about you?

Couldn't agree with you more on the MRB. If money was a concern, I'd just go down on the carat size rather than sacrifice the super ideal cut. Truth be told, I wouldn't sacrifice the clarity or color either, haha! It's a "mind clean" thing for me. Some may say that G or H is faces up just as white, but I don't think I could go below an F. Super ideal cut is the #1 non-negotiable for me though!

 

[LLJsmom]

I think you can expect inherently skewed results asking this question on PS.

If I had no purchase constraints, like if I wasn't stuck with a certain vendor, and if I was after an MRB, for sure, super ideal. Because even if I couldn't tell the difference the second I looked the diamond, I would spend SO many hours staring at it, I would find imperfections and leakage and blah blah blah that I would drive myself crazy. So for my own sanity, I would go with a super ideal.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Although I would not pick one for DW if I was buying her an RBC, I can certainly see the beauty in a super ideal. Although they are beautiful, I feel like it's a true handicap if that's the only type of stone I can consider. If I'm, buying for me, or DW, I never purchase solely on ASET, proportions or measurements. Sometimes one can be surprised at what they pick when searching with an open mind.
However, as a seller, you've got to respect the buyer's wishes. Many PS readers will ask for Super Ideal.

I think you can expect inherently skewed results asking this question on PS.

I have found that there are many cases of folks being unduly influenced by other people's opinions. Welcome to the internet, I suppose.

 

[JPie]

I like old cuts so whether or not something is super ideal isn't a deal breaker.

 

[foxinsox]

I’m all about the old cuts and love a bit of wonkiness with my petals so no, I’d not go the superideal route as a default. Though the AVRs are a pretty tempting optio

 

[marcy]

Like Missy mentioned; judging by your eyes isn't a bad way to go. On MRB I would stick with super ideal.

 

[Karl_K]

I am really happy reading this thread. My goal has never been to push any one cut or style of diamond(even my own) but to help people make informed decisions.
Reading about all the informed consumers making informed choices one way or the other warms my heart.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I definitely have bought Whiteflash ACA's for all my studs, and I did once have a superideal round in a ring. So yes, I'd buy superideal if buying a modern round. But even in old cuts and specialty cuts, I look for well cut stones because it shows the artistry and talent of the cutter.

 

[tkyasx78]

Depends on the price.
If it was inexpensive enough I would simply have it recut~

 

[baby monster]

I don't want to pay for anything I can't see. Be it superideal, branded or mind-clean. If I can't see it unaided.....