asscher or radiant cut?

[cleokizzy]

I''ve been reading around various threads here in PS and I can''t seem to find one that has a good "comparison" of asscher VS radiant cut stones. I''m torn between those two!!!!

Does anyone have pictures that you can put beside each other to show which one actually looks better than the other? Also, which cut is more common and which cut is more expensive given all other factors remain constant?

 

[oldmancoyote]

Which one looks better - a classic Chanel suit or a Valentino ball gown?

And even then, at least with Chanel and Valentino you are guaranteed some basic quality of make and materials. That is not the case simply by saying "radiant" or "Asscher" (which by the way are generic names of proprietary cuts).

Both can be lovely - what are you looking for in a stone?

 

[swingirl]

They seem like such different stones. Both lovely but other than the cut corners the type of sparkle is quite different. Asschers are more antique looking in my opinion. Radiants are often times rectangular. What type of settings do you like? Maybe the setting will determine which fits.

 

[trillionaire]

Do you prefer a more subtle ring, or a sparkly ring? Asschers aren''t known for their sparkliness... most step cuts are not. You may also want to compare the face up size. I understand that step cuts often face up smaller than some other cuts, relative to their ctw.

 

[musey]

So you basically want a cut-corner square, right? People thought I was a weirdo for being between those two, because they''re so different, but I figured out that it was the shape (not the faceting pattern) that tied them together for me.

Not to make it even more difficult for you, but there are also other cut-corner square cuts. Just so you have ALL the information

I''ll post some pics (stay tuned).

 

[musey]

All these pictures are from goodoldgold.com (which you can tell from the watermark):

 

[musey]

Asscher:

 

[musey]

Cut-Corner Square Brilliant:

 

[musey]

Radiant (which in itself can have a great variance in faceting pattern):

 

[musey]

Jubilee, which isn't exactly the same because it has little peaks on the clipped corners:

 

[musey]

There's also the "X-Factor" from Whiteflash, which I couldn't find a picture of quickly.

I wear an asscher and love it, but I do think you have to LOVE asschers to wear them. There have been a lot (I've seen at least 5 regulars in the past year or so) of people who fell out of love with their asscher and traded it in for something else.

My favorite non-asscher from the ones I posted is a princess of hearts, with a jubilee coming close behind. They're just gorgeous!

 

[musey]

Here is a GREAT video (again, from Good Old Gold) comparing an asscher to a princess of hearts:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/videos/2SIGASSCHERSPOH.wmv

 

[cleokizzy]

Date: 12/19/2008 8:38:56 PM
Author: musey
So you basically want a cut-corner square, right? People thought I was a weirdo for being between those two, because they''re so different, but I figured out that it was the shape (not the faceting pattern) that tied them together for me.


Not to make it even more difficult for you, but there are also other cut-corner square cuts. Just so you have ALL the information

I''ll post some pics (stay tuned).

yay! someone who actually knows what I''m thinking... you read my mind musey! I do want a cut-corner square... thanks for posting all those lovely pics!

now a new problem arises... which cut to choose from! hehe

 

[Lorelei]

Good work Musey!!!

 

[vespergirl]

After having traded my asscher for an RB, I would say go with the sqaure-radiant type, like the X-Factor or Lucere. The Lucida and Lucere were actually my first choice shapes when we went shopping, but they are very expensive branded cuts, so I decided to go with a generic asscher instead. I was never happy with the lack of sparkle, so I ended up switching for an RB. I could have swapped for a square radiant, but I ultimately went with the RB instead because it faces up so much bigger than the square shapes.

I would go with the square radiant type. However, asschers are gorgeous, especially if you will do a three-stone or pave setting. For my hand, I didn''t love a step-cut in a solitaire setting - I prefer a brilliant-cut stone in a solitaire setting.

 

[swingirl]

Nice way to compare the cuts! It makes me want one of each! But I''d love to see a P of H in person.

 

[Mrs W]

My choice would be jubilee or Princess of Hearts....I love how they are square but they sparkle like a round! Gorgeous

 

[jess1981]

That princess of hearts is amazing and very unique. I would love to have one of those.

 

[katamari]

I would keep looking for awhile and try to see the cuts in person. There is just so much difference that you should be more sure about your preference before buying.

One thing to consider, though, that I will add. I was drawn to clipped corners, too, which lead me to falling in love with asschers. I still absolutely love my asscher, but the corners do look far less clipped once it was set (even in a setting I had customized to highlight them). Not sure you can alleviate this, but it is another reason to make sure you love the cut and not just the corners. If you don''t also love the step cut and the depth that an asscher offers, you might be better suited with a more brilliant cut.