Asscher Owners: Need your help!

[chrono]

Pricescope,
If this is in the wrong forum, please move it. Thanks.

I am in the process of getting an asscher stone (gemstone, though) and wondered how visible the steps are in various sizes. I am hoping that the numerous asscher owners here will post pictures of their diamonds (mounted and unmounted) with stats, in particular, the physical dimensions and hopefully, with finger shots too.

 

[decodelighted]

Wow Chrono, that sounds like a lot of WORK!

''Fraid there aren''t too many regular poster with Asschers, actually. And the ones that are here are in the 1-2 carat size for the most part. You''d probably have better luck seeing a bunch of asscher photos using the pricescope search engine. The whoppers -- more "gemstone" size, are mostly from short-time posters or their fiances/dh''s -- long gone ... or in the Celeb Eye Candy folders: notable celebs with asschers: Reese Witherspoon & Kate Hudson & Liz Hurley ...

 

[chrono]

Well, I sure can''t afford those "whoppers".

Anything in the 1 ct range is fine. I''ve done some searching but was hoping there was a thread where there are some already put together. I''ve checked out Kaleigh''s, Lauren''s and WallerMama''s. I''m hoping they''ll chime in to tell me how easy or difficult it is to see the steps/windmills in person. I was just wondering what a 6.5 mm asscher looked like on the finger, that''s all. I''ve already drawn out the shape and superimposed it on my finger but have no idea about the patterning.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 5/9/2007 2:05:55 PM
Author: Chrono
I was just wondering what a 6.5 mm asscher looked like on the finger, that''s all. I''ve already drawn out the shape and superimposed it on my finger but have no idea about the patterning.

6.5 x 6.5 is about a 1.5 carat asscher ... gemstones are weighted differently though ... dunno.

What size finger are you ... I''m hoping to take some more shots of my 6.6 x 6.4 asscher today but I have foot-long-hot-dog plumped when you cooked em fingers ... so it probably won''t be much help.

Also -- the steps might not be QUITE as noticable in a colored gem -- depending on the saturation of color. I''d LOVE an asscher cut gem ... they''re kinda hard to find because there''s not enough rough with the superior clarity that such an open cut requires!

I''m sure it''ll be gorgeous though!

 

[chrono]

Looks like I have to fess up about my project.

The gemstone will probably be about 6.5 mm and a light pink. It will be eye clean and I am hoping the light colour will compliment the steps. I''ll glady welcome any finger shots. It doesn''t matter what size. Mine is alternates between 4.25 and 4.5. You can find the thread in the coloured stones forum: colour me pink.

The stone is the one to the left. It''s about 2 carats now measuring 7.5 mm
After it''s surgery, it is estimated to drop to 1.5 carats, measuring 6.5 mm

 

[Gypsy]

I have a 1.09 (64% depth) 5.88 x 5.89 ... and I''ve compared it side by side to a 6.5 x 6.5. The extra .5 makes a significant in terms of windmills and steps. But you can''t really tell from online pics.. as the images are so much larger. I would take a trip to a Daniel K vendor and see if they have any in the size you are looking for.

 

[chrono]

Gypsy,
I live in the Boonies. Daniel K vendors are non-existant where I am: I'm guessing the closest one is about 2 hours away. As another asscher owner, how visible are the step patterns? Do you have to really look closely or are they visible an arm's length away?

 

[Gypsy]

At an arms length away there is a lot of light and reflection going on. My stone is very bright. the windmills are there, so is the X at the bottom... and what looks like a couple of steps... but to really see the patterns I need to be around 12 inches away. A colored stone wil reflect light differently though if it''s not a diamond.

 

[Gypsy]

Mine is the second asscher from the bottom on the pointer finger. The one with the thick band. Wallermama''s is the first one from the bottom.

 

[strmrdr]

under about 5.5mm x 5.5mm the patterns start too blend together.

 

[Kaleigh]

Chrono,
My asscher is .92, has a great spread for it''s size. And I can see the steps in it easily. I am very excited about your project!!!! Was following it in the colored stone forum. HTH, Lisa

 

[asquareguy]

My 1.01 Asscher...

I think they are plenty visible, but in a colored stone, hard to tell. Can you ask your cutter for photos of like stones, so you can determine if they are visible to you?

Your stone looks clear, so it should be beautiful!

 

[starryeyed]

Here's mine - it's 2.47 carats. The dimensions are 7.60 x 7.51 mm. There are 3 step cuts in the pavilion. Here is a LINK to another image from WF. I'll post a few more shots too. Oh, and my finger is size 5.

 

[starryeyed]

Here''s another.

 

[starryeyed]

One more hand shot. That's it. Does that help?

 

[chrono]

Thanks everyone: Deco, Gypsy, Storm, Kaleigh, ASquareGuy & Starryeyed.

The pictures helped, especially the comments because sometimes, it is hard to get a feel of the true dimensions from the pictures. In actuality, I wanted the asscher at least 7 mm x 7 mm but the price jump is ridiculous.

I had looked at a small 0.5ct asscher diamond in person and liked the appearance of the steps but other than that, have never seen any other asscher cuts (other than in pictures). The only thing is I did not want to squint to see the pattern, so I wondered what is the minimum size recommended.

My options whittled down to the native gemstone which has to be recut: it could end up anywhere from 6.3 mm up to 6.7 mm. If it ends up 6.7 mm I'd be a happy camper but I also wondered what if it ended up at 6.3 mm... Would I have to squint? I see that 6 mm is plenty good to drool in the windmills. That's another reason why I picked a light pink gemstone. Such a light pastel colour should let the steps "shine" through. Of course my inspiration are these:

Psst: I hear that they are 9 carats!

 

[starryeyed]

Hi Chrono.

Looking at the picture you posted, you may be able to see that the windmill pattern is clearer the more "clipped" the corners are. This is one of the points that came up in this THREAD. Storm and Garry has a pretty educational discussion about corrner ratios, tilt, spread, etc.

Also, in my limited knowledge, I would say that smaller stones look "busier" the more step cuts in the pavilion. Mine has 3 - some folks have stones with 4 or 5 step cuts in the pavilion. I think the current branded Asschers are 5, but don''t quote me. To me, the more step cuts in the pavilion, the more the asscher has that ripple look of a stone dropped in a smooth lake.

Hope this helps!

 

[chrono]

Starryeyed,
Are you 100% sure that there are so few steps in the pavilion? Now I'm getting worried. See how many steps I'm going to have in mine? I trust my cutter but your post has put doubts in me. I am counting 6 steps in the pavilion. Would that be too busy in a 6.5 mm stone? Oh gosh, I don't know what to think now...

 

[starryeyed]

Hi Chrono. I''m sure there are 3 step cuts in my pavilion - I double-checked the GIA cert, just to make sure.

I wouldn''t be worried. Colored gemstones have very different properties than diamonds. I''m sure all the step-cuts in the pavilion are necessary to prevent windows. I''d trust the cutter.

 

[vespergirl]

Hi chrono,

here is a pic of how my 2.2 ct asscher looks on my size 5 finger. the measurements are 7.2 x 7.1 mm

 

[widget]

Hey Chrono...I know I''m late here, and maybe this has been mentioned over in the CG forum, but is "cutting to order" that easy with a colored gemstone?

I always thought that colored stones present issues (shape of rough, color zoning, etc) that need to be addressed first, and that the ultimate decisions of "what looks best", or "what facet pattern is best", has to be left to a skilled cutter after he has acquired the rough.

Does this make any sense? A thought, anyway...

widget

 

[chrono]

Vespergirl, that''s pretty good finger coverage. Same with Starryeyed. That''s why sometimes I feel so fortunate to have smaller fingers, so I can get by with smaller (and less $$$) to get decent finger coverage. I don''t think I''ll need sidestones for this project.

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/10/2007 11:48:41 AM
Author: widget
Hey Chrono...I know I'm late here, and maybe this has been mentioned over in the CG forum, but is 'cutting to order' that easy with a colored gemstone?

I always thought that colored stones present issues (shape of rough, color zoning, etc) that need to be addressed first, and that the ultimate decisions of 'what looks best', or 'what facet pattern is best', has to be left to a skilled cutter after he has acquired the rough.

Does this make any sense? A thought, anyway...

widget

I'd already talked to the cutter about this. The current oval has a window and is poorly cut, hence lots of extinction in the picture. The cutter has already studied the stone and determined that this stone is an ideal candidate for a recut into the asscher shape. It will retain the same depth, lose some material in cutting the square shape (but not too bad since it has clipped corners). There is no zoning on this piece, the extinction will be eliminated and the window will go away.

As for rough, here's what I learned. If a person has a desire for a certain shaped gemstone, the cutter will look for certain characteristics in the rough. Asschers need blocky rough, trillions need a triangular rough, etc. You get the idea. If you check out www.customgemstones.com regularly, you can almost predict accurately what shape Dan will cut based on the picture of the rough he posts first. I have been 95% correct so far.

Also, most gemstones rough tend to lend themselves to certain shapes only. For example:
Spessartites roughs are more commonly found suited for trillions and ovals
Tourmalines roughs are best for rectangular cuts
Spinels's octahedron shape lends itself to cushions

As for zoning and colour, that takes a very experienced cutter with a keen eye to find nice rough that cuts clean with an even colour. Even I can't make a stab at that yet!

In short, when having a custom job done, it can be easy or difficult. It all depends on the cutter's skill and his contacts/rough supplier. If he has a good supplier, he can find the right rough at a decent price. Otherwise, it will either be a long wait or terribly expensive.

 

[musey]

This is my 7x7 (1.96ct) asscher on my size 6.25 finger. ETA: Not my WB, just a past trial

(for those of you that read my signed pieces thread)

ooh I found it! It's for RB's, I believe, but you get the idea... Next to the carat weight they list the mm size (in white on the gray vertical bar), so my 1.96 is equivalent to a 1.25 RB (haha don't we all love our deep asschers

).

So my 7x7 covers 42% of a size 6, and the equivalent for you (finger-coverage wise) would be a 6.4x6.4ish stone (maybe about a 1.35ct?? someone correct me). Man, I wish I had smaller fingers! My asscher'd be poppin'!

Hope that helps!

 

[widget]

Date: 5/10/2007 12:04:51 PM
Author: Chrono

Date: 5/10/2007 11:48:41 AM
Author: widget
Hey Chrono...I know I''m late here, and maybe this has been mentioned over in the CG forum, but is ''cutting to order'' that easy with a colored gemstone?

I always thought that colored stones present issues (shape of rough, color zoning, etc) that need to be addressed first, and that the ultimate decisions of ''what looks best'', or ''what facet pattern is best'', has to be left to a skilled cutter after he has acquired the rough.

Does this make any sense? A thought, anyway...

widget

I''d already talked to the cutter about this. The current oval has a window and is poorly cut, hence lots of extinction in the picture. The cutter has already studied the stone and determined that this stone is an ideal candidate for a recut into the asscher shape. It will retain the same depth, lose some material in cutting the square shape (but not too bad since it has clipped corners). There is no zoning on this piece, the extinction will be eliminated and the window will go away.

As for rough, here''s what I learned. If a person has a desire for a certain shaped gemstone, the cutter will look for certain characteristics in the rough. Asschers need blocky rough, trillions need a triangular rough, etc. You get the idea. If you check out www.customgemstones.com regularly, you can almost predict accurately what shape Dan will cut based on the picture of the rough he posts first. I have been 95% correct so far.

Also, most gemstones rough tend to lend themselves to certain shapes only. For example:
Spessartites roughs are more commonly found suited for trillions and ovals
Tourmalines roughs are best for rectangular cuts
Spinels''s octahedron shape lends itself to cushions

As for zoning and colour, that takes a very experienced cutter with a keen eye to find nice rough that cuts clean with an even colour. Even I can''t make a stab at that yet!

In short, when having a custom job done, it can be easy or difficult. It all depends on the cutter''s skill and his contacts/rough supplier. If he has a good supplier, he can find the right rough at a decent price. Otherwise, it will either be a long wait or terribly expensive.

Thanks, Chrono! VERY INTERESTING and INFORMATIVE!!!!!

(I''ll shut up now...

)

widget

 

[decodelighted]

Maybe I''m too late .. but I took a couple more ring pix yesterday. I was hoping they''d be better than my existing pix - but I can''t say they are.

At least they''re new though ..

Whole hand shot.

 

[decodelighted]

Side view

 

[decodelighted]

As close to "head on" as I could get.


As to your question about seeing the patterns -- in a 6.5 x 6.5 stone -- or any less than maybe 3-4 carat asscher ... you''ll see PARTS of the pattern from arms length -- flashes of steps, a windmill ... the WHOLE pattern doesn''t resonate unless you''re, as Gypsy said ... 12 inches away -- straight on. Does that make sense?

It''s really hard to explain BEFORE you''ve lived with one for awhile & gotten to know the nuances ''em.

 

[surfgirl]

Love your set deco! I''ve never seen it before

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/10/2007 12:52:33 PM
Author: decodelighted
As close to 'head on' as I could get.


As to your question about seeing the patterns -- in a 6.5 x 6.5 stone -- or any less than maybe 3-4 carat asscher ... you'll see PARTS of the pattern from arms length -- flashes of steps, a windmill ... the WHOLE pattern doesn't resonate unless you're, as Gypsy said ... 12 inches away -- straight on. Does that make sense?

It's really hard to explain BEFORE you've lived with one for awhile & gotten to know the nuances 'em.

Thanks for the pictures and words of wisdom, Deco. I believe this is the first time that I am seeing your set too. I have an EC measuring 6.26 x 4.44 x 2.94 and I can see the steps on the long side quite clearly from an arms length away. The short side is just a bunch of glitter. Of course, everything looks MUCH clearer 1 foot away. Is that a good comparison? If it is, I think I'll be very satisfied with a 6.5 mm asscher gemstone.

Widget,
Ask all you want. Even if I don't have the anwers, someone here will and we all will benefit from the knowledge.