best proportions for 1/2 carat diamond for ring?

[Lula]

I''ve read a ton of educational material on pricescope threads and vendor websites (great information, thank you all!). And I''ve posted a few idealscopes and received great feedback (thanks!).

But here''s my problem: I''m having a really hard time finding a @ half-carat diamond. Most of the posts seem to refer to stones that are 1-carat-plus, and I''m finding that what works in a bigger stone (angles, table size, etc.) does not always work for smaller stones. Add to this is the problem that most smaller stones seem to be cut for use in jewelry other than rings, i.e., pendants, earrings.

A .45 stone I ordered that I thought would be perfect turned out to be full of scintillation and fire in most light conditions, but its appearance was too "shattered" for my taste, and there was not enough contrast in the stone. The table seemed big for the small size of the diamond. But I''m concerned if I look for a stone with more contrast, the small size of the stone will just make it look dark. (See below for specs).

Help! I believe there have to be other people out there lurking on the site who, like me, want a smaller stone for a ring and could use some guidance.

So, experts and others out there who have seen great looking 1/2 carat stones in e-rings, please share your thoughts about what combos work best in a smaller size. If I''m asking too much, tell me that, too. I just don''t know where to start.

Here are the specs on the .45, just for reference
Depth 61.8
Table 56.7
Pav > 41
Crown > 34.5
girdle 1.0 - 3.4 (thin-med)
pav 43.3
lgf 81
Stars 55
The idealscope checked out just fine -- plenty of red/black, small am''t of painting but not enough to matter (thanks strmrdr for your input on the IS awhile back).

And btw, for you other newbies out there, this is proof that you need to look at the stone in person before you make a final decision, so buy your stone from a vendor with a good return policy!

 

[stone-cold11]

Maybe you should be looking at other cuts than a modern round brilliant? The shattering look is probably due to the high lgf of what you are choosing, look for a smaller lgf or into OEC?

 

[Lula]

Yeah, Stone, I''ve been thinking I should go with another cut, but, silly as it sounds, I dread going through the labor-intensive education part to learn about what to look for in a different cut! I''ve spent so much time on PS these past six weeks that you pricescopers are becoming a second family (I mean, you''re nice enough people, but I''d like my other life back!).

 

[Lorelei]

Sarap, what I would suggest is for you to go on a field trip - if there is a Jareds near you then check out their Peerless AGS0 cut grade diamonds, also see if there is a Hearts on Fire dealer near you. Look at some diamonds and once you find some you like, see if you can note down the info on the report to include star and lower girdle facet percentages. That way you might be able to find something similar online. Basically a set of proportions which works for a 2 carat diamond can work for a much smaller one, however if your personal taste is more discerning and you know exactly what you do and do not like in a diamond, then it might pay to try to pinpoint the attributes which are pleasing to you as above. The LGF can fine tune the personality of a diamond so something to think about, but the overall proportions are the bricks and mortar of the diamond.

 

[jet2ks]

You might pop over to www.goodoldgold.com The featured video is about lower half facets and does a great job of showing how the different lengths affect the overall look of the diamond.

 

[justinislooking]

Heres a .57ct AGS0 that I was one step from buying - I did everything except actually pay. I decided that I wanted to get something a little bigger, because of the setting I am having made.

Its a very nice looking stone. Link

 

[Lula]

Thanks, Jet, I have seen that GOG video and that''s what led me to the stone with the long lgf! I thought I wanted lots of scintillation but in "real life" it''s not the look I want. Dee-Jay''s stone is absolutely gorgeous with its long lgf''s; mine looks sort of busy, not in a good way!

I think you''re right, Lorelei, I need to pay another visit to the store here that carries Hearts on Fire diamonds to check out some different proportions on the stones. Last time I was there I was so blown away by how different they looked from other diamonds that I didn''t pay much attention to differences in the individual stones. One thing I''ve noticed with the H&A and Hearts on Fire, they tend to look much larger than their actual carat weight (that''s a bonus).

So if I''m understanding, the stone''s size shouldn''t be a factor in choosing c/p angles, table size, etc., as long as I''m staying in the cherry proportions, but what I need to consider is the stone''s personality as affected by lgf''s and other factors like warmth, iceness, etc. Okay thanks -- I can do that

 

[Rockit]

These are solid suggestions. In addition to studying the branded stones, I''d echo what Stone-cold wrote... perhaps you should look into some OECs, or, even, a totally different cut. That was the first thing I thought as I read your initial post.

As far as the OECs go, their look IS different than a modern RB, yet, still gorgeous in their own way. For example, in less than 1/2ct sizes, I have some HOF stones as well as some OECs in different pieces. Although the HOFs are lovely, and, unlike a gazillion other smaller diamonds I looked at before purchasing the HOFs, they DO hold up to the performance and quality of my larger RBs. Even so, the OECs are by FAR my favorites over the HOFs. Just a different look, really.

Sounds like you have a great project ahead. Don''t be afraid to "start all over" with your research... heck, you never know what you may find out there that excites your eye, and what you may learn about yourself could totally surprise and delight you!

 

[Lula]

Thanks, Rockit. I think you and the person who posted earlier are right -- I need to check out some other cuts and take my time to learn about them, even if it means lurking around PS for another couple months on the OEC threads...looks like I''ll be spending some more time with my PS family. ))

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/5/2009 11:49:59 AM
Author: sarap333
Thanks, Jet, I have seen that GOG video and that''s what led me to the stone with the long lgf! I thought I wanted lots of scintillation but in ''real life'' it''s not the look I want. Dee-Jay''s stone is absolutely gorgeous with its long lgf''s; mine looks sort of busy, not in a good way!

I think you''re right, Lorelei, I need to pay another visit to the store here that carries Hearts on Fire diamonds to check out some different proportions on the stones. Last time I was there I was so blown away by how different they looked from other diamonds that I didn''t pay much attention to differences in the individual stones. One thing I''ve noticed with the H&A and Hearts on Fire, they tend to look much larger than their actual carat weight (that''s a bonus).

So if I''m understanding, the stone''s size shouldn''t be a factor in choosing c/p angles, table size, etc., as long as I''m staying in the cherry proportions, but what I need to consider is the stone''s personality as affected by lgf''s and other factors like warmth, iceness, etc. Okay thanks -- I can do that

Thats it, the angles and proportions will work for many sizes of diamond, so once you have that sorted then the other factors you mention are what to pay attention to as well as the optical symmetry of the diamond.