BIG QUESTION on Solasfera before pulling trigger

[mynameisjacob]

Hello,

I recently put in a deposit for a 1.20 carat I-SI2 solasfera diamond in NYC. I was impressed with the array of testing and the sparkle on the diamond. I came home and did some more research and I'm reading some forum and website commentaries that its all a gimmick. The solasfera diamond website and their videos do seem very infomercial-like and now I'm getting nervous.

- Is Solasfera for real? I mean, I know they are very well cut and diamonds are diamonds. I mean, do you guys think that it is just a fad and that 5 years from now, the Solasfera brand will disappear and I will be left with a 91-faceted lemon that no one will recognize? This is my biggest fear.

- How legit is that GEMEX report? I've read online that its more of a marketing tool and a big gimmick. Is GEMEX an established and world recognized method of gauging diamonds or just a recent fly-by-night scheme that just popped up recently to push Solasfera?

- Since it is a Solasfera, the GIA report omits alot of information like: cut rating, detailed dimensions and proportions. This makes me a little hesitant and it weighs my trust up against the brand "solasfera". It's a brand that is apparently new and unproven. Am I incorrect in this?


What are your opinions on this? Please help me, I would be so grateful. Thank you.

- Jacob

 

[slg47]

do you prefer the look of the solasfera round vs the more 'traditional' RB?

 

[mynameisjacob]

It does look a little crowded and "busy" but I don't care too much on the look, I just care about its sparkle. My girlfriend saw it too and doesn't care too much about the crowdedness of the 91 facets. Her main priority is having a diamond that out-sparkles all her friends' engagement rings. But we are both concerned about the viability and the longevity of this brand...

 

[mynameisjacob]

Thanks for replying by the way!

 

[slg47]

ok well if you think it is busy..I would get a traditional RB. get an AGS0 or GIA Ex with good IS image...it will outshine everything and be classic.

 

[mynameisjacob]

Thanks, sorry but what does IS image mean?

 

[slg47]

idealscope image.

what is your budget? if you are open to looking online we can find some good candidates. if not then I would look for an AGS0 or a GIA Ex that scores under 2 on the HCA tool

pricescope.com/tools/hca

 

[kenny]

Nobody is going to "recognize" any cut brand by sight, but they will recognize super light performance.
I'd ignore all the brand hype and just buy one if you like it.

We did.
It is a fantastic diamond cut and I'm wearing one now.
It will be a fantastic diamond cut if the company vanishes.
It is fantastic diamond cut regardless of how much vendors who don't use Gemex discredit Gemex because it does not help them sell you one of their diamonds.

Solasfera DOES have a different look if you look carefully.
Standard rounds have 8 sections and Solasfera has 10.
That means 25% more facets though they are all a little smaller.
Solasfera has more flashes of light and edge to edge light return as proven by the solid blood-red Ideascope image with no contrast leakage triangles next to each arrow tip at the girdle.

We also have a Whiteflash ACA (another superb cut) of almost identical weight and specs.
HEre they are side by side with the Solasfera on the right.
Count the arrows.

 

[mynameisjacob]

Thanks all but can someone answer my specific questions?


- Is Solasfera for real? I mean, I know they are very well cut and diamonds are diamonds. I mean, do you guys think that it is just a fad and that 5 years from now, the Solasfera brand will disappear and I will be left with a 91-faceted lemon that no one will recognize? This is my biggest fear.

- How legit is that GEMEX report? I've read online that its more of a marketing tool and a big gimmick. Is GEMEX an established and world recognized method of gauging diamonds or just a recent fly-by-night scheme that just popped up recently to push Solasfera?

- Since it is a Solasfera, the GIA report omits alot of information like: cut rating, detailed dimensions and proportions. This makes me a little hesitant and it weighs my trust up against the brand "solasfera". It's a brand that is apparently new and unproven. Am I incorrect in this?

 

[slg47]

- Is Solasfera for real? I mean, I know they are very well cut and diamonds are diamonds. I mean, do you guys think that it is just a fad and that 5 years from now, the Solasfera brand will disappear and I will be left with a 91-faceted lemon that no one will recognize? This is my biggest fear.

they are very well cut. I am not sure about what will happen 5 years from now. If you are worried I would go with a well cut traditional RB.
you definitely would not be left with a lemon, as they are well cut diamonds.

- How legit is that GEMEX report? I've read online that its more of a marketing tool and a big gimmick. Is GEMEX an established and world recognized method of gauging diamonds or just a recent fly-by-night scheme that just popped up recently to push Solasfera?

- Since it is a Solasfera, the GIA report omits alot of information like: cut rating, detailed dimensions and proportions. This makes me a little hesitant and it weighs my trust up against the brand "solasfera". It's a brand that is apparently new and unproven. Am I incorrect in this?

it depends on what you mean by unproven. I think they are 'proven' by the tests that GOG (good old gold) does.

These videos may help you decide if you prefer a solasfera or traditional RB. I would just pick what your eyes like the best.

http://vimeo.com/8638402
http://vimeo.com/9887305
http://vimeo.com/17344392

 

[Dreamer_D]

Ditto to SLG and Kenny.

It is a cut that really excels in pinfire flash, so it will have more small sparkle and less broad flash sparkle. It is a distinctive look. Take a peek at the videos that slg linked, they will help.

They are well cut diamonds and will remain well cut whatever happens to the company. I am not sure what you mean about a "lemon". It does sound like you and the gf did not really look at the diamond carfully or compare it to a similarly well cut traditional RB. I suggest you do so, or at least look at the GOG videos comparing the two cuts, and pick the style that appeals to your eye the most.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Jacob, thankfully diamonds do not have labels, so the brand name is sort of irrelevant since people normally don't go around telling the brand name of their diamond. What matters is...is the stone well cut? Does it have excellent light performance? Do I think it is incredibly beautiful? Almost no one would be able to look at a Solasfera on a hand and notice that it is much different from any regular hearts and arrows cut stone. I think for me, a lot would depend on the price premium for Solasfera as compared with a WhiteFlash A Cut Above diamond, or a signature stone from Good Old Gold or Brian Gavin. I haven't seen a Solasfera in person, but I am sure I would think they are beautiful. But would I pay 20% more (just an example, I don't know prices)? No, I am sure I wouldn't because I love regular hearts and arrows stones just fine.

As long as you are looking at excellent cut stones, you need to not think about brand and go by what your eyes see as the most beautiful. If you are in the NYC area, I'd recommend taking a trip over to Long Island to Good Old Gold and they can show you both types of stones and help you decide.

 

[cj2011]

I'd take positive Gemex reports with a grain of salt- if a stone had a less performing Gemex the jeweler will not point out the stones poor performance or faults. Not all Solasferas are superior to traditional faceted diamonds a few days ago I went to see Solasferas at Daid S Diamonds in Manhattan NY. All of the diamonds they had in house were great but none of the solaseras out performed the traditional cuts they all performed pretty much equally to the super ideal traditional cut but the prices on the solasferas were about $1000 more. The Solasferas I saw happened to have lower brillance on their Gemex reports which is why I think they didn't perform as well as we expected. We still had some interest in solasferas and contacted Good Old Gold and tried to request the full gemex reports for some of their diamonds because the Gemex reports that we saw in person at David S were more complex and informative than the Gemex reports Good Old Gold has online. In general I had a very disappointing experience with Good Old Gold and the Gemex lab. The type of gemex reports that Good Old Gold use are for marketing rather than helpful consumer tool. Gemex offers a more in dept analysis report that Good Old Gold does not use, but David S does. At first I thought Good Old Gold only uploaded partial reports and when I spoke to Daren at Good Old Gold to request the full reports he said he never heard of the more in depth analysis produced by Gemex and implied several times that I was wrong and that the more informative report did not exist. It was insulting to have seen them and then have someone try to convince me it does not exist. I called the Gemex lab in Missouri and after speaking to several representatives multiple times Gemex in the end looks out for the seller. I spoke to Rebbecca and Kevin at Gemex when it came to general questions about understanding the report they were very helpful, but when I asked if different types of Gemex reports existed and I explained that I had seen a different and more informative Gemex report in person with one jeweler and contacted another company that claimed to not know about a more informative report I couldn't get a straight forward answer from Gemex if they offer multiple types of reports- which was very off putting the lab knows without a doubt if they offer different type of a reports, it's a yes or no type of question. They asked the name of the jewelers which I did give but it shouldn't really matter. The representative from Gemex said he would try to find more information for me and took my number to call me back. I believe that the Gemex lab contacted Good Old Gold instead answering the straight forward question about different type of reports.

 

[yssie]

- How legit is that GEMEX report? I've read online that its more of a marketing tool and a big gimmick. Is GEMEX an established and world recognized method of gauging diamonds or just a recent fly-by-night scheme that just popped up recently to push Solasfera?

GEMEX BrillianceScope will always prefer 91-facet Solasfera to 57-facet regular RB of the same size, or a princess to a chunky cushion - it prefers lots of little twinkles over fewer larger flashes. Doesn't make it bad, or a marketing gimmick - just means it has uses and limitations, and it's up to you the end user to understand and weigh the results based on those pros and cons.. GOG has a good BScope review http://www.goodoldgold.com/Technologies/BrillianceScope/BrillianceScopeStrengths/

Ultimately I do think extra facet RBs are a very different "look" to 57f RBs, and I do have a personal preference for one type over the other - and I think seeing in-person is the only way to really appreciate the difference, and decide what you like!