Brillianteering Half Facets - Cut Grade - Unique GIA

[ShinySearcher]

Hi everyone, I am new here and currently looking for a RB center stone around 0.94 to 1.1 c, F, SI1, Ex cut GIA. I was in a local store (Leo H) and I found this stone that seemed to sparkly forever..at least in their lighting but the GIA report (15080720) was unique. Specs are listed below and the comment on the GIA cert stated " Cut Grade is based on brillianteering of the half facets."

What is your opinion of this stone all together and also any thoughts on the brillianteering? They explained it as the facets not all being cut the same and the cutter probably did this to keep it right at one carat. The cert was from 2006 and they said it was around for a while and that concerned me a little. Thanks for help.

1 Carat GIA just over 7k
6.43 -6.47 x 3.999
G
Vs2
Cut - Very Good
Polish - Ex
Symm - Very Good
Fluor - Faint
Table 54%
Deoth 61.9%
Crw - 34.5*
Pav - 41*
Comments - Pinpoints, internal graining, and surface graining not shown. Also comment above about briallianteering.

 

[JulieN]

If you love the way it sparkles, that is all that matters, not what GIA thinks.

Numbers look fine. It seems like GIA is less strict about dinging for brillianteering than they were in the past.

 

[yssie]

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?reportno=15080720&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&pagename=GIA%2FDispatcher&c=Page&cid=1355954554547

Cut grade is reported as VG in Report Check, not EX as in your OP.

"Brillianteering" means girdle treatments (painting/digging), often used to save weight (1.00ct on the dot is a flag - a smart cutter tweaked the girdle to preserve weight just as your jeweller suggested). Painting/digging can be crown-only, pav-only, or a combo... without more info we can't tell you anything about exactly what was done to cause GIA to issue the cut grade demerit or how it might affect appearance and light return, but since you're shopping in-person you're in an excellent position to compare it with some other GIA EX stones of similar weight and let your eyes decide

ETA: Brillianteering isn't necessarily a *bad* thing: once upon a time WF created a line of crown-painted ACAs (it's long gone now), EightStar specializes in the same... here's an old thread wherein Garry explains how pav painting could make a stone with undesirable proportions look brighter [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/gia-brillianteering-of-the-half-facets.45748/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/gia-brillianteering-of-the-half-facets.45748/[/URL] In your case the proportions are just fine so IMO it's safe to assume the goal was to meet that 1ct mark but crown isn't particularly shallow so slight crown-painting wouldn't necessarily be detrimental...

GOG tutorial: http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/NewCutGrading/PaintingAndDiggingDugOutGirdle/
GIA article (see pg10): http://ec2-54-225-102-178.compute-1.amazonaws.com/diamondcut/pdf/booklet_finish_culet_girdle.pdf

It's a popular size/colour/clarity so odds are it's a trade-in and hasn't been sitting on a shelf for several years. The concern with older reports on "popular" types of stones is that the report represents the condition of the stone at the time it was issued - wear and tear, careless setting jobs, etc. may have marked the stone since then. If you decide to purchase I recommend getting it independently appraised prior to setting (within the return period!) to confirm current condition.

 

[ShinySearcher]

Thank you for all the great insight.

This stone did sparkle much better then others in side by side in Leo H store but outside it seemed a little flat.

I havent seen to many stones outside. This was a grey cloudy day out. Should it still be really sparkly in those conditions or look just more clear?

Thanks again for your input.

 

[JulieN]

How sparkly your stone is depends on the light source. diamonds look different inside and outside.

 

[Karl_K]

painting/digging that is enough to drop a stone down to VG is going to have a visual effect.
If that effect is enough to worry about is a question that cant be answered without knowing what kind, where and how much.

In my opinion a GIA VG with crown only painting just over the cutoff with the right crown angle can be a decent tradeoff vs cost when going for size if they are properly priced.
It is not easy finding them however.
The problem is different crown angles can handle different amounts of painting/digging with min. ill effects but GIA has a blanket cut off point for all crown angles.

The big problem is without an IS/ASET image or 3d scan file we cant tell you what kind or how much it has been painted/dug.

A diamond in that lighting should look bright with a play of light across the stone as you move it with on/off flashes of white light sometimes with some fire if it catches a bright bit of light.
Over painting or digging can result in the on/off flashes of light being muted and it looks like a white blob or flat.
Crown only painting just over the limit will have fewer off/off flashes but there are enough it still looks great and many people would not notice or mind if they did which is why they can be a value if everything else is in the right range.

 

[ShinySearcher]

Thank you, I think this stone looked a little flatter then it should in outdoor lighting. The store was willing to make a pretty good deal, and they stated that it had been in store for a while. I still couldn't get over how sparkly it was in their store. The lady said that's because of the cut quality and the small 54% table but she didn't seem to be as knowledgeable as the GIA specialist.

The onsite GIA specialist showed me the GIA textbooks when I went back and explained it all in pretty good detail with diagrams from GIA grading guides. They actually have a whole section on this process.

Stone I am currently looking at (online) is GIA 0.98 (6.48 -6.50 x 3.86) G, VS2, Ex, Ex, Ex, HCA 1.1, 59 table, 59.5 depth, 32.5 crown, 41 pavillion, no fluor, 3.5% faceted. Its a GIA Dossier so there is no clarity characteristic plot but it is GIA VS2 so I am hoping its good clarity. The cert states "crystal, feather." So from the specs I feel like it should be great but I guess I wont know until I order it, I am just having hard time going through with online vendor.Any thoughts on this stone would be much appreciated.

Thank you for all your time.

 

[Karl_K]

59 table, 59.5 depth, 32.5 crown, 41 pavillion
This basic combo even considering the gia rounding can be a good combo images are needed to evaluate further to see face up optical symmetry and to verify everything.
However the larger table and flat crown is not conductive to a lot of life in the same lighting you found the other one deficient so I wonder if you would also find it flat if your in that typo of lighting a lot or in an office..
Some do love these combos but they are not for everyone and not everyone is sensitive to it but you might be.