calling all eightstar owners

[rosy]

Hi,
Does anyone own an Eightstar diamond in the color K or lower? If so can you please share with me if it appears white or not? The jeweler has assured me that it will look a few shades higher like a G color because of the cut & I want to know if this is true. I notice lately that a lot of eightstar diamonds are in the J K L range.
Thanks!

 

[Golden Oak]

IMO they do face up whiter.

What are you concerned about regarding the color?

Are you going to mount Eightstar right next to a diamond with less color and you are afraid that it will show?

Many people have a very hard time seeing the color from the face of the diamond. Just looking at the face it is hard to tell the color.

Good Luck,

Brian

 

[fxtrader151]

My wife wears Eighstar that is L color. She gets at least one compliment on it daily. No one has ever questioned the color and it is set in a platinum ring. It actually looks more white than most rings in our circle of friends and family but I do not know the color grades of these peoples rings.

Hope that helps

 

[diamond island]

I just bought 2 ct plus J color eightstar and setting it in platinum and no way can you tell it is an J vs G, H, I face up. I compared side by side this 2 ct J eightstar next to an H 0.5 ideal cut and face up there is no difference. Table down for sure there is a difference.

The setting will also make a difference, high set the J or L will show color from the pavillion. So a lower set or a crown that hides the sides may be better if you dont like seeing the color from the pavillion. I personally will not go lower than a J even in eightstar in platinum.

I honoestly think most of eightstars are in the J, K, L range is because of the cost of cutting. No body will buy them if they are all D, E, F, just not economically for the average consumer. But you certainly can get 8* in D, E, F just have to pay the price. I think 8* just has to sell as much as they can and keep a reasonable inventory. Cutting the lower color stones may be the only business model that works because of the cutting cost. I dont think people should judge 8* as selling poor quality stones just because their inventory has J, K, L. I certainly dont think that is the case and am not saying you mean that. Many times, they do cut D, E, F and people never know about them, these stones never make it onto their inventory list.

I personally think 8* looks much more brilliant, beautiful, eye catcher than the usual ideal cut, signature cut, Ikuma, Lazare, etc... The bigger pop of flashes of the 8* makes all the difference to me.

Just is just my 2 sense. I may be totally off.

 

[wookamtao]

I don''t agree it really face up few shades. My girlfriend has one eightstar J color VV-2. One day, we went to a store to compare with a hearts on fire diamond that is F color IF. I can instantly tell there is a big different in color. I am not sure because of the lighting or not. the hearts on fire is more brillant than my girlfriend''s stone. I think all those sale tactic is try to justify the high premium of eight star. I don''t think I would buy eight star that is K or L. Why bother to pay a huge cut premium for a poor quality stone.

 

[moremoremore]

Well, maybe I shouldn't respond b/c I don't have one but 4 whole grades better? They graded it a K for a reason...although I guess grading is done face down... I definitely understand that the brilliance of ideal cut stones will help to mask a bit of color...but 4 grades just sounds like a sales tactic to me.

I seriously doubt it will look four grades higher than an "ordinary" ideal H&A G...which we are told doesn't even look like a G...it looks like a D...then what does a D look like LOL

 

[luvmysparklies]

Date: 6/22/2005 7:31:55 AM
Author: wookamtao
I don''t agree it really face up few shades. My girlfriend has one eightstar J color VV-2. One day, we went to a store to compare with a hearts on fire diamond that is F color IF. I can instantly tell there is a big different in color. I am not sure because of the lighting or not. the hearts on fire is more brillant than my girlfriend''s stone. I think all those sale tactic is try to justify the high premium of eight star. I don''t think I would buy eight star that is K or L. Why bother to pay a huge cut premium for a poor quality stone.

I don''t agree that an 8*s is a "poor quality stone." The quality of the stone is outstanding with broad flashes of rainbow color. A beautiful stone. Ironically, HOF stones are more expensive than 8*s, though with the common knowledge that 8*s are on the expensive side, a person could miss this fact. I know because I have compared the prices of HOF and my and own an 8*.

I honestly do see warmth in my 8* (J-color) and I am sensitive to color, but I wouldn''t call it a poor quality stone because you''d expect to see warmth in this color range. If a person is comparing side by side a J color and and F you will see a difference (warmth).

Luv

 

[luvmysparklies]

Date: 6/22/2005 9:55:06 AM
Author: moremoremore
Well, maybe I shouldn''t respond b/c I don''t have one but 4 whole grades better? They graded it a K for a reason...although I guess grading is done face down... I definitely understand that the brilliance of ideal cut stones will help to mask a bit of color...but 4 grades just sounds like a sales tactic to me.

I seriously doubt it will look four grades higher than an ''ordinary'' ideal H&A G...which we are told doesn''t even look like a G...it looks like a D...then what does a D look like LOL

LOL! A Golconda maybe? Just kidding. But one other thing to consider is that all the color grades encompass a range. There are high, med. and low Gs. as with all the colors, so it is feasible that a well cut stone of a lower/warmer color can face up like a higher color depending on where in the range the higher colored stone falls...

Luv

 

[moremoremore]

I hear ya! But 4 color grades isn't realistic to me. But if people want to believe that their warmer stones face up like colorless ones of the same quality (great quality at that!), that's cool with me!

 

[strmrdr]

Lighting Lighting Lighting Lighting!
Did I say it enough?
In light conditions where all you are seeing is the fire/brilliance it is throwning off a lower color well cut diamond will appear pretty much the same as a higher color diamond of the same cut.
Take it into lighting conditions that take away the fire/brilliance and the difference becomes more visible.

 

[moremoremore]

jeweler''s lights are the devil

 

[wookamtao]

I don''t mean 8 star is a poor quality stone. What I meant is because majority of 8* are in K,L,M and SI range. Why bother to pay for a huge premium for those. I rather buy a D, E, F and IF or VVS-1 range, assuming the same cut premium I am paying for 8* if I ever buy one.

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 7/2/2005 4:32:01 AM
Author: wookamtao
I don't mean 8 star is a poor quality stone. What I meant is because majority of 8* are in K,L,M and SI range. Why bother to pay for a huge premium for those. I rather buy a D, E, F and IF or VVS-1 range, assuming the same cut premium I am paying for 8* if I ever buy one.

Many people buy these colors because they like them and others buy them because they are MUCH MUCH more affordable than the same size stone in a higher color. It is all about taste, and money.

Many love the warmer diamond colors for how rich they look, especially when set next to a colored gem. One of the most beauitiful EightStar rings I have ever seen is a large M-N colored EightStar set next to a beautiful green tourmaline, man it makes your heart beat faster with its beauty! It was made by a jeweler in California and worn as her personal ring. I suggest that anyone interested in a larger diamond, especially if it is too be worn with colored stones, consider looking at "lower" colored diamonds, even in to the X, Y Z range. These stone will have incredible warmth to add to the mix with your chosen color and may make your jewelry something truly unique.

Wink

 

[joycer]

Date: 7/2/2005 4:32:01 AM
Author: wookamtao
I don''t mean 8 star is a poor quality stone. What I meant is because majority of 8* are in K,L,M and SI range. Why bother to pay for a huge premium for those. I rather buy a D, E, F and IF or VVS-1 range, assuming the same cut premium I am paying for 8* if I ever buy one.

This post is NOT intended to knock anyone else''s opinion but rather to balance the opinion given here so that other consumers searching for a diamond don''t dismiss 8* diamonds on their search based on lowering color/clarity.

I''m not sure where this comes from but it seems that rather than knocking the cut quality of an 8* (which would be very hard to do) people jump to the conclusion that they are all low color/clarity stones to dismiss them. I don''t believe this is the case at all. I think people are shown an 8* and want one. They then present a budget to their 8* dealer and they in turn show them an 8* that fits in the budget. Given the premium, most people WILL HAVE TO DROP color/clarity grades vs. other very beautiful H&A diamonds. The fact that they are willing to drop color/clarity should tell you that they are at least worth seeing. I don''t know what type of premium you were told they have, but you certainly won''t be trading a D,E,F and IF or VVS1 for a K,L,M and SI 8*.

Another thing which is a hot topic on the forum is whether they are worth the premium vs H&A diamonds. That is something only your eyes can tell you, but before you think that the cost should exclude them immediately, consider this. HOF are H&A diamonds with lots of marketing attatched to them. They, like 8* command a premium. Since these two are in a similar ball park, price is not the determining factor in choosing one from the other. It has been said many times though that given the premiums for each, people would choose an 8* over HOF (H&A). That doesn''t change the fact that an 8* is more expensive than many other types of H&A diamonds which are also very beautiful, it should just tell you again, that they are worth looking into.

With that being said, I was an 8* owner (now my fiance is an 8* owner!). I decided to go with 8* for a few reasons many of which apply to other types of H&A diamonds, but paying the premium for an 8* also guaranteed all of them for me. I did buy into their marketing that they cut until the diamond has reached the level of perfection and beauty that only they achieve everytime. I can see it in the Firescope image and the fire that I''ve yet to see any other diamond match and along the way I saw the Lazare Kaplan diamonds, ideal cuts, H&A, unbranded H&A, and HOF diamonds. Whether you can see it or not, I know that my fiance now wears the best cut diamond money can buy and that the hair splitting and uncompromising quality that went into making her diamond parallels the way I feel about her. The cutting process is like creating a work of art and the labour limits production, making them a very rare diamond. To me that was worth more than color I couldn''t distinguish between or clairty which without a mircoscope and a dark-field illuminator I could not see. I know by now you''re wondering so I''ll tell you that it is an H SI1. The GIA certificate shows that there are two twinning wisps which give it the SI1 grade (no other inclusions) and given the nature of twinning wisps, I don''t think your eyes could tell it from any other diamond with higher clarity without a microscope and dark-field light. You will notice the difference when you see it sparkle though.

I worked with Wink (who has responded to this topic) to get my 8* and he comes highly recommended by myself and other pricescope members. He even has a fan club on Pricescope! He also has regular (infinty brand) H&A you can compare them against if your ever in Boise. One thing I can tell you is that if you don''t like the "thought" of lowering the color or clarity to fit your budget, you may be surprised to see that there''s not much difference to be seen to meet your budget. The "thought" of anything lower than F or VS2 made me shudder, but after I saw it in the flesh, I could have easliy done a J SI2. Again this is something not unique to 8* but before you hear from either side, you should just go out and see one for yourself.

-joycer

 

[lawmax]

Here is a copy and paste of an old post I made:

http://www.pricescope.com/forum/topic1058.html=

"Hi rodentman,

EightStars do face up very white. Are you going to mount the diamond in yellow gold or platinum? Why not ask your jeweler to drop the EightStar into a temporary mounting so you can see how it looks. I love the EightStars in the lower colors...their fire is amazing. The president of EightStar, Richard von Sternberg, wears a K colored EightStar that is the most beautiful diamond I have ever seen.

Here is a transcript on this topic:

June 23rd 1999 GIA SYMPOSIUM
In reply to a question from the Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Goldberg said, "
When I first came in here, Mr. Von Sternberg showed me a diamond." Turning
to Richard he says, " Can I see that diamond please?"

Mr. Goldberg: "I said, ' I love it! I love it with a passion! It has such
brilliance!'" Richard said, " What color do you think it is?" Mr. Goldberg:
" I said, ' Well, it's deeply set, but it looks like an H or an I.'"
Richard, " I've got a surprise for you it's a K." Mr. Goldberg, addressing
the entire audience of 700 people, " Now you keep on talking about colorless
diamonds. I don't need colorless diamonds only. I need BRILLIANT diamonds,
and I hope if you ever can increase your production, to sell it to us. I
would like to be one of your customers."

(Some of you may recall William Goldberg from the National Geographic
Documentary as the most famous site holder in the world, his slogan is "The
Magic is in the Make". Goldberg professes to have never sold a diamond he
has not personally felt was beautiful.)>

There are a number of consumers who chose to buy I and J color EightStars over other brands. I may be able to ask them to speak with you if you would like that.

Happy shopping,

lawmax

"

Hope that helps. BTW, rodentman went on to buy that EightStar and had the FireScope image tatooed onto his arm!

 

[rodentman]

I think that was the first post I made on PS. Yes, I bought that EightStar, lost it a couple of years later, got the insurance $ and bought another J EightStar and am extremely pleased. I had it set in a setting that I had bought in the late 1970''s, a long story.

The tattoo is doing fine as well! Thank you for remembering the Rodentman.

 

[RockDoc]

Hey RM

You lost your 8*? Well glad you had insurance to get another.

Hope you''re doing well.

Rockdoc

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Mr Goldberg was not MC.

Chaim Evan Zohlar from IDEX was as I remeber.
(No big deal)

 

[rodentman]

Yeah, lost the EightStar ring. Hve no idea to this day where or how. Never found it. But it was fully insured and I replaced it with one virtually the same as the first, .54 VVS2 J.

 

[lawmax]

Garry,

The quote reads, "In reply to a question from the Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Goldberg said..."

lawmax

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

You are of course correct LM (as always

)
And welcome back RM

 

[Kamuelamom]

Date: 7/3/2005 12:23:54 PM
Author: rodentman
The tattoo is doing fine as well! Thank you for remembering the Rodentman.

Well helloooooooooooo RM!

 

[lawmax]

Date: 7/4/2005 2:44:26 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
You are of course correct LM (as always

)
And welcome back RM

LOL Garry!

And don't you forget it!!!

It's a Virgo thing.

Now we need a photo of Richard's diamond. It is amazing how the flashes from that diamond can be seen all the way at the back of a conference room as some industry insiders saw last summer. That diamond is endlessly entertaining. I've been lucky enough to be able to hold it and stare at it for a few minutes. Only the American Star was more amazing. Holding that and gazing into it took my breath away for a moment!

"Life isn't measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away." ----Anon

That was a time I'd like to repeat!!!

lawmax