Can you re-cut a diamond???

[Chowking22]

Hi everyone! I have a quick question and that is whether you can re-cut a GIA reported round diamond. The reason I''m asking this question is b/c I was given one to mount on an engagement ring setting from my mom, but the ring doesn''t really sparkle. I went to a dealer and saw that their diamonds yielded more cuts and thus sparkled a lot more. The sales told me that all the color and clarity is not important but the the most important element is the cut. So is it possible to have the dull diamond re-cut or would I be better off buying a new diamond. I hope this makes sense. I''m still new to this. Thanks for all your attention and help!

 

[JulieN]

Most definitely.

I'd contact Bill Bray and Paul Slegers for pricing.

 

[Lorelei]

Also Wink Jones may be able to advise on a recut, he also works with Paul I believe on occasion. It may be well worth doing, you would need to resubmit it for a new GIA report after the recut if you wish.

 

[Chowking22]

after i have it recut is it possible that the value will go up? That is if it''s cut correctly...And who are these people that you recommended? Are they anywhere near San Francisco?

 

[tanalasta]

I think Paul may be based up at Antwerp but it really pays to be able to find a good cutter recomendation so you actually ''do'' end up with a stone that sparkles.
Unfortunately, you may lose carat weight in the process and this, more than cut quality - has an impact on the price. So the value of the stone may actually go down ... it''d be worthwhile having a chat to the cutters to see how much weight they predict you would actually lose.

However, if you''re not planning on selling your ring and want to turn an old stone into a new sparkler ... and want to pay for it ... then go ahead and also post some before and after shots!

 

[Lorelei]

You can contact Paul Slegers here http://www.craftedbyinfinity.com/contact_us.html Paul is based in Antwerp

Wink here http://www.winkjones.com/ is in Idaho.

Bill Bray here http://www.brayscore.com/

There is a chance the diamond might increase in value, but you need an assessment by the cutter to get an idea of the end result, if it would gain or lose, how much weight would be lost and what type of cut you wish to aim for. More weight may be lost if the diamond was cut to Superideal standards rather than a nice make, which will still look great but not have such exacting proportions perhaps. A cutter will be best able to advise you when he sees the diamond.

 

[ringplease]

My Grandmothers RB ring was re-cut and it looks AMAZING. It is from the early 1900''s I think and it was around 1.7 carats and it came down to about 1.5 but it looks fabulous. The last jeweler that looked at it was amazed by the brilliance score. So, in answer to your question, it can be done. However, you may lose a bit of carat weight. Just be ver choosy about where you go because it can be a tough process and you want to be careful with that family diamond!!!

Good Luck!

 

[Chowking22]

Thanks for all your replies so far. Just one more question...How can they assess the diamond? Will I be giving them the diamond? or pictures? or the GIA report?

 

[RockDoc]

Not every stone has the potential to be re-cut. Most can be, but there are some that could shatter or break during the cutter process.

There are issue of how much, if any stress/strain there is in the diamond.

How many inclusions there are that could "open"

What kind of inclusions there are? Can some be removed in the cutting resulting in a potentially higher clarity grade

How much crown and pavilion you have to work with ( if it is a shallow stone, then the weight loss may be far to great to make the recutting practical

What portion of the stone has the color? If the color is at the edge, the stone''s color grade may improve, and if color is in the core; then it might result in a lower color grade.

To determine this the stone will need analysis. Whomever you choose to help you, could advise you based on the visual examination.

Rockdoc

 

[swingirl]

I had Bill Bray recut my diamond and am very happy with the results. A cutter needs to see the stone to fully assess the amount of weight loss and projected outcome but they might be able to give you an esitmate by knowing the current numbers.

If you have an a poorly cut stone that you don''t want to wear or have reset then getting it recut into something nice and usable is the way to go. My stone lost a little tcw but looks so much nicer. Of course, your old GIA cert would not be valid anymore.

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 3/11/2007 5:35:47 AM
Author: Chowking22
after i have it recut is it possible that the value will go up? That is if it''s cut correctly...And who are these people that you recommended? Are they anywhere near San Francisco?

LOL! Too late you ask. Paul was actually in San Fransisco yesterday and is on a plane back to Antwerp at this time.

To answer your question. A poorly cut stone may sell for as much as 50-60% back of the Rapaport diamond report price list while a well cut stone may sell for full rap or even a little more in some sizes and qualities. (These are between dealer prices, your pricing will be slightly higher.)

So yes, a stone that is very poorly cut will definitely go up in price per carat value provided that you do not cross any major price boundry such as that between .99 and 1.00 cts or 1.49 and 1.50cts. Whether it will not be worth MORE than the original starting weight will depend on how poorly it was cut originally and how well it is cut now. If cut to true AGS 0 tolerances with a Hearts and Arrows symmetry chances are very good that it will not only be much more beautiful than it is now, but also more valuable.

If you want great cutting but are not worried about H&A perfection, then Bill Bray is a great guy to go to. Unless he has changed his policy he will not promise to cut for you a Hearts and Arrows, but he will cut you an incredible stone. If you want true AGS0 cutting with the H&A symmetry then Paul Slegers is a great guy to go to, although you will need to work through one of his vendors, there are several of them on this forum and I am not sure who is closest to you at this time. If you email him at [email protected] he can give you that information.

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 3/11/2007 8:40:26 AM
Author: Lorelei
You can contact Paul Slegers here http://www.craftedbyinfinity.com/contact_us.html Paul is based in Antwerp

Wink here http://www.winkjones.com/ is in Idaho.

Bill Bray here http://www.brayscore.com/

There is a chance the diamond might increase in value, but you need an assessment by the cutter to get an idea of the end result, if it would gain or lose, how much weight would be lost and what type of cut you wish to aim for. More weight may be lost if the diamond was cut to Superideal standards rather than a nice make, which will still look great but not have such exacting proportions perhaps. A cutter will be best able to advise you when he sees the diamond.

I should have just read further before responding, Lorelei said it better!

Wink

 

[Lynn B]

What''s the carat weight right now?

 

[Chowking22]

Thank you ALL for the replies. Its been really educational so far. You guys just know too much! Within the past few days I was given another option, and that was to trade in the diamond. Trading it will allow me to keep the tcw of the diamond and still get a fair value for it. I can''t really make the call unless I have the GIA report which was misplaced by my mom. It would be nice to have it evaluated by one of the cutters whether I can get a better diamond by re-cutting it or just trading it in for a better one. I will let you all know once the decision is made.

Lynn: the rock is somewhere around 2.2 - 2.4 cts