Confused about the definition of a H&A diamond

[Barticus89]

Hi folks,
I really appreciate all the honest and helpful comments and feedback on this site. Nice to see.
I''m wondering how a stone is classified as Hearts & Arrows? How does the Polish and Symmetry levels relate to this? Can a stone be let''s say, "Polish: Very Good / Symmetry: Very Good" and it still be a H&A? Or do they need to be "Ideal / Ideal"? If it had the VG/VG designation does that mean it''s not an "Ideal Cut" diamond? This can all be very confusing!!

Thanks in advance for your help and patience with someone who is still learning!

-Bart

 

[Rhino]

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On 5/18/2003 4

2:26 PM Barticus89 wrote:
Hi folks,
I really appreciate all the honest and helpful comments and feedback on this site. Nice to see.
I'm wondering how a stone is classified as Hearts & Arrows? How does the Polish and Symmetry levels relate to this? Can a stone be let's say, "Polish: Very Good / Symmetry: Very Good" and it still be a H&A? Or do they need to be "Ideal / Ideal"? If it had the VG/VG designation does that mean it's not an "Ideal Cut" diamond? This can all be very confusing!!

Thanks in advance for your help and patience with someone who is still learning!

-Bart----------------

Hi Bart,

Appreciate your questions and yes it can sometimes get a little confusing. Let me help clarify.

If a diamond is going to be referred to as an "Ideal Cut" diamond in the truest sense of the term then ALL ASPECTS of polish, symmetry and proportions must attain the highest grades given by that respective lab. So only diamonds that have attained (for example) AGS ideal proportions, polish & symmetry or GIA Ex/Ex polish/symmetry PLUS a Sarin/OGI analysis confirming ideal proportions can be referred to as true "Ideal Cut" diamonds.

Sometimes in the trade if a diamond has ideal proportions but not ideal polish/symmetry we'll loosely refer to it as an ideal cut, hence some of us use the term "triple ideal cut" to designate the fact that all of it's aspects (polish,symmetry & proportions) have attained the highest marks for it's respective grade.

In answer to your question "I'm wondering how a stone is classified as Hearts & Arrows? How does the Polish and Symmetry levels relate to this? Can a stone be let's say, "Polish: Very Good / Symmetry: Very Good" and it still be a H&A?"

It is "possible" though not probable. You see, traditional symmetry grading is performed on a point by point basis around the diamond making sure all facet points line up properly, centering of culet and table, etc. It's what I would refer to as an external analysis of symmetry the diamond is being inspected externally point by point around the stone.

Concerning H&A optical symmetry ... this is symmetry grading taken to a whole new level. This is symmetry grading on a 3 dimensional scale observing the diamond through certain optics to either confirm or deny the level of precision to which the diamond has been cut optically and on a 3 dimensional scale as opposed to a 2 dimensional scale. Proportions & symmetry ... the level of precision to which these aspects have been cut determine whether the diamond will attain the optical phenomena which we today know as Hearts & Arrows. Polish does not have a bearing on this. Over the course of the last 3 years I've witnessed diamonds with "good" polish attain the true H&A optical symmetry. Even branded stones.

This begs the question "Doesn't all AGS Ideal or GIA Ex/Ex with ideal proportions attain the optical symmetry of the H&A?" The answer to this is NO. External symmetry and proportion grading does not determine optical symmetry or the light output of the diamond. On this thread I just posted an example of a stone we called in to analyze that is a GIA Ex/Ex with "ideal proportions" and the stone is even being advertised as an H&A. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/h-a-inscribed-in-the-girdle.6683/}

Hope this helps.

Peace,
Rhino

 

[Barticus89]

Thanks so much for the info Rhino. Your detailed explanation helps a lot.
-Bart