Cut Cornered Square Step Cut

[princessandthepear]

While trying to decide between the biggest emerald cut I could afford on my budget and an asscher, I came across a cut cornered square step cut. It has a rather quirky appearance. It is not a Royal Asscher nor do I believe that it is a copy of one. But to be on the safe side, how do I determine that it is indeed a vintage asscher and not a copy of a RA?
The link to it is: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/1.11-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-6618330
No luck with looking up the inscribed number. I requested an ASET but didn't think of asking for a Sarin report. This is the ASET.
What is your impression and thoughts on this diamond @Karl_K, @Matthews1127, @OoohShiny. Please tag anyone who you believe would have an interest in this topic. TIA for your input.

 

[Karl_K]

It is either a RA or its a clone since it was originally graded by igi I would say clone..
There is 0 chance of it being vintage but is most likely a trade in.
It is very well cut.

 

[princessandthepear]

Thank you for your response, @Karl_K. Should I not purchase it , if it is a clone? I do not want to do anything illegal. What would one expect the performance of this stone to be? Small flashes or a bowl of white light? I remember reading in an old thread that you did not care for these IRL. What exactly did you not like.

 

[Karl_K]

Thank you for your response, @Karl_K. Should I not purchase it , if it is a clone? I do not want to do anything illegal. What would one expect the performance of this stone to be? Small flashes or a bowl of white light? I remember reading in an old thread that you did not care for these IRL. What exactly did you not like.

There is nothing illegal about buying it.

Technically a RA is a competitor to Octavia so I cant comment other than to say there is nothing wrong with them at one time they were not my preference but that was not because they were technically bad.
.

 

[princessandthepear]

Thank you. I knew nothing about CCSSCs until last night and the information is still being processed. Please forgive me as I did not mean to put you on the spot.

 

[Karl_K]

Thank you. I knew nothing about CCSSCs until last night and the information is still being processed. Please forgive me as I did not mean to put you on the spot.

Its all kewl.
Feel free to ask me anything diamond related and I will say when I can't answer. Not a big deal.

 

[diamondhoarder]

While trying to decide between the biggest emerald cut I could afford on my budget and an asscher, I came across a cut cornered square step cut. It has a rather quirky appearance. It is not a Royal Asscher nor do I believe that it is a copy of one. But to be on the safe side, how do I determine that it is indeed a vintage asscher and not a copy of a RA?
The link to it is: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/asscher-cut/1.11-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-sku-6618330
No luck with looking up the inscribed number. I requested an ASET but didn't think of asking for a Sarin report. This is the ASET.
What is your impression and thoughts on this diamond @Karl_K, @Matthews1127, @OoohShiny. Please tag anyone who you believe would have an interest in this topic. TIA for your input.

I cant comment on the Royal Asscher question, but I am wondering about the video of the diamond as compared with the ASET. In the video it looks as though there is more brilliance through the crown facets and there doesn't seem to be so much under the table (to my eye anyway). But the ASET suggests that there should be strong light return right across the diamond. So in my mind the video and the ASET seem to be telling a slightly different story???

 

[princessandthepear]

@diamondhoarder, I agree with you. I was not expecting the ASET to be bright under the table. It was a pleasant surprise when the ASET arrived. It will be interesting to see it in hand to find out what its true personality is.

 

[diamondhoarder]

I hope it wows you in person!

 

[Karl_K]

In this case, red next to blue in ASET then over obstruction in the video. Where the "blue range" would be oversized if you color coded the video lighting.
Red is a range and red next to blue can react differently than red next to green or red from the middle of the red zone.
The way MRBs work its not that critical but for step cuts it can be.
A MRB has less variation in where it draws light than a step cut.
3 zones really is not a good fit for step cuts but it is what we have,,,,,

A mrb has 2 pavilion angles main and lowers.
This stones pavilion has 10 different angles. 5 windmill and 5 body.

 

[Matthews1127]

I agree with @Karl_K: not vintage. Not RA, but def. similar.

Took some stills of the stone, in motion.
Quite honestly, I’m not surprised the ASET shows brightness under the table; look at how lit up the center is at all angles.
I believe you’ll notice contrast under the table, but I’d be surprised if you’ll notice any dead steps or darkness in most lighting environments.
Very white for an H, and super crisp clarity.
I think you may have found a very beautiful “imitation RA”.
Very exciting!!!
Can’t wait to learn what you think of it, IRL!!!

 

[OoohShiny]

This looks an interesting stone!

I would agree with earlier comments re: being surprised by the ASET vs the video - perhaps the video just is showing limitations of (likely) light-tent photoshoots by a large number of staff attempting to use a standardised setup.

An RA would be 3c/5p faceting, wouldn't it? I can't tell how many this has from the video, annoyingly.


I would note, though, that (to my eyes) it looks like the top-right corner of the table seems to be 'out of square'? It might just be an optical illusion or the stone being slightly tilted, but to me it looks like that corner is further out than the other corners?

I'm not sure it's an issue if it is, as it still performs very well, and it's nice to have a stone with 'character', especially if it performs like a branded cut but at a generic price tag!

In this case, red next to blue in ASET then over obstruction in the video. Where the "blue range" would be oversized if you color coded the video lighting.
Red is a range and red next to blue can react differently than red next to green or red from the middle of the red zone.
The way MRBs work its not that critical but for step cuts it can be.
A MRB has less variation in where it draws light than a step cut.
3 zones really is not a good fit for step cuts but it is what we have,,,,,

A mrb has 2 pavilion angles main and lowers.
This stones pavilion has 10 different angles. 5 windmill and 5 body.

Interesting!

So, in theory, one could/should consider developing a 'step-cut ASETscope' with 5 bands of colour rather than 3??

 

[Karl_K]

So, in theory, one could/should consider developing a 'step-cut ASETscope' with 5 bands of colour rather than 3??

Adding more zones would make it very hard to interpret for a non-expert.
ASET + vid is good enough to say look at it in person or not.

 

[ringo865]

I kinda want this stone

 

[Karl_K]

This looks an interesting stone!

I would agree with earlier comments re: being surprised by the ASET vs the video - perhaps the video just is showing limitations of (likely) light-tent photoshoots by a large number of staff attempting to use a standardised setup.

An RA would be 3c/5p faceting, wouldn't it? I can't tell how many this has from the video, annoyingly.

yes 3c/5p which it is.
The light tents are designed around MRBs just like ASET.
The are way over obstructed with limited light zones.
Even the best video just gives you an idea if it has a high probability of passing the eye test.

 

[princessandthepear]

Let me see if I have this straight. An ASET is a static image. If one were to rotate the diamond and take an ASET, the color fields would change. The changing color fields would play a role in the scintillation. Am I on the right track?

 

[Karl_K]

Let me see if I have this straight. An ASET is a static image. If one were to rotate the diamond and take an ASET, the color fields would change. The changing color fields would play a role in the scintillation. Am I on the right track?

Basically yes, but the 3 zones are not enough to give a good picture of scintillation.
Real video is somewhat better but does not show what your eye will see, most people have 2 eyes and the camera provides deeper and often more obstruction than your face and real world lighting is more complex..
Basically both are an indication of what you might see, not a picture of what you will see.

 

[OoohShiny]

Let me see if I have this straight. An ASET is a static image. If one were to rotate the diamond and take an ASET, the color fields would change. The changing color fields would play a role in the scintillation. Am I on the right track?

An example of tilt-ASET from diagem!
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-code-name-mildred.236249/page-6#post-4337522

I personally feel it would be useful if there were more of them, but I appreciate it's hard enough work getting 'standard' ASETscope images... lol

 

[princessandthepear]

Could someone suggest some videos to that I could view to get an idea of what to expect from this diamond? I have had a square emerald cut in the past but realize this is not the same cut nor am I expecting an Octavia on my Kool-aid budget.
Thank you for your assistance.

 

[ringo865]

Rhinos school of rock in YouTube has tons of diamonds comparison videos. Not sure specifically re asschers vs emeralds vs square steps. But yah that is definitely a rabbit hole worth going down

 

[princessandthepear]

The diamond arrived yesterday. I was unable to open the package until 11:30pm last night. It is a different flavor of asscher than I have seen before. It has rainbow pin fire dots scattered around the edges and windmills. My cellphone was unable to capture the colored dots They appear white in the pics. It is also extremely reflective and I can see the slats of my four poster bed and the light fixture reflecting in the table. The pink hue is due to the cellphone case. Please forgive the poor photos. This diamond deserves much better.

 

[Karl_K]

sounds yummy

 

[diamondhoarder]

The diamond arrived yesterday. I was unable to open the package until 11:30pm last night. It is a different flavor of asscher than I have seen before. It has rainbow pin fire dots scattered around the edges and windmills. My cellphone was unable to capture the colored dots They appear white in the pics. It is also extremely reflective and I can see the slats of my four poster bed and the light fixture reflecting in the table. The pink hue is due to the cellphone case. Please forgive the poor photos. This diamond deserves much better.

That looks really bright and beautiful! And against the dark background it looks like there is no leakage at all?!?

 

[Heathcat24]

Ohhhhhhh!!! That's such a PRETTY stone!!! I can see the colored dots! Keep snapping (and posting) pics!

I have trouble getting good pics of mine, too. My little W-X is such a FUN, sparkly stone in person. Photos don't do it justice at all! So, I can imagine how gorgeous yours is!

 

[princessandthepear]

Thank you for your kind words. I think your asscher is truly gorgeous! As far as leakage, If I look directly at it I see none. If I tilt it, then some appears.

 

[princessandthepear]

@Heathcat24, Thank you and I feel your pain about trying to photograph your asscher. Does it throw off pastel flashes from the steps? It looks like it would! I love the low colors and light yellows. What do you think of your Ivy and Rose halo setting?

 

[Heathcat24]

@Heathcat24, Thank you and I feel your pain about trying to photograph your asscher. Does it throw off pastel flashes from the steps? It looks like it would! I love the low colors and light yellows. What do you think of your Ivy and Rose halo setting?

YES!!! It throws off a lot of pastel flashes, especially on the edges, and it honestly acts a lot more "brilliant" than my engagement ring asscher...

I LOVE my Ivy & Rose setting! And the melee is sooooooo sparkly. It turned out to be a humdinger of a ring. My mom said it the "sparkliest" she's ever seen, so that made me really happy.

The only issue with it is that I can't put stacking bands with it, really. But there will be other right hand rings for that, right?!?

I can't wait to see what you do with yours!

 

[princessandthepear]

@Heathcat24 your diamond sounds delicious! The diamond won't get set for a while since the bling budget needs a long convalescence. I was thinking of a three stone ring with french cut flankers but that may not be workable. Anyway, it's always fun to scan IG and pinterest to search for ideas.

 

[Heathcat24]

@Heathcat24 your diamond sounds delicious! The diamond won't get set for a while since the bling budget needs a long convalescence. I was thinking of a three stone ring with french cut flankers but that may not be workable. Anyway, it's always fun to scan IG and pinterest to search for ideas.

I'm saving up for (hopefully!) a starter ACA at the end of the year. And I am totally living vicariously through everybody else here until then. The problem is that I see so many other things I NEED!

I can't wait to see how you set it. I really do think it is a phenomenal stone and I think a three stone with French cuts would be DIVINE!

 

[princessandthepear]

I purchased the lens kit that @elle_71125 recommended in one of her posts. Thank you for the recommendation. The diamond is in diffuse light with no additional lighting and nothing adjusted on my cellphone except zoom to focus the pics.




The lens kit is the xenovopro, I believe. you can find it on amazon for a very reasonable price. We should start a thread of macro photos of our diamonds. Is anybody in?