cut help?

[last]

Ok, so I understand color, clarity, and a decent bit of the b.s. that goes along with: different inclusions, flourescence and whatnot . . . but I''m getting a headache trying to get a grasp on all the cut percentages, etc. I know you don''t want a diamond that''s too shallow or too deep and that the objective is to get the optimal amount of light reflecting back at you, but are there average percentages that are good? I really need something to go by, so I don''t end up with a diamond that''s a great color and clarity, but won''t reflect light or might shatter or something.

Please help me.

thanks.

p.s. What does "H&A, 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, etc. mean? I saw that in the price stats section.

 

[bee*]

a lot of people use the cut adviser in the tools section above. Normally it''s great if it''s 2 or below. That adviser works for RB''s. Oldminer posted this the other day also which might help you

http://www.gemappraisers.com/oldcutgraderules.asp

 

[bee*]

Here's info about the hearts and arrows

https://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp

and I have this saved on my computer from a post Lorelei did before

depth - 60 - 62 ( although you can go deeper if all else is right, suggest a max of 62.6%)

table - 54 - 57%

crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval

pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further eval

girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

 

[Cleo]

Hello & welcome!

You are absolutely right to be concentrating on the best possible cut, to get amazing light performance from your diamond.

Lorelei has some ranges for angles and % for nicely cut stones which I am sure she'll post for you.

If you're looking to buy online, you can save yourself a headache & use the Holloway Cut Advisor to weed out any duff stones, simply by inputting the stats of each diamond.

If you want to make life easier still, just restrict your search to Whiteflash A Cut Above H&A stones

H&A = Hearts & Arrows stones. These are super-ideal cut diamonds with amazing levels of optical symmetry which exhibit a pattern of arrows when viewed from above, and hearts when viewed from below. (You can't see the hearts when the diamond is set though).

x x x

**Edited to add that H&A stones are available from other vendors too!*

 

[gwendolyn]

Doh, nevermind, bee-star beat me to it! (Was going to quote you again, lovely Lorelei!

)

If you want to post all the number you have, we'll be happy to help you, mate.

 

[last]

Thanks for the help, thusfar.

I don''t have any specific stats or any specific diamonds in mind. I''m shopping around (and probably won''t be buying off the internet, since I like to hold what I''m purchasing, especially when it isn''t cheap) . . . I just know I want something around .80- .90 ish weight for the center stone (sorry: I''m shopping for a three stone ring) and I won''t be buying anything that isn''t certified. I just need/ed help figuring out how exactly to know if the cut is good or not.

Buying jewelry is pretty much my nemesis.

 

[last]

Date: 2/20/2008 3:52:53 PM
Author: bee*
Here''s info about the hearts and arrows

https://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp

and I have this saved on my computer from a post Lorelei did before

depth - 60 - 62 ( although you can go deeper if all else is right, suggest a max of 62.6%)

table - 54 - 57%

crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval

pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further eval

girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

sorry. what''s the "getting a bit steeper=further eval" mean?

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 2/20/2008 4:15:11 PM
Author: last

Date: 2/20/2008 3:52:53 PM

Author: bee*

Here''s info about the hearts and arrows


https://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp


and I have this saved on my computer from a post Lorelei did before


depth - 60 - 62 ( although you can go deeper if all else is right, suggest a max of 62.6%)


table - 54 - 57%


crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval


pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further eval


girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

sorry. what''s the ''getting a bit steeper=further eval'' mean?

When diamond numbers fall into these categories, it means that the stone is going to look great--you can tell even before seeing it with your eyes. Round brilliants are cool that way. When it says a certain percentage would require further evaluation, it means that the stone still *could* look amazing, but it would depend on the exact numbers and how they relate to the other numbers. You''d have to see it with your eyes to tell if that look of that sort of cut worked for you.

 

[bee*]

Date: 2/20/2008 4:21:24 PM
Author: gwendolyn

Date: 2/20/2008 4:15:11 PM

Author: last

Date: 2/20/2008 3:52:53 PM


Author: bee*


Here''s info about the hearts and arrows



http://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp



and I have this saved on my computer from a post Lorelei did before



depth - 60 - 62 ( although you can go deeper if all else is right, suggest a max of 62.6%)



table - 54 - 57%



crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval



pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further eval



girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

sorry. what''s the ''getting a bit steeper=further eval'' mean?

When diamond numbers fall into these categories, it means that the stone is going to look great--you can tell even before seeing it with your eyes. Round brilliants are cool that way. When it says a certain percentage would require further evaluation, it means that the stone still *could* look amazing, but it would depend on the exact numbers and how they relate to the other numbers. You''d have to see it with your eyes to tell if that look of that sort of cut worked for you.

hehe you beat me to it this time gwendolyn!! We can take it in turns

 

[last]

Date: 2/20/2008 4:21:24 PM
Author: gwendolyn

Date: 2/20/2008 4:15:11 PM
Author: last

Date: 2/20/2008 3:52:53 PM

Author: bee*

Here''s info about the hearts and arrows


https://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp


and I have this saved on my computer from a post Lorelei did before


depth - 60 - 62 ( although you can go deeper if all else is right, suggest a max of 62.6%)


table - 54 - 57%


crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval


pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further eval


girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

sorry. what''s the ''getting a bit steeper=further eval'' mean?

When diamond numbers fall into these categories, it means that the stone is going to look great--you can tell even before seeing it with your eyes. Round brilliants are cool that way. When it says a certain percentage would require further evaluation, it means that the stone still *could* look amazing, but it would depend on the exact numbers and how they relate to the other numbers. You''d have to see it with your eyes to tell if that look of that sort of cut worked for you.

awesome, thanks. so when it says "shallower 40.5-40.9" what does the shallower mean? shallower than 40.5-40.9? I''m new to all this jargon and require lamens.

 

[bee*]

If you go about half way down this page, it has a couple of pictures that explain some of the angles in a great way

http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/Cut/Proportions/

 

[Ellen]

I''ll throw in just a tad more, in addition to all the great advice you''ve been given.

Stick to GIA and AGS grading reports. I''m giving you the link to a post by JohnQ, it''s a cheat sheet of sorts for GIA angles. They round them, so you don''t actually know the precise numbers. Some combos of crown and pavillion angles are more preferable than others. Second post down.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-i-think-i-have-been-taken.55849/page-2

Now, if you want to make it even easier, and safer in ending up with a decent stone, shop for AGS0 stones. They are graded for light performance, and take more of the guesswork out. You want to make sure it has a zero in light performance. (among other things)

HTH

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 2/20/2008 4:38:27 PM
Author: bee*
hehe you beat me to it this time gwendolyn!! We can take it in turns

The ultimate tag-team, bee-star and gwenneh! BOOYAH!

 

[last]

thanks a million everybody. you saved me hours of google research and diamond shaped migraines. any advice on good places to shop, other than the internet? from reading a bit of the posts, it seems alot of you are against chains, but just thought i''d ask.

 

[bee*]

Well I bought mine at Tiffanys so I can''t pass comment at buying at a chain but you will get much better value online. It would probably be useful though to call into a store and compare different colors and settings and see what you like and then you could always order online once you have a better idea of what type of stone and setting you''re after.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/20/2008 4:21:24 PM
Author: gwendolyn

Date: 2/20/2008 4:15:11 PM
Author: last

Date: 2/20/2008 3:52:53 PM

Author: bee*

Here''s info about the hearts and arrows


https://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp


and I have this saved on my computer from a post Lorelei did before


depth - 60 - 62 ( although you can go deeper if all else is right, suggest a max of 62.6%)


table - 54 - 57%


crown angle -shallower 34 - 35% getting a bit steeper = further eval


pavillion angle - shallower 40.5 - 40.9 or 41 getting a bit steeper= further eval


girdle thin to slightly thick, medium, slightly thin are all fine, avoid extremes such as thin to ex thick.

sorry. what''s the ''getting a bit steeper=further eval'' mean?

When diamond numbers fall into these categories, it means that the stone is going to look great--you can tell even before seeing it with your eyes. Round brilliants are cool that way. When it says a certain percentage would require further evaluation, it means that the stone still *could* look amazing, but it would depend on the exact numbers and how they relate to the other numbers. You''d have to see it with your eyes to tell if that look of that sort of cut worked for you.

Glad to help with the numbers. One thing I do want to emphasise is that towards the shallower and steeper ends of the crown and pavillion angles, make sure that further evaluation is done with these combos by an expert vendor and an Idealscope image, to make sure that these work well together.

For example steeper could be 35 crown angle and above, with a 41 pavillion angle and higher

Shallower 34 crown angle and below, and 40.5 pavillion angle and lower.

 

[gwendolyn]

There are quite a number of people who go to local jewelers; not ALL B&Ms have vastly overpriced goods. On this site, there''s a section you can go to look at PS recommended jewelers in your area, if you''d prefer that. As a general rule, I think people tend to recommend going into the B&Ms to get an idea of the colour or shape of diamond that they would prefer, and then shop around on the internet because it''s easy to share and compare prices that way, no matter where in the world you are.