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Diamond Brands

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Generacy

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 19, 2003
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3
Hi everybody! Great site you have here. Very informative. I think I''ve read almost all of the information in the tutorial, as well as on other sites, but just when I thought I was getting to know my stuff, things took a turn for the complicated in the high quality cut area. In particular, the brand name diamonds. I''m familiar with the categories of AGS000 and their class system, but where do all these brand names fit relative to each other? I''ve heard of 8Star, Superb Cert, and A Cut Above, and there certainly may be others that I''m not aware of. I take it that all these brands produce diamonds that reveal the H&A patterns, but where do they lie in quality amongst themselves? I''ve heard of varying degrees of ideal, but now we''re getting into varying degrees of super ideal, or perfection? I hope you can start to see why I''m getting so confused.

Also, I''ve read in this tutorial that H&A diamonds generally look better than AGS000, yet not all H&A diamonds are ideal cuts. So, from a purist''s perspective, is the cut requirements for H&A more stringent than for AGS000? Which class is a more reliable guarantee of a superior cut diamond?

Thanks in advance for the help.

- Generacy
 

Lugus

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 17, 2003
Messages
213
H&A is a pattern that occurs naturally in most well cut diamonds.

There are varying degrees of perfection when it comes to the hearts and the arrows.

AGS000 diamonds sometimes produce this, and sometimes do not.

Getting a H&A diamond is not a guarentee that you are getting a great diamond.

Regarding branded stones, I've decided that there are ACA stones that look better than Superbcerts and Superbcerts that look better than 8starts, and 8stars that look better than ACA stones. Getting one of these stones is a safe bet that you're getting a great stone, but getting a great branded stone is different than buying a great brand. I am a pround owner of a supbercert, and I think it's one of the bets cut stones ever.

I would look for a H&A stone before I looked for a AGS000 stone if I was shopping by cut.

Did I answer all the questions?
 

niceice

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 29, 2003
Messages
1,792
Each diamond must be evaluated on it's individual characteristics, not just it's brand name... Diamonds are not stamped out on a production line like car parts... Each diamond will display it's own visual properties based on the internal crystal structure, the inclusion type and location, the precision of cut, etc. and thus it is not a fair statement to say that Brand X is better than Brand Y simply because it is that brand or the other, each brand has inconsistencies within itself... Thus each diamond must be evaluated individually regardless of brand name... While an ACA might look better than a SuperbCert today, the comparison of two other diamonds produced by those companies on another day might result in the SuperbCert being selected over the ACA diamond that time. People should look past the brand names and look at the diamonds based on the individual characteristics of the diamonds available to them at the time of purchase... Similarily we have noticed that the presence of a Hearts & Arrows pattern does not guarantee that a diamond will perform better visually than a diamond cut within the same range of proportions... The angles the crown and pavilion have been cut to control this aspect more than the precise alignment of the facets which result in the Hearts & Arrows pattern.
 

Rank Amateur

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
1,555
CZs will display Hearts and Arrows (or a variant thereof).

The question is, "How particular are you?" If you don't want get mired in the details, buy an AGS 0 cut and/or an H&A and don't worry about it. It will surely be very pretty.

If you like to be really informed and buy the best of the best, or get a great deal on a well-cut sleeper, then this is the forum to read! Like audio equipment, there are degrees of greatness in each product and you need to sort out your preferences.

Be careful, though, it may start to keep you up at night!
1.gif
 

Generacy

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 19, 2003
Messages
3
Hahaha, it already has! Not from restlessness though, more from me staying up reading up on diamonds online. Thanks for the input everybody!

- Generacy
 

niceice

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 29, 2003
Messages
1,792

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On 3/20/2003 4:30:38 PM Rank Amateur wrote:
CZs will display Hearts and Arrows (or a variant thereof).

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SOME CZ's will display a Hearts & Arrows pattern... Most will not... There are a few brands that will exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of Hearts & Arrows but they are produced specifically to do so... Variants of Hearts & Arrows patterns can be found in almost any round brilliant cut diamond simply because the patterns are reflections of the facets on the stone... The arrows pattern being the reflection of the pavilion main facets on the underside of the stone and the hearts being the reflection of the kite shape bezel main facets located on the top half of the stone...

 
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