shape
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color
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Diamond studs recut by Brian Gavin - before and after

BlingDreams

Ideal_Rock
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Jul 12, 2015
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Earlier this year I began toying with trading in my diamond studs for better quality ones. They were a gift from DH and I was thrilled to have them, but couldn’t help a nagging feeling after a year or so (and lots of PS oogling :lol:) that they could be better. I reached out to Whiteflash about a trade-in but unfortunately they weren’t 3X, so it was a no-go. Someone suggested looking in to recutting them and that’s when things took off.

I know there are several vendors who offer recutting services but I felt most comfortable with BG doing them, even though they were the most expensive, because of their strong reputation for producing beautiful stones. As you’ll soon see, it was the right choice!

My diamonds are D/E color and eye-clean SI. However, apparently their imperfections were at places in the diamond that initially concerned Brian and he thought they might not be able to work on them without a greater risk of damaging/breaking the diamonds (and therefore unable to recut them). After very careful inspection, he decided it should be okay and the process began. For reference, the time between their receiving my diamonds to getting my recut analysis was about 2 1/2 weeks. For the actual recutting, I was quoted 6-8 weeks after payment was made and they came in right around the 6 week mark.

And finally, here’s what you’ve been waiting for. Instead of bombarding with tons of photos I put together four collages and then merged those in to two photos. It seemed the easiest way to show and compare the changes, and hopefully the text will still be readable! Note that the “before” and “after” specs have slightly different layouts, but the parameters align so you should still be able to compare them. If you want larger images of anything, just let me know.

Oh! The diamonds are currently on their way to AGS for grading and then they’ll be set in BG’s handmade white gold milgrained bezel settings (shoutout of thanks to all who helped with that decision :cool2:). I’m hoping to have my completed earrings within the next three weeks and will update this thread when they’re received.

First up! Summary is that it went from .913ct and 6.1mm to .842ct and 6.06mm. It also went from an HCA of 4.5 to a 1.0 :-o

F265F952-1CA3-4873-AA77-77A9D7B06631.jpeg

Next up is diamond #2. It went from .958ct and 6.25mm to .855ct and 6.12mm. It also went from an HCA of 2.4 to a 1.2 :dance:

3FA4CC12-B089-4EC8-AB6A-1A81C56C7ED9.jpeg

The last charts for you show the original specs, the anticipated results after analysis, and the actual results. As you’ll see, parts were spot on and others were off quite a bit. In the end though, it all worked out to my satisfaction and I’m sure I’ll be thrilled with them once I see them in person.

Diamond #1
4A60A1BD-B2B3-4A83-944E-79D8580FBA58.jpeg

Diamond #2
D2C54EDC-C73E-4750-8719-6D6E6CD27065.jpeg
 

m-2-b

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Beautiful recut results! So glad you went with the milgrain bezel settings! :appl:
 
Q

Queenie60

Guest
Very nice - look forward to seeing them set.
 

OoohShiny

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Apr 25, 2014
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Great post and a great result!

53% table should be nice and fire-y :))
 

Asscherhalo_lover

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Nothing better than a recut! I have no doubt they will be stunning after their makeover!
 

soxfan

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wow! that's awesome!
 

carbonfan

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Jul 12, 2015
Messages
1,080
Wow, that is awesome @ILikeShiny! What a difference a good recut can make. I am so excited for you and I cannot wait to see ear shots once you receive your new treasures!! :love:
 

tyty333

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Another amazing recut! Congrats ILikeShiny!
 

MissGotRocks

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Should be gorgeous! What a makeover!
 

BlingDreams

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Beautiful recut results! So glad you went with the milgrain bezel settings! :appl:

Me too m-2-b! I really was so torn, but after giving the official go-ahead for the milgrains I felt at peace about it, and when I woke up this morning I was excited for them to be done so I know I made the right choice for me =)2

Great post and a great result!

53% table should be nice and fire-y :))

That's what I'm hoping for! I've learned I'm more of a "fire" girl than a "white" girl... love those flashes of fireworks!!!

Another amazing recut! Congrats ILikeShiny!

Thanks tyty! I was pretty nervous going in to it because it IS risky, both in terms of if the diamonds will break or how the outcome will be, and thankfully it all turned out just fine :kiss2:

Should be gorgeous! What a makeover!

Thanks MGR! And I agree... what a difference. From mush to precision :lol:. We'll find out soon enough but it looks like they went from an AGS rating of 2 & 3 to AGS 0's :appl:.
 

HappyNewLife

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2,534
phenomenal results. Funny, your diamonds are a better size match now, even though diamond #2 took a bigger hit in carat weight/diameter. So that kind of works out?

I'd much rather lose some negligible mm in order to gain sparkle. BGD did a great job! They will look HUGE in bezels!
 

ac117

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Absolutely AMAZING results!!! You made a wonderful decision and I can't wait to see them once they're completed :appl::appl::appl:
 

ZestfullyBling

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BDG is awesome!!! Great choice going with them to re-cut. Looks divine!!! They never disappoint!!
Congrats:appl:
 

Emeraldsaremyfavorite

Brilliant_Rock
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722
Beautiful earrings and amazing results! Dream would be to have him custom cut an EC:love:
 

LLJsmom

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Congratulations on such a successful project. Kudos to bgd. They are awesome. I can’t wait to see the finished product.
 

SimoneDi

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@ILikeShiny thank you for sharing the details of your recuts! The end results are just stunning! I am so happy for you that BGD was able to recut them! I have also done multiple recuts with BGD and the results have always been awesome.

I can’t wait to see your new milgrain studs!
 

princessandthepear

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Thank you for posting the before and after stats. This whole recut process is a learning process. Your new earrings sound like they will be so fiery and lovely.
 

Maisie

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What a great way to compromise. You get to keep the gift from your husband while enjoying the diamonds at their full potential! I can’t wait to see photos of them when they are set!
 

gregchang35

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Sep 11, 2012
Messages
3,416
WOW! great result!
LOVE BGD milgrain bezel settings!!! they will make them even more wow!!!

can't wait to see them on your ears!
The wait is going to be tantalising!!!!
 
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Messages
2,496
Thank you for posting this. It's such an interesting process. And I'm glad to hear you're happy with your decisions to recut and then to go with milgrain bezels. They're going to turn out beautifully. Can't wait to see pics of the finished product!
 

Luce

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Jun 1, 2015
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So glad they were able to be recut! It sounds like the results should be gorgeous!
 

Gussie

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Awesome! I can't wait to see them set! Excited for you!
 

Matthews1127

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Earlier this year I began toying with trading in my diamond studs for better quality ones. They were a gift from DH and I was thrilled to have them, but couldn’t help a nagging feeling after a year or so (and lots of PS oogling :lol:) that they could be better. I reached out to Whiteflash about a trade-in but unfortunately they weren’t 3X, so it was a no-go. Someone suggested looking in to recutting them and that’s when things took off.

I know there are several vendors who offer recutting services but I felt most comfortable with BG doing them, even though they were the most expensive, because of their strong reputation for producing beautiful stones. As you’ll soon see, it was the right choice!

My diamonds are D/E color and eye-clean SI. However, apparently their imperfections were at places in the diamond that initially concerned Brian and he thought they might not be able to work on them without a greater risk of damaging/breaking the diamonds (and therefore unable to recut them). After very careful inspection, he decided it should be okay and the process began. For reference, the time between their receiving my diamonds to getting my recut analysis was about 2 1/2 weeks. For the actual recutting, I was quoted 6-8 weeks after payment was made and they came in right around the 6 week mark.

And finally, here’s what you’ve been waiting for. Instead of bombarding with tons of photos I put together four collages and then merged those in to two photos. It seemed the easiest way to show and compare the changes, and hopefully the text will still be readable! Note that the “before” and “after” specs have slightly different layouts, but the parameters align so you should still be able to compare them. If you want larger images of anything, just let me know.

Oh! The diamonds are currently on their way to AGS for grading and then they’ll be set in BG’s handmade white gold milgrained bezel settings (shoutout of thanks to all who helped with that decision :cool2:). I’m hoping to have my completed earrings within the next three weeks and will update this thread when they’re received.

First up! Summary is that it went from .913ct and 6.1mm to .842ct and 6.06mm. It also went from an HCA of 4.5 to a 1.0 :-o

F265F952-1CA3-4873-AA77-77A9D7B06631.jpeg

Next up is diamond #2. It went from .958ct and 6.25mm to .855ct and 6.12mm. It also went from an HCA of 2.4 to a 1.2 :dance:

3FA4CC12-B089-4EC8-AB6A-1A81C56C7ED9.jpeg

The last charts for you show the original specs, the anticipated results after analysis, and the actual results. As you’ll see, parts were spot on and others were off quite a bit. In the end though, it all worked out to my satisfaction and I’m sure I’ll be thrilled with them once I see them in person.

Diamond #1
4A60A1BD-B2B3-4A83-944E-79D8580FBA58.jpeg

Diamond #2
D2C54EDC-C73E-4750-8719-6D6E6CD27065.jpeg

This is remarkable!! WOW!! Thank you for sharing!! So informative & interesting!! BG did an unbelievable job!!
I can’t wait to see them set in the bezels!!
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Messages
58,547
They turned out great! :love: I am excited that you chose the milgrain bezel settings and look forward to seeing them!
 

Dancing Fire

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Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
Congrats, Beautiful pair! :love: BGD did an ex job!!. well worth the recut.
 

BlingDreams

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Jul 12, 2015
Messages
2,290
phenomenal results. Funny, your diamonds are a better size match now, even though diamond #2 took a bigger hit in carat weight/diameter. So that kind of works out?

I'd much rather lose some negligible mm in order to gain sparkle. BGD did a great job! They will look HUGE in bezels!

It's interesting... I never noticed the different sizes in the old pair. I read recently in another thread that most people can't see a size difference smaller than .2mm difference so maybe that's me too. Either that or I just didn't care to look :lol:

Absolutely AMAZING results!!! You made a wonderful decision and I can't wait to see them once they're completed :appl::appl::appl:

Thanks AC! I'm really glad it worked out too =)2

BDG is awesome!!! Great choice going with them to re-cut. Looks divine!!! They never disappoint!!
Congrats:appl:

Thanks! Yeah, I felt more comfortable with BG given all I've read about/seen from him over the years. I didn't want to be a guinea pig with one of the other cutters I'm not as familiar with.
 

BlingDreams

Ideal_Rock
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Messages
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Beautiful earrings and amazing results! Dream would be to have him custom cut an EC:love:

It'll be interesting to see if he gets into that line; I know he has an advert on his site for them, but I haven't seen any of the cuts in real life. Perfecting the step-cut design would be a dream for many of us!!!

Congratulations on such a successful project. Kudos to bgd. They are awesome. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

Thanks LLJ!

@ILikeShiny thank you for sharing the details of your recuts! The end results are just stunning! I am so happy for you that BGD was able to recut them! I have also done multiple recuts with BGD and the results have always been awesome.

I can’t wait to see your new milgrain studs!

You're welcome! I was pretty stunned too, especially when originally given the "before" photos :eek2::lol:. But to see them transform in to what will most likely be AGS0's is just incredible to me. I'm going to have ideal cut diamonds that are still the same diamonds my sweet DH originally gave me. Perfect outcome in my book :dance:
 

BlingDreams

Ideal_Rock
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Messages
2,290
Thank you for posting the before and after stats. This whole recut process is a learning process. Your new earrings sound like they will be so fiery and lovely.

It really is. And I appreciate your getting something out of it as that's the whole reason I took the time to put collages and comparisons together. When I was trying to decide whether to recut or not, I found very little information or examples on the process and it was unnerving; I only went on assurances from others that it would most likely be okay. But I wish I'd known how the process went, or just how off some of the estimates might be (because loss of carat weight was a big deal to me). At one point I got an update that said one of the diamonds might end up under .80 and I called a halt to things. I was okay losing up to about 1/10 of a carat, but they started at almost .93 and .96 so this was a BIG loss, and REALLY dropped their value. Brian got involved at that point to talk to the production team about what they were seeing and decided that no, it wouldn't drop below .8 and would still be at least 6mm (and he was correct). I think if you're going to go through this process you need to have a limit on what you find an acceptable loss and then a steely resolve to hang tight :mrgreen2:

What a great way to compromise. You get to keep the gift from your husband while enjoying the diamonds at their full potential! I can’t wait to see photos of them when they are set!

Thanks Maisie! And I agree... it really was the best outcome. It still kills me that he overpaid originally and that we probably could have had 2ctw ACA's for what he spent, but if I get hung up on that I'll always do this :wall: instead of this :love: for his kind initial gift. So now I have wee-bit smaller ACA-ish diamonds that will look like 2ctw thanks to the bezels :lol-2:

WOW! great result!
LOVE BGD milgrain bezel settings!!! they will make them even more wow!!!

can't wait to see them on your ears!
The wait is going to be tantalising!!!!

Thanks Greg! I'll post photos as soon as I have them!! For now I'm trying to distract myself with other thoughts or else I'll drive myself (and probably BGD) crazy with wondering how far along they are in the process :whistle:
 

BlingDreams

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Messages
2,290
Thank you for posting this. It's such an interesting process. And I'm glad to hear you're happy with your decisions to recut and then to go with milgrain bezels. They're going to turn out beautifully. Can't wait to see pics of the finished product!

Thanks AB! It really is interesting. I would love to see a time-lapse video of how they recut a stone. It has to be such a labor of love - especially starting with something that is messed up, and figuring out how to bring it to perfection (as much as possible).

So glad they were able to be recut! It sounds like the results should be gorgeous!

Thanks Luce!

Awesome! I can't wait to see them set! Excited for you!

Thanks ceg! Me too :lol:
 

BlingDreams

Ideal_Rock
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Messages
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This is remarkable!! WOW!! Thank you for sharing!! So informative & interesting!! BG did an unbelievable job!!
I can’t wait to see them set in the bezels!!

They really did. I keep going back to look at the transformations... especially the first diamond... and I'm just in awe. I think the change will be especially interesting as I've never seen an ideal diamond in person, so I really have never had anything to compare my studs to. I'm curious to see if I notice the difference immediately or if I'll have to study them. They were always bright white and twinkly imo, but very little fire. That's what I'm hoping to see a LOT of now :lol:

They turned out great! :love: I am excited that you chose the milgrain bezel settings and look forward to seeing them!

Thanks DS! I'm excited for the bezels too. The longer it's been since the decision, the more I'm glad that's the way the poll ended up.

Congrats, Beautiful pair! :love: BGD did an ex job!!. well worth the recut.

Thanks DF! I can't let myself do the math of how much the diamonds originally cost plus the cost of re-cut and setting minus current actual value or else I'll go :cry2:, so I'll just focus on the pretty, shiny aspect and go :appl: hahaha!
 
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