Does anyone not like the arrows in a H&A diamond

[DiamondGirly]

I''m not sure how crazy I am about the look of the arrows when the diamond is in the face-up position. I know the cut makes the diamond have improved optics but if you aren''t a diamond expert the arrows might look a little odd, no?

Just wondering if anyone else feels this way.


I saw a video on GOG''s website about how a slight change in the pavillion angles can make the arrows appear lighter...that I like.

Dark arrows:
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/2645/

Lighter arrows:
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4368/

 

[cectra79]

I personally like the arrows. You have to keep in mind that you''ll never be able to see them as clearly as you do in these pictures. The stone is a lot smaller. It''ll have great scintilation and fire with the arrows. Have you seen these stones in person?

 

[Maisie]

You won''t see the arrows all the time. They are never as pronounced as you see them on the close up photos. I do like it when I can see them though.... I love my diamond!

 

[lisamarie]

My diamond looks exactly like the second photo of the lighter arrows:
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4329

In person, it''s not that easy to spot the arrows. You have to be looking at the diamond perfectly straight. If you''re just a smidge off, you lose it. Here are my photos of the diamond so you can see what I''m talking about. I have a weird, not quite straight shot of the arrows here:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-mini-photo-shoot-before-my-gog-beauty-goes-to-leon.84845/

 

[DiamondGirly]

Date: 5/9/2008 3:16:39 PM
Author: lisamarie
My diamond looks exactly like the second photo of the lighter arrows:
http://goodoldgold.com/diamond/4329

In person, it''s not that easy to spot the arrows. You have to be looking at the diamond perfectly straight. If you''re just a smidge off, you lose it. Here are my photos of the diamond so you can see what I''m talking about. I have a weird, not quite straight shot of the arrows here:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-mini-photo-shoot-before-my-gog-beauty-goes-to-leon.84845/

I saw a thread with your diamond in it the other day and I really liked the look of it. In fact, it''s the reason I created the topic. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Lynn B]

Ditto the above, be sure you see a true H&A stone IN PERSON before you decide you don''t like it. What you see here in PS''ville, with the 40x mag, static photos is really not representative of real life. Trust me on this!

For me? Mmmmmmmmmmmm, I love the arrows. Catching a glimpse of them with the light and color playing off of them... oh, *swoon!* It''s like my happy little secret!

 

[butterfly 17]

I love the arrows, but I think I like the thinner arrows, not the thicker ones. I love the symmetry. IRL you really won''t see them all the time, but I do love knowing that I have them and I love angling my diamond a certain way to find them.

 

[diamondringlover]

You know this is interesting, I have been thinking the same thing, I am not sure I like them, BUT, I have never seen them in person, I think I would need to actually look at a diamond with them before I would make a decision....

 

[MoonWater]

Strangely I can see my arrows rather clearly even though my stone is only a .90. I enjoy looking at them. It''s actually a bit of a distraction when I should be focusing on other things. I just think it''s cool. But everyone else thinks I''m crazy when I start talking about arrows in the diamond (they never heard of H&A stones). *sigh* oh well.

 

[strmrdr]

When they are too big or too bold I think they give the diamond a dark look.
I can''t stand 8* for that very reason but love my wifey2b''s gog h&a.

 

[Sharon101]

I love this topic and can relate to every viewpoint. I do think its cool from a technical viewpoint and I love the science behind it. Maybe it looks cooler in the smaller sizes, but the very big h&a somehow are a distraction for me. I love more of a surprise sparkly random looking diamond with no pattern, I do like the crushed ice look, and even a lively pin point sparkle diamond. So maybe some people are just less into order and more into chaos!!!!! By all means I prefer the lighter h&a.

And finally, Im fickle, so it wouldnt surprise me if one day I just fall in love and have to have one!!!!

 

[tberube]

I actually don''t really like the arrows, either, which is one of the reasons I don''t prefer RBs. I definitely can appreciate their perfect optical symmetry and the artistry behind cutting such superideal diamonds, but they''re not really my cup of tea. Something about the arrows (and the numerous tiny facets that don''t let you "see into" the diamond) seems somewhat too perfect, too contrived, for my easygoing, artsy, organic sort of personality.

In other words, I sort of agree.

However, Maisie is right when she says you won''t always see them.

 

[purrfectpear]

I wouldn't kick one to the curb, but I wouldn't pay extra for them either. If they are dark, they just read "busy" to my eyes. I have a non-branded RB that shows arrows at the right angle. My preference is for OMC, Emerald, Cushion, or Pear cuts

BTW I saw a photo on eBay the other day with arrows photoshopped (badly) onto the pic of the stone

 

[surfgirl]

I dont care for arrows at all. I suppose that's why I have an antique cut, I get the round without the spikey arrows, which suits my eye. It's all subjective really.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 5/9/2008 9:39:42 PM
Author: surfgirl
I dont care for arrows at all. I suppose that''s why I have an antique cut. It''s all subjective really.

I generally prefer antique rounds too. Don''t think I''ve seen a true H&A in person though. But I''ve never really been drawn to the headlight kind of brilliant rounds period ... wellllllll ... I mean in e-ring sizes. I''d love studs or a DBY type necklace ... and I certainly like the teensy ones in pave ... so ...

 

[Dreamer_D]

In person you cannot see arrows... the dark black you see in pictures is something to do with the way a camera catches light compared to how the eye catches it. In person, you see silver/rainbow colored lines occassionally but they look really really cool. All you see face up on an ideal RB is sparkle (though mine is not a "true" H & A, it still has arrows in pictures and in the idealscope).

 

[risingsun]

The more precisely the diamond is cut, the more likely you will see the h&a effect. The stone may not be marketed as such, but it is an artifact of a well-cut, modern RB. I love the look and have an ACA. For folks that don't, step away from ideal cut diamonds or those very faint, silvery arrows may quietly pierce your heart

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/10/2008 12:20:10 AM
Author: risingsun
The more precisely the diamond is cut, the more likely you will see the h&a effect. The stone may not be marketed as such, but it is an artifact of a well-cut, modern RB. I love the look and have an ACA. For folks that don''t, step away from ideal cut diamonds or those very faint, silvery arrows may quietly pierce your heart

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 5/10/2008 6:50:44 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 5/10/2008 12:20:10 AM
Author: risingsun
The more precisely the diamond is cut, the more likely you will see the h&a effect. The stone may not be marketed as such, but it is an artifact of a well-cut, modern RB. I love the look and have an ACA. For folks that don''t, step away from ideal cut diamonds or those very faint, silvery arrows may quietly pierce your heart

those make my heart sing, look at Ellen''s avatar, we can see those silvery arrows. Close your eyes out there. hehe

 

[arjunajane]

I have absolutely fallen for H&A diamonds and from what I''ve seen in some of the amazing photos here, you can''t beat it when the sun lights up the silvers, pinks, blues and everything else in the arrows. My PoH is 0.7 so the pattern isn''t as distinct, but its there and i love it. I can''t wait to get my larger RB so I can enjoy them all the time.
The only downside is now I am not so fond of traditionally faceted RB''s, which are the stones in my ering. Don''t get me wrong, I still adore my ering and always will but I much prefer the bold fire that comes from a true H&A.
I agree with the others, in the photography you see on websites such as GOG, the black arrows are due to head or camera obstruction and the diamond will not ever look like that IRL. It''ll just sparkle baby!!

 

[Ellen]

One of the best places to see my arrows is out on my breezeway. I have tried several times to get a shot of what I see, the silvery aspect, but the camera just can''t capture it. This is the closest I''ve come, but they look white. They are at the 11 and 1 o''clock positions.

Please excuse the very dirty rings.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 5/9/2008 9:39:42 PM
Author: surfgirl
I dont care for arrows at all. I suppose that''s why I have an antique cut, I get the round without the spikey arrows, which suits my eye. It''s all subjective really.

What do you mean Spikey arrows???

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

I don't love them at all, and probably because of that, I see them clearly! I bought ACAs because I wasn't confident. For me, they were a 'safe' choice in that I knew they would be well cut. Now, I'd go for antique cuts or other shapes, I think. I also like a little more fire at the expense of other aspects of performance, but I only learned that through comparing stones irl. When I first looked at diamonds, I believed I would like the opposite. I'm fickle!

I'm talking myself into an OMC here...


Jen

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

Initially, the more I read here on PS I was obsessed w/ H&A.

I keeped looking at mine and what do you know? It has H&A all on its own.

Now, I''m not so sure I like that obvious pattern - kinda distracting and prefer the generalized sparkles/fire/silver glass appearance all around.

Sometimes I see them sometimes I don''t so I''m on the fence.

 

[ericad]

Date: 5/9/2008 9:39:42 PM
Author: surfgirl
I dont care for arrows at all. I suppose that''s why I have an antique cut, I get the round without the spikey arrows, which suits my eye. It''s all subjective really.

+1. H&A is not my cup of tea. Antique diamonds can give you all of the same sparkle and fire (if not more) without the arrows. But it''s a very different look from modern RB''s, and not for everyone. Do you have the ability to see H&A stones somewhere in person? That''s what I would do - look at H&A''s, antiques, etc. in person and decide what facet pattern appeals to you more. A picture can''t capture what the eye sees when a diamond is in motion, so IRL the arrows of an H&A (like the checkerboard of an OEC) may not be as prominent as it seems.

 

[Tuckins1]

Diamondgirly, I know what you mean. I think the arrows are really neat looking, but personally I like the look of the thinner arrows better. I think when they are big they kind of make the diamond look chunky. However, I wdefinitely wouldn''t say no if someone was offering me a stone with thick or thin ones!!

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 5/10/2008 8:39:41 AM
Author: Skippy123

Date: 5/9/2008 9:39:42 PM

Author: surfgirl

I dont care for arrows at all. I suppose that's why I have an antique cut, I get the round without the spikey arrows, which suits my eye. It's all subjective really.

What do you mean Spikey arrows???

Skippy, to my eye, modern RBs look "spikey" - thinner spikey facets when looking into the stone. As opposed to antique cuts, which look "chunky" when you look at the faceting. That's how I describe the difference. For example, I actually perfer Ellen's above photo to her avatar because I dont see the arrows at all, I just see the faceting and it looks more random and chunky to my eye in that above photo..which I suppose is why I prefer antique cuts - I like the randomness of the facet patterning better. That's about as good as I can 'splain it...!

Date: 5/10/2008 10:46:58 AM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
I'm talking myself into an OMC here...
Jen

What?!? You need "talking into"? I'll give you a good talking into Missy..Just.Do.It! You know you wont be sorry...

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

LOL! I would sooooo love to have one.

Might need to save a little cash first!

 

[Rhino]

Cool thread and a fave subject of mine.

Just some input regarding the video/photography... If you view the video DGirly is talking about (4th down on the video page) there is some general corellation between what I was able to capture and what you see in the photography. Shallower pavilion angles tend to make the arrows darker while pavilion angles at the 41.0 degree zone stand a greater chance of pulling light from around the observer rather than from the observer himself. You can see this reflected in some of the ASET imagery generated by the PGS results. In fact if you look at the ASET image generated on the link DGirly provided on the "lighter arrows" stone you''ll see three pavilion mains in the ASET image there as red (even though they photographed blue). Both are honies though but demonstrate slight nuances we see among top grade diamonds. There are also slight differences in fire/sparkle patterns between the two types as well that you can see in the vid. One other factor that can determine how dark or light those facets will appear is the individual''s focal length as they look into the face of the diamonds. People who have focal lenghts that are a very short distance to their eyes stand a much greater chance of seeing darkness and reflection of head/body obstruction while folks with longer focal lengths (mine is about a half to 3/4 an arms length distance) stand a greater chance of not seeing darkness. The focal length in the video is about the focal length of my own eyes and that of most general observers.

Peace,

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 5/10/2008 3:19:50 PM
Author: Rhino
Cool thread and a fave subject of mine.

Just some input regarding the video/photography... If you view the video DGirly is talking about (4th down on the video page) there is some general corellation between what I was able to capture and what you see in the photography. Shallower pavilion angles tend to make the arrows darker while pavilion angles at the 41.0 degree zone stand a greater chance of pulling light from around the observer rather than from the observer himself. You can see this reflected in some of the ASET imagery generated by the PGS results. In fact if you look at the ASET image generated on the link DGirly provided on the ''lighter arrows'' stone you''ll see three pavilion mains in the ASET image there as red (even though they photographed blue). Both are honies though but demonstrate slight nuances we see among top grade diamonds. There are also slight differences in fire/sparkle patterns between the two types as well that you can see in the vid. One other factor that can determine how dark or light those facets will appear is the individual''s focal length as they look into the face of the diamonds. People who have focal lenghts that are a very short distance to their eyes stand a much greater chance of seeing darkness and reflection of head/body obstruction while folks with longer focal lengths (mine is about a half to 3/4 an arms length distance) stand a greater chance of not seeing darkness. The focal length in the video is about the focal length of my own eyes and that of most general observers.

Peace,

Jon
i love your ideal cuts by Tolkowsky

small tables, tall crowns,true H&A...