Does Anyone Recut Smaller Diamonds?

[Andelain]

Hello, I have several diamonds between .35 and .75 that I bought before I learned what a diamond COULD look like. I'd like to send them all off to a recutter to see if any can be beautified. BGD doesn't like to mess with anything smaller than a carat, so I need another option. The stones are almost all round, but I'm open to either MRB or an older style, but with good light return. I'd love to have them all come back as AVR's.

Any suggestions?

 

[ac117]

I'm so happy you posted this Andelain! I've been wondering the exact same thing. I have a pair 1ctw of studs that I bought many years ago pre-PS and I'm sure they would be called dogs . I will get a new pair at some point, but until then I was hoping I could get them recut. I never started a thread because I feel like a lot of newbies get ignored so I will be following this thread closely in case someone has some suggestion! Wishing us both luck!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You can email Jon, but I think it's probably not worth the cost of cutting H&A or AVR in sizes smaller than a half carat and maybe even a carat. I'd consider it on a .75, though.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Hi Andelain,

Actions which are technically possible are not always economically sensible. This needs to be taken into account.

Re-cutting single diamonds below a certain size (and value) makes no sense in an' environment with high cost-of-labour. Even more, for us, analyzing, studying and preparing such stone takes just the same effort for a 4Ct-stone as for a 30-pointer. Logically, there is a value-level, at which our expertise becomes too expensive for the project.

Live long,

 

[Andelain]

Hi Andelain,

Actions which are technically possible are not always economically sensible. This needs to be taken into account.

Re-cutting single diamonds below a certain size (and value) makes no sense in an' environment with high cost-of-labour. Even more, for us, analyzing, studying and preparing such stone takes just the same effort for a 4Ct-stone as for a 30-pointer. Logically, there is a value-level, at which our expertise becomes too expensive for the project.

Live long,

I was afraid that might be the case, but was hoping maybe they could be improved without all the analysis necessary to make the larger stones so perfect.

Thanks for the info.

 

[denverappraiser]

Hi Andelain,

Actions which are technically possible are not always economically sensible. This needs to be taken into account.

Re-cutting single diamonds below a certain size (and value) makes no sense in an' environment with high cost-of-labour. Even more, for us, analyzing, studying and preparing such stone takes just the same effort for a 4Ct-stone as for a 30-pointer. Logically, there is a value-level, at which our expertise becomes too expensive for the project.

Live long,

I was afraid that might be the case, but was hoping maybe they could be improved without all the analysis necessary to make the larger stones so perfect.

Thanks for the info.

Some cutters are cheaper than others, and no, Paul isn't the cheapest, but the problem he's describing is across the board. Most cutters charge by the carat based on the pre-cut weight and there's a minimum price that usually kicks in around the 1 carat range. Cutting an ugly 0.75 down to a 0.40 is going to cost nearly as much as cutting a chipped 1.20 to a 1.10. That said, there are cutters who do it, but the usual issue is sentimental value on a stone that's in need of rework. Sentimentality trumps economics in some circumstances, but you need to go in with eyes open.

 

[Andelain]

Some cutters are cheaper than others, and no, Paul isn't the cheapest, but the problem he's describing is across the board. Most cutters charge by the carat based on the pre-cut weight and there's a minimum price that usually kicks in around the 1 carat range. Cutting an ugly 0.75 down to a 0.40 is going to cost nearly as much as cutting a chipped 1.20 to a 1.10. That said, there are cutters who do it, but the usual issue is sentimental value on a stone that's in need of rework. Sentimentality trumps economics in some circumstances, but you need to go in with eyes open.

That was the other thing I'd considered, minimum price. In all honesty, I'd be perfectly happy to find someone who'd do these all for one price, and just make them look decent. A couple are passable, others are .

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

You are absolutely correct, Neil, in calling me 'not the cheapest' on a service we do not even offer to the public.

Theoretically, a re-cut could be possible through one of our retailers.
In practice however, we generally advise against it. Here is why:

Taking a random 100 GIA-3EX a bit above 1Ct at the wholesale-level, 100% can get an improvement in Sparkle, but it is only economically sensible in about 3% of the cases. As a consumer, that percentage goes down dramatically.

Live long,

 

[Andelain]

You are absolutely correct, Neil, in calling me 'not the cheapest' on a service we do not even offer to the public.

Theoretically, a re-cut could be possible through one of our retailers.
In practice however, we generally advise against it. Here is why:

Taking a random 100 GIA-3EX a bit above 1Ct at the wholesale-level, 100% can get an improvement in Sparkle, but it is only economically sensible in about 3% of the cases. As a consumer, that percentage goes down dramatically.

Live long,

In this case I'd apply the economics a bit differently. The money to buy them is already spent, but right now the stones have little value, either to me or to resell, because of the poor cuts. So the only real factor I'd consider is the cost getting a cut that would make them passable.

 

[AdaBeta27]

Other people don't see what we see. On solution might be mount them in a freeform swirly pendant where the metal design is "more interesting" and then you notice "it has diamonds." A pin? A brooch? Eyes in a lion head ring?

Or use them for something arty that you'd not need or necessarily want a good diamond for. Example: A cat chasing a ball that's a diamond. You'd want the cat to be the focus and the diamond to be secondary.

 

[Andelain]

That gives me an idea, if I can't get them cut I'll toss them on the floor and let my Siamese play with them!

 

[AdaBeta27]

Going back to the "others don't see what we see" concept, as in in most of the public will just see diamonds without necessarily knowing good from bad... Cause a stir by giving your Siamese a diamond-studded collar.

 

[Andelain]

Going back to the "others don't see what we see" concept, as in in most of the public will just see diamonds without necessarily knowing good from bad... Cause a stir by giving your Siamese a diamond-studded collar.

Yep, Miss Priss just needs more proof that she's royalty!


She's already full of herself!

 

[AdaBeta27]

She'd definitely wear it well. Post photos when it's finished!