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Does "super ideal cut" really matter?

M

mx5_dvr

Guest
This is the ring I bought during our cruise trip 20+ years ago without any knowledge about diamond. It's about 0.45ct and there is no certificate for it. It was ~$800.

IMG_3795.jpg

I'm pretty sure it was a crappy diamond and I was ripped off... But I other than yellow looking, it also makes a lot of fires under the direct sunshine:

IMG_3796.jpg IMG_3797.jpg IMG_3798.jpg IMG_3799.jpg IMG_3800.jpg


So, the questuon is: Does it really matter in terms of cut?
 

GeorgieQ

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
Messages
667
So I've been on PS for years and I have no idea about diamonds, I'm just here for the pretty pictures! ;)2 but here is what I know about super ideals...pretty much nothing, except that I own some and those things sparkle at all times, in all lighting conditions, even when filthy dirty!! For me they were a fool proof way for me, with minimal diamond knowledge, to buy diamonds that will perform guaranteed. If I'm spending my hard earned money on something that expensive I want it to deliver and super ideals do. Having said all of that, the other thing I know is that jewellery is a very personal thing and all that truly matters is that you love what you have. I love your ring and can see why you love it too!
 

rainydaze

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 1, 2007
Messages
3,361
Nice fire shots! It's hard to make out, but it looks to me like you may have a missing prong, and other that is not secure. I hope you will get that checked (and fixed if my eyes aren't deceiving me) so that you don't lose your diamond!
 
M

mx5_dvr

Guest
@rainydaze Yes, one prong is worn out. This ring is "retired".
 
M

mx5_dvr

Guest

_dracarys_

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
204
Cut does matter if you’re looking to maximize sparkle. Does it have to be “super ideal”? That’s up to the consumer.

Here is my first, poorly cut diamond next to my current XXX diamond. The difference is pretty clear:
D3DBDC25-016F-45A3-BD28-C1DD6B8B04FD.jpeg
 

flyingpig

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 7, 2015
Messages
2,975
@flyingpig I would be interested to hear.
First, your stone has PA greater than 41.0 (and maybe large table as well). While a steep pavilion can work, it makes the table reflection (Red Circle) larger and the arrows (Blue) shorter. As a result, IMO, the table reflection dominate the table facet. Now, the table reflection does not leak light. But it does not produce intense light return or fire either. It just goes on and off in most cases. One dimensional, not exciting.
Second, since the arrows are short, you get smaller fires the arrows. In most MRBs (including VG and G cut diamonds), the arrows (pavilion main) never leak and capable of producing decent fires. That is what you see in other photos. It is expected from any reasonably sanely cut MRB.
Lastly, the area under the table between the arrows (Circled in Green) is leaky.

Now, is this a bad looking diamond? No. But once you start to notice these things, you cannot unsee them.

Screenshot_20210305-152648_Gallery.jpg
 
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M

mx5_dvr

Guest
Thanks @flyingpig. I didn't expect where near decent at all since I figured I was ripped off during cruise, which is typically the places selling poor products to uneducated customers.

Only obvious thing is that it's pretty yellow... Don't know what color grade it has...
 

flyingpig

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Nov 7, 2015
Messages
2,975
Thanks @flyingpig. I didn't expect where near decent at all since I figured I was ripped off during cruise, which is typically the places selling poor products to uneducated customers.

Only obvious thing is that it's pretty yellow... Don't know what color grade it has...

I think it may qualify for GIA EX cut. It appears yellow because of the lighting. As long as it is a natural diamond with no clarity/color treatment, $800 is a decent deal even from couple decade ago.
 

La2020

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
802
Is it me or the prongs look like 2 of them is missing?

It does to me!

I have an ungraded super overpriced ering... It's definitely doesn't perform as well as my sic.

N even the ideal cut for my fancy pink seems to perform better compared to a crappy cut one.
 

denverappraiser

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jul 21, 2004
Messages
9,150
If you love it then no, it doesn't matter. That's what diamonds are for. This is doubly true if you aren't buying it and aren't selling it. If you want to go down this rabbit hole, it's also good to be aware that not all vendors use the term 'super ideal' in the same way(s). Some descriptions are more useful than others.
 

teddycake

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2020
Messages
96
So I've been on PS for years and I have no idea about diamonds, I'm just here for the pretty pictures! ;)2 but here is what I know about super ideals...pretty much nothing, except that I own some and those things sparkle at all times, in all lighting conditions, even when filthy dirty!! For me they were a fool proof way for me, with minimal diamond knowledge, to buy diamonds that will perform guaranteed. If I'm spending my hard earned money on something that expensive I want it to deliver and super ideals do. Having said all of that, the other thing I know is that jewellery is a very personal thing and all that truly matters is that you love what you have. I love your ring and can see why you love it too!

"For me they were a fool proof way for me, with minimal diamond knowledge, to buy diamonds that will perform guaranteed. If I'm spending my hard earned money on something that expensive I want it to deliver and super ideals do."

^^ This is exactly what I think too. It's similar to a "mind-clean" thing, if you can achieve "perfection", or as close to it as possible, I want the most ideal.

I think the question comes down to, at least for me, at what cost? From the other poster's picture above and many others you can find on the internet, yes, your eyes can definitely see a difference, and the super ideal cut really does look crisper, clearer, and so on. But how much more are you willing to pay for that (marginal?) difference? Does it look 10x better to you hence 10x the price of a non-ideal? I'm just throwing out random numbers here, but to me, that's the hardest part to determine.

If money was no object, then without a doubt, I'd get the super ideal cut.
 

GeorgieQ

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
Messages
667
Yes @teddycake you make a totally valid and, quite frankly, excellent point here, super ideals come at a super ideal price!!! For me, living in Australia, diamonds are generally very expensive, even the bad ones, and it was actually cheaper for me to buy my super ideals from the US than it was to buy a fairly average diamond here, not to mention 'safer' because I was guaranteed a diamond that would perform.
I think this is also where the strength of the PS community comes in because people here will actually help their fellow PS'ers source the best diamonds for their budget.
But you're totally right, how much is too much.......
 

Sprinkles&Stones

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 19, 2020
Messages
1,992
Cut does matter if you’re looking to maximize sparkle. Does it have to be “super ideal”? That’s up to the consumer.

Here is my first, poorly cut diamond next to my current XXX diamond. The difference is pretty clear:
D3DBDC25-016F-45A3-BD28-C1DD6B8B04FD.jpeg

Wow this is super helpful! Thanks for posting!
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
Yes @teddycake you make a totally valid and, quite frankly, excellent point here, super ideals come at a super ideal price!!!
But you're totally right, how much is too much.......
I'm guessing about 8% more for top ideal H&A cuts vs ideal cuts.
 

Lovecarats

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 23, 2021
Messages
78
Cut is ABSOLUTELY the most important quality for me. Does it have to be super ideal, hearts and arrows? If possible, yes. However, I have found diamonds that are just shy of those that performed fantastically, so had no problem purchasing them. However, like a previous poster said, buying the best-of-the-best definitely takes a lot of the guess work out of it for you.
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
2,907
I think so much of it also comes down to prioritisation of your budget. In my (personal) opinion, and ignoring all tax/shipping etc concerns (since I don’t live in the US and buying super ideals would be a headache with the shipping etc so I never have), it makes more sense to buy a super ideal if you want a stone that’s not huge, since that 8-10% premium translates to a smaller dollar value and you have a greater selection to choose from (my guess would be that selection >2-2.5ct would be quite limited). Some of that premium also goes towards the stellar upgrade policies etc so if you have no intention of upgrading then it’s a negative in the column for me. Also, how important is maxing out size for you? If you have a size goal, to purchase a super ideal would mean compromising on one of the other two Cs or upping the budget; on average.

FWIW, super ideals have their place in the market, they’re a premium product and absolutely worth the premium for many many people. They would be worth the premium for me too in some situations!
 
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