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Does "super ideal cut" really matter?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mx5_dvr
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mx5_dvr

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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.jpgIMG_3797.jpgIMG_3798.jpgIMG_3799.jpgIMG_3800.jpg


So, the questuon is: Does it really matter in terms of cut?
 
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!
 
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!
 
@rainydaze Yes, one prong is worn out. This ring is "retired".
 
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
 
mx5_dvr said:
@flyingpig I would be interested to hear.
Click to expand...
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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It does to me.
Light performance is my #1 priority.

#1
 
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...
 
mx5_dvr said:
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...
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
GeorgieQ said:
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!
Click to expand...

"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.
 
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.......
 
_dracarys_ said:
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
Click to expand...

Wow this is super helpful! Thanks for posting!
 
GeorgieQ said:
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.......
Click to expand...
I'm guessing about 8% more for top ideal H&A cuts vs ideal cuts.
 
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.
 
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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