finding out about cut

[mcdill]

Hi all

Got a couple of questions based on experiences with jewellers:

1. what does russian cut mean? seen a couple of these diamonds that look a bit more fiery than the normal ones

2. if the diamond doesn't come with an AGS report how do I go about finding the crown and pavilion angles - one seller told me there is no need to as long as the diamond looks great...another told me that is a lazare diamond and that is good enough because the brand speaks for itself.

would appreciate any thoughts on the above

 

[lawmax]

Hi

I've never seen a good answer to question 1. Perhaps Garry or Dave will be along to answer that for you.

As for question 2: Find a better jeweler/gemologist. If you can, find one who has a Sarin machine to measure the angles. All branded diamonds are not the same.

Happy hunting and trust your gut and your eyes!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

i still always use an ideal-scope with every diamond i buy, even though I can tell a lot with eyes and loupe.
Russian cut was excellent when they were dumb and beuracratic, they cut by the text book. Since Glasnost they got smart and cut for $$$$$$ and russian cut means little today.
LK cut to similar AGS 0 standards and have done for a very long time, but they still produce some stones that are steeper and deeper than I would prefer to own or sell.

 

[mcdill]

Thanks for your replies. This site and other links have been of great assistance in educating me about diamonds.
It's been very difficult to extract information about cut of diamonds being sold from jewellers here in HK. They tend to get defensive, (sometimes rude) with a "take it or leave it" attitude saying things like:
you can tell the cut of the diamond by just looking at it;
why do you need so much information about the diamond;
fluorescence is the most important thing to consider, not cut;
etc etc
Anyway I'm sure many new diamond buyers have experienced much of the same frustration and I'll keep persevering in my search.

 

[lawmax]

You may want to consider buying a diamond over the internet from an American seller. Many will work with you including sending the diamond to an independent appraiser for you so you can have an expert opinion on the stone prior to paying for the stone and having it shipped to you. This is done all the time.