H&A Vendors

[DG8]

Hello PS friends!!

I was wondering if there is a difference in quality in hearts and arrows round brilliants between different vendors such as whiteflash, GOG, James Allen, Brian Gavin, etc... I know Brian is the king of cuts in H&A but are the other vendors just as good? The prices seem very competitive between them all. I currently thinking about going with Brian.

 

[stone-cold11]

each of the branded cuts has their own character, slightly different but consistent. JA''s true hearts are not branded cut from what I understand and their hearts and proportion varies.

 

[Lula]

DG8, I understand your dilemma -- I was in your situation a few months ago!

My viewpoint is not the most popular one on this forum, but I believe that if cut quality is what you want, the best way to get it -- especially if you're a novice and don't want to spend years educating yourself on the nuances of angle combos and lgf's, etc. -- is to go with a branded cut, such as Brian Gavin, Whiteflash, Infinity (the brand I bought), or GOG's signature stones. Be sure that the brand you choose has demonstrated cut consistency and high levels of performance, and is not just a "name." Not all brands show the same attention to cut consistency and may be more of a marketing gimmick. Again, do a search in the archives.

There is so much more to cut quality than just H&A! There are many threads in the archives that delve into this subject in more detail, but from my limited understanding, H&A images tell only part of the story. For example, a stone may show H&A but the combinations of the angles (crown, table, pavilion, lgf, stars, may not be tip-top (to use an Ellen term!) or work together very well. Further, there may not be consistency of cut across stones, so one stone may be more tightly cut than another.

There is no shortcut, unfortunately, to understanding the complicated business of diamond cutting.

With a branded cut, you are buying the expertise and experience of the expert behind the brand -- e.g., Brian Gavin, Paul Slegers -- and this ensures that the diamond you buy has been designed and cut to their standards.

 

[tap02150]

Date: 9/16/2009 9:04:46 AM
Author: sarap333
DG8, I understand your dilemma -- I was in your situation a few months ago!


My viewpoint is not the most popular one on this forum, but I believe that if cut quality is what you want, the best way to get it -- especially if you''re a novice and don''t want to spend years educating yourself on the nuances of angle combos and lgf''s, etc. -- is to go with a branded cut, such as Brian Gavin, Whiteflash, Infinity (the brand I bought), or GOG''s signature stones. Be sure that the brand you chose has demonstrated cut consistency and high levels of performance, and is not just a ''name.'' Not all brands show the same attention to cut consistency and may be more of a marketing gimmick. Again, do a search in the archives.


There is so much more to cut quality than just H&A! There are many threads in the archives that delve into this subject in more detail, but from my limited understanding, H&A images tell only part of the story. For example, a stone may show H&A but the combinations of the angles (crown, table, pavilion, lgf, stars, may not be tip-top (to use an Ellen term!) or work together very well. Further, there may not be consistency of cut across stones, so one stone may be more tightly cut than another.


There is no shortcut, unfortunately, to understanding the complicated business of diamond cutting.


With a branded cut, you are buying the expertise and experience of the expert behind the brand -- e.g., Brian Gavin, Paul Slegers -- and this ensures that the diamond you buy has been designed and cut to their standards.

Very, Very, Very.. and one more, VERY high standards lol you really can''t go wrong with Price Scope vendors such as sarap mentioned

 

[DG8]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I''ve heard great things about Brian Gavin so although this I''d my first diamond purchase and online too, I feel reassured. I''m looking through the inventory and it''s difficult to make decisions! I sure do have a higher appreciation for diamonds and the industry, that''s for sure!

 

[Lula]

Brian Gavin has a very good reputation on PS -- you''ve made a great choice! And you''ve done the hard part -- chosen a vendor -- so now the fun part of choosing a stone begins. Please show us pictures of the finished product!

 

[tulips]

yeah, vendor like WF (tracy and Juli), Nice Ice (Todd) are of great service too!!!

 

[Lula]

Date: 9/16/2009 10:14:06 AM
Author: tulips
yeah, vendor like WF (tracy and Juli), Nice Ice (Todd) are of great service too!!!

Yes, you're right tulips -- didn't mean to leave out the folks at Whiteflash ACA, and Todd -- how could I forget Todd????

All are examples of vendors who have invested a great deal of time and effort in selecting stones that are the very top of the 1% of diamonds cut that we PS'ers crave.

It's a small market, to be sure, but if you want the best, these are the vendors/brands who have the cream of the crop, in my opinion. They have used their expertise to cull the best stones, so you don't have to spend your valuable time sorting through virtual listings.

I guess what I'm saying is I'm picky about cut and I'm lazy!