Handcut CZ vs machine cut. Is there a difference?

[diamond boy]

Is there a direct or noticable difference between hand cut CZ vs machine cut stones? On bellisima gem the diff. in price is about $100 from the machined to the hand cut. Is it worth the money? Gin says it is Quality vs mass production. Is $250 too much to pay for a 1ct cz stone? And if it is than why are Asha stones in the thousands??? Please help me make the best descision.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

It beats me!
I have seen bad and good hand and machine cut, but most all of the Signty stones I have seen are pretty good, and they are not expensive.

We sell a 6mm stone (.90ct diamond size) for a few bucks or give away as a calibration sample with www.ideal-scope.com products.

 

[mike04456]

----------------

On bellisima gem the diff. in price is about $100 from the machined to the hand cut. Is it worth the money? Gin says it is Quality vs mass production. Is $250 too much to pay for a 1ct cz stone? And if it is than why are Asha stones in the thousands???

----------------

Marketing, mainly. Anyone who pays thousands for a CZ needs their head examined.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

but little sparkly pebbles called diamonds?
Thats different?
value is more about perception than reality

 

[mike04456]

To some extent. But CZs can be--and are--manufactured in the tens of thousands for mere pennies a carat. Diamonds are somewhat rarer and more expensive to produce.

 

[diamond boy]

I'm still uncertain if it's worth paying $250 for a 1ct CZ? What do you think???

 

[mike04456]

I would never do it myself.

As Garry said, you can get CZs cut to "ideal" proportions for a few bucks. I've seen 2 ct Signity Star CZs for sale on ebay for $19.95. At $250, you're paying mostly for the hype, if you ask me.

 

[rebeccahm72]

Are there different 'grades' of CZ? I mean, I could go to the drug store and pick up a CZ for 19.95, or I can go to a jeweler and get it for $200. Am I paying more for the gold setting, or for the quality of the CZ?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

The stone we sell for $5 is 6mm = .90ct and it is as good as I have ever seen - which is why we use it as acalibration stone.

 

[mike04456]

----------------

Are there different 'grades' of CZ?

----------------

CZs are not graded like diamonds. The material is grown by the pound in commercial laboratories. Some companies claim to take much greater care in the cutting and polishing, thus supporting the higher prices. There are differences in quality, but not hundreds of dollars worth. I'd get one of Garry's and not look back.

 

[diamond boy]

So what you guys are saying is that ASHA simulants are like trying to unload a Cadilac which is a great car, for about 1 million dollars??? there has to be more of a dif. between $20 stones and $1000+ stones! Unload some wisdome here for me please!

 

[diamond boy]

Hiya. please respond above.

 

[mike04456]

If you're talking CZ to CZ, most of the difference is hype IMO. But my understanding is that Ashas are not typical CZs. Based on what I read on their web site a while back, they are using a process known as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to deposit a layer of synthetic diamond on the surface of the cut CZ. CVD involves blowing very high-temperature gas (usually a mix of hydrogen and methane) onto an energized piece of metal or other substrate, forming microscopic diamond crystals. It's used primarily for machine tools and the like to increase wear resistance, but I guess Asha thought using it on CZs would make them look nicer. I've never seen one in person, so I can't say, but I'm sure that's why they're significantly more expensive than other CZs.

 

[carson]

Did you find the info about CZs? I went to this website, www.betterthandiamond.com
They had some good info about Asha stones.