Help with Oval IS

[HeatherL]

Can anyone give me feedback on this Oval, please? I am wondering what are those black marks in the middle, I know white represents leakage, not sure how to read the black. I have also attached a link to the oval.
Thanks,
Heather

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?find=1&cid=130&item=1195384

 

[Lorelei]

Thats the bow tie in the middle. It looks like a nice oval but I would check with the vendor concerning the bow tie, it looks prominent in the IS and picture. I will post a page which explains more about these but basically these show as literally a bow tie shaped dark area across the middle of the diamond, some elongated fancy shapes show this effect. If you are not fond of a prominent bow tie then ask the vendor if he can suggest a diamond with a minimal one.

Ask also how the J colour presents itself, an oval of that size might show a little warmth from the side but again ask the vendor about this.

 

[Todd Gray]

The dark spot you''re referring to is the "bowtie effect" created by the basic facet structure of an oval brilliant cut diamond. The same effect can be seen in other fancy shape diamonds such as marquise and pear shapes. It''s created by the difference in how light breaks through the stone due to the facet design. If you look at the plotting diagram for the oval brilliant you will see that that there are facets running from the bottom point (culet) out towards the edges, some from North to South and another set in the middle from East to West - this is where the bowtie effect is created. Run a search for "bowtie effect" on the forum and you''ll find other articles that go into this in more detail.

 

[HeatherL]

Is that a really bad one for it to be black? I guess I thought the bowtie would show up as white. So what would be your overall opinion of this stone?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/5/2009 3:09:34 PM
Author: HeatherL
Is that a really bad one for it to be black? I guess I thought the bowtie would show up as white. So what would be your overall opinion of this stone?

No its not bad, some elongated shapes can show this effect to a greater or lesser extent, but it depends on your preferences. Some do not want a bow tie effect and wait until a diamond can be found which doesn't show much of one, others don't mind so much. I have heard that it isn't always possible to eliminate them completely but as I am only a consumer I don't know how accurate that is.

Here is a page I like which explains more about the bow tie effect

http://www.goodoldgold.com/ShapeTutorials/ShapeTips1/

 

[HeatherL]

OK thanks guys, I was posting the same time you were. I am not worried about the J. Right now I have a 1ct IGI princess rated by them as an I color. And the color of the stone doesn''t bother me, so I really think I would be fine with a GIA J. So basically the bowtie will show as a dead spot, right? When comparing bowties on stones, is this one pretty large?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/5/2009 3:19:08 PM
Author: HeatherL
OK thanks guys, I was posting the same time you were. I am not worried about the J. Right now I have a 1ct IGI princess rated by them as an I color. And the color of the stone doesn't bother me, so I really think I would be fine with a GIA J. So basically the bowtie will show as a dead spot, right? When comparing bowties on stones, is this one pretty large?

The bow tie can show as a dark area, if you check out the pics on the link above, that will give you an idea. My pear shows a bow tie if I tilt it but it isn't noticeable when it is on my finger. What I would do is to contact the vendor, talk to them about how the bow tie looks in reality, then they can tell you if it is minimal or very distinct. They might even be able to send you some more photographs of the diamond to give you a better idea. It looks like a nice oval to me and definitely worth further investigation.

 

[HeatherL]

Thanks Lorelei, the link helped, I don''t think I am too crazy about the bowtie, the pictures helped a lot. I know that I don''t want dark areas showing in my diamond. But I''m thinking the rest of the diamond doesn''t look that bad. I may call the vendor this afternoon, I have bugged these people so much though that I feel bad. They probably think I am an undecisive nut.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/5/2009 3:35:49 PM
Author: HeatherL
Thanks Lorelei, the link helped, I don't think I am too crazy about the bowtie, the pictures helped a lot. I know that I don't want dark areas showing in my diamond. But I'm thinking the rest of the diamond doesn't look that bad. I may call the vendor this afternoon, I have bugged these people so much though that I feel bad. They probably think I am an undecisive nut.

Don't feel bad - the staff at JA won't think you are undecisive! The best way to find out is to have a chat with them which they will be happy to do, they know that this is a big purchase for you and that you want to be as sure as you can be before committing that the diamond might be right for you. So ask away, thats what they are there for!

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 2/5/2009 3:09:34 PM
Author: HeatherL
Is that a really bad one for it to be black? I guess I thought the bowtie would show up as white. So what would be your overall opinion of this stone?

The bowtie effect is neither good or bad, merely a visual effect that is a direct result of the facet structure. The appearance of a bowtie effect will be affected by the cut quality, however it will also be affected by less obvious factors such as the shadow created by the head of the person viewing the stone... The only way to avoid the bowtie effect entirely is to purchase a diamond with a symmetrical facet pattern, such as a round brilliant or princess cut. Note that on princess cut diamonds you will be able to see the "X" pattern in the diamond, which is also a result of the facet structure - but it''s not a "bowtie effect". And in rounds, you''ll be able to see the shadow effect of the arrows pattern which is created by the eight pavilion main facets that stem outward from the culet up towards the girdle edge and this too will be accentuated by the shadow created by the head of the observer, so it''s not a matter of buying a diamond without a pattern of some sort, but rather buying a diamond with the pattern that appeals to you.

 

[Gypsy]

Hi Heather, looks like you've got a ton of very good advice. I thought I'd just stop in to add that I definitely think you should ask them how prominent that bowtie is in real life, and if it bothers you, to recommend a diamond that has a less prominent one in your price range if they can. I know you are torn between a round and an oval, and feel like you've been bugging them. Ask them to send you a pic with the oval and the round together if they can. See which one speaks to you more. JA can't do videos.

 

[HeatherL]

Hey Gypsy, I was waiting for you to chime in

I am very torn but think I may be leaning more towards the round. I was going to call JA but my son had a ball game after school and the time got away from me before I realized it. I thought about asking them if they could take a picture of the two together, but I didn''t know if that would be too difficult or asking for too much. I am going to spend tonight going through old posts and looking at ovals. I thought maybe that may help me decide.

Thanks-you''ve been wonderful, and everyone has and I truly appreciate it.