Hexagon diamond with sides....mmmm not sure!

[Hounddog]

My husband and I were shopping and I tried this unusual ring on ( please excuse the dry skin close up of my ‘builders’ hands!) and although I loved its unique nature, the bezel setting and almost invisible setting of the gorgeous side stones, the diamond itself just didn’t really ‘show off its bling’!
Can anyone explain to me why?
Its a ‘one off’ design from a Luxury Brand named jeweller in some major cities,it was expensive, sorry I can’t remember the stats, but the hexagon diamond just didn’t sparkle or twinkle to my eyes. I wanted to love it, but I couldn’t!

I’m interested to understand why this diamond, in a quality shop, just doesn’t ‘perform’...or was it the lighting, my eyes etc or a known problem with a hexagon cut? Thank you.

 

[Hounddog]

Looking at MissKT’s question ‘Rare hexagonal Diamond Concerns’ posted above, obviously this one isn’t step cut. Are Hexagons usually step cut, and so is this an oddity?
I love the overall shape and design of this ring, it’s just that diamonds lack of performance.

 

[kgizo]

I love the shape and design, too. Sorry it was a bling dud.

 

[OoohShiny]

Would at be shield cut rather than hexagon cut?

 

[Hounddog]

Thanks kgizo, the overall design was lovely and the side stones were so clear and white, beautifully set. Just that odd hexagon!

Thanks OoohShiny, I hadn’t thought about a shield, but it definitely had six sides and the stone was cut to the bezel all round, it wasn’t two stones looking like one. The peripheral shape was lovely and equally balanced, it’s that the stone itself was ‘quiet’, I think the centre of the Stone was more bulbous that the edges that came to the points...difficult to explain and I’ve only got the one photo. Do you think it was a weird hexagon version of a brilliant cut but just didn’t work?

 

[Hounddog]

I’ll have a look at some shield cuts, see if there’s a similarity, thanks OoohShiny.

 

[Hounddog]

I’ve found two with a very similar shape, also described as Hexagonal, the shield ones appear to have one end different to the other whereas these have symmetry up/down and across. Here’s two from Lang’s and another one I found, both by googling. The first two look more like it, but the one with the Ruby sides is a Rose cut version and this one wasn’t.
I’m now wondering if it was an old stone re-set into a new ring!?

 

[CravingDiamonds]

Personally not my style and yeah there is a real lack of bling.

 

[missy]

It lacks life IMO but it is an individual preference so no right or wrong.

 

[Hounddog]

I agree CravingDiamonds and Missy, it really did look dull and lifeless.

Any idea what the cut is and why it looks like that, is it just a weird cut? I still can’t get over the bulbous centre and then flatter edges running out to the perimeter.
Im wondering if any of the ‘Trade’ PSers could explain why it’s like that.

 

[junebug17]

I wonder if it needs a good cleaning? That's my answer to everything LOL! It certainly is an unusual cut. I love the setting.

 

[princessandthepear]

Your second two examples look a lot like Duchess cuts.

 

[OoohShiny]

I’ve found two with a very similar shape, also described as Hexagonal, the shield ones appear to have one end different to the other whereas these have symmetry up/down and across. Here’s two from Lang’s and another one I found, both by googling. The first two look more like it, but the one with the Ruby sides is a Rose cut version and this one wasn’t.
I’m now wondering if it was an old stone re-set into a new ring!?

I love that second ring - a 'soft' old cut with a 'sharp' look to the ring

@Rockdiamond might be able to chime on the cut of the stone in your original post - it might just be a hexagon shaped diamond cut 'by eye' to a facet pattern that maximised the carat weight of the stone while still looking attractive enough, in which case it could well be a true 'vintage' diamond

How clean was the stone? If it was dirty then a good clean might bring it to life!

 

[Hounddog]

Thanks junebug17, that made me laugh. I think it was clean, although I didn’t think about it at the time! I just know I was puzzled by it.
I too love the setting, think my DH was rather relieved I wasn’t in love with the whole ring though!! He’s very patient when I’m ‘ogling’ jewellery but he usually doesn’t walk inside the store with me.

Hi Princessandthepear, I’ve never heard of a Duchess cut, I’ll have to do some research, thank you.

Thanks OoohShiny, I like the second one too, looks so simple, pretty and totally practical to wear.
Thanks for alerting Rockdiamond, I’ll be interested to hear what they think. I just wish I’d asked for more info about it at the time.

Your idea about them possibly cutting it by eye to preserve the weight is interesting....I wonder if it was vintage.
As it was the only one they had and I presume it’s sold now, I doubt if they’d remember it if I contacted them to ask for more info....although it’s a bit difficult to ask politely ‘why is this diamond not performing etc’!!
Thanks OooShiny.

 

[OoohShiny]

although it’s a bit difficult to ask politely ‘why is this diamond not performing etc’!!

If it was a truly vintage stone, it could have been cut to perform in candlelight rather than the modern lighting we have now, which could have impacted its performance AIUI!

I hate to call him up as I know he is busy, but @diagem might also have seen such a stone previously or be able to offer comment on it, although I fully appreciate he may not want to / be able to

 

[Rockdiamond]

@Rockdiamond might be able to chime on the cut of the stone in your original post

Thanks for thinking of me Oooh!!
Not much I can tell from the pic....except it looks super cool!
I can't see the facet layout...but the shape is interesting! It might even be a "Moval" set into a hexagonal outline......

I understand why people might knock the sparkle, based on a picture....but my experience taking so many pictures tells me that the photo is inconclusive, to say the least

 

[princessandthepear]

If you go through Alex Park's IG, you will see some examples of duchess cut diamonds. He had some for sale around late December/early January. There were four cuts, I think. The duchess, a squared -off marquise, the baroness, a squared off -oval, the empress, a squared off -pear, and I can't remember the fourth one. They were called the Royal Suite and sold at department store jewelry counters.

 

[aac2013]

I remember seeing a few of these royal cuts in the mid 1990s.

Diamonds.net says the following about them....

The Royal Cuts — the Baroness, the Duchess and the Empress — are registered, patented cuts of Suberi Bros., Inc.

Physical Characteristics and Cutting Issues

The Royal Cuts were developed in the early 1990s as a way to brand diamond shapes. They are guaranteed in writing to be cut in Israel.

The Baroness and Empress are modified brilliant cuts with straight, geometric sides. The Baroness is similar to an oval shape and the Empress is similar to a pear shape. The Duchess is a modified brilliant marquise shape with straight geometric sides. It is similar to a traditional marquise shape.

The type of rough used for these three cuts is flat rough or makel, which is generally used for making baguettes or melee stones. Suberi Bros., developed a way to get the appearance of the three fancy shapes — the oval, marquise and pear — to which the Royal Cuts are similar, without having to use higher quality rough. The yield is from 40 to 55 percent.

The cuts are positioned as having an appearance of being up to 50 percent larger than stones of similar shapes for the same price.

Etc.

 

[Hounddog]

Thanks OoohShiny, Rockdiamond, princessandthepear and aac2013.

I’ll have a look at that link on IG for the Duchess etc cuts. Everyone’s help is so good, I’m learning so much.

The ring was definitely one stone cut into a hexagon shape. I did stare at it and into it...trying to work out what I was looking at.
I do love Movals and would be delighted to have one (Oooh another idea for my list!) but it wasn’t a moval in a hexagon setting. I know I’m not that experienced but I ust couldn’t work out what it’s cutting ‘style’ was, it wasn’t like anything I’ve seen before in person or on PS, so maybe it was a vintage hand worked cut!
The bulbous aspect of the centre and slimmer features to the straight edges of the hexagon just puzzled me. It was almost like the top was a dome, a little hill...not a flat table surface...unusual!

I’ve just had a look at Alex Parks IG...gorgeous...thank you Princessandthepear for suggesting it. I’ll have a proper look later.
The cut of the Duchess is similar, except that the ones I’ve seen so far all have a flat table!
I really should have asked more questions.....
Thank you

 

[Hounddog]

Just saw this old mine cut for sale (very included) but purely as a means to describe the stone in the ring I saw, there are similarities. If you imagine the OMC being spread out to a hexagon with its high dome like top they look alike.
So maybe it really was a vintage stone reset!