How Much Is The Cut Really Worth?

[bobdole]

I'm shopping for a chunky cushion. I'm having trouble understanding the differences between a "regular" cushion, and some of the "branded" cushions you can find on ERD and GOG. I've seen some of GOG's videos comparing similar stones, and there is no question that you are guaranteed to get an outstanding stone. Is there more to it than just that "guaranty"? If I do some legwork ordering aset reports would it be possible to get a stone we would be happy with for half the price?

For the sake of argument, I'd like to hear your opinions on the difference between these two stones.
$4,400 - 1.04, H, VS1
$8,263 - 1.08, H, VS2

*not trying to bash GOG here, I would love that stone... I'm just not sure it's in the budget.

 

[farmer gal]

Well first things first I would call JA and place that diamond on hold and request asset images so you can compare.

 

[denverappraiser]

GOG has a showroom and I think ERD has an office where you can go and look at things by appointment. It might be worth your time and trouble to show up and look at some things 'in person'. You've identified that the cutting costs extra, but how much it's worth has a great deal to do with your own taste. For a lot of people, yes it's worth it. For others, not so much. The proof is in the looking. If you're too far away or just don't have the temprament to show up at the store, both companies can arrange to ship stones either to you or some neutral place like an appraisers office. On the grand scale of things, shipping and appraisal fees are cheap.

 

[TheGreatTwizz]

You've come across one of the few true CHUNKY faceted cushions to be found. Aside from GOG and ERD, I was unable to find anything in the 2+ct range. Then again, I didn't want a chunky, antique style cushion; I wanted something in the middle, and ended up with a fantastic piece from James Allen.

Pick three stones from James Allen, order the ASET images and Sarin reports (so you have them), have their gemologist compare all three, and give you his (or her) report. I can't say enough nice things about JA, other than you better be prepared to purchase. When you order those reports, it takes them a few days to compile, depending on how quickly they can bring the stones in-house and review them. They give you a hold for three business days from the time they deliver the reports to your email. Day 4 they send the stones back, and it can take 10 days to get it back, and it can be sold in the meantime. This happened to me, and I nearly lost the stone I wanted as I need FOUR days to pay for it, and they won't hold it the extra day. Lucky for me, it worked out.

Get the ASET, and you'll know what you're dealing with. My guess is the GIA stone will represent the value for which you're looking, however the ASET could also show you a dud.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Umm, please go immediately and put that JA stone on hold or you will lose it. It is even tempting to me but I wouldn't do that to you. At least not until you have a chance to do it first! I think something is crazy strange about the price. But wow, so worth at least ordering to look at or getting an ASET if they will do it for you! And I say this as a very committed Good Old Gold AVC lover!!!!

 

[Rhino]

Good question and good advice.

And these are not the most valuable cushions we feature either. We pay more for Square H&A varieties. When we are purchasing the rough to cut into AVC, our cutter is competing with rough buyers who are looking at the same parcels they would cut into rounds. Yoram can confirm. Today the Rappaport list has become so distanced from reality we don't even go by it for fancies except as a passing reference and why you are seeing more and more cushion modifieds on the market and fancies mostly cut for weight. You'll see similar pricing discrepancies amongst other shapes when you're comparing a branded AGS Ideal product (which that 1.08ct is AGS Triple Ideal Cut) compared to diamonds that receive no cut grade and are simply GIA good/very good (which we also have broad access to).

Not just these diamonds, but when you are comparing any 2 diamonds and each are cut with an entirely different goal, it can easily seperate values significantly. The same diamond in a Brellia (Square Cushion Hearts & Arrows) would come in at roughly $9400. I am able to conserve a little more weight than an H&A so AVC's come in between 10-20% less than H&A but are no less ideal and are cut with a goal that is 180 degrees contrary to 99.9% of most cutting facilities. I don't push either as I sell both generics as well as inventing the AVC's so I don't take your post as a bash whatsoever. It's really about understanding what goes into determining value that helps understanding though and only you can decide if its worth it to you or not. We show the comparisons all the time and let people decide for themselves as we feature both.

Kindest regards,
Jonathan

 

[bobdole]

Well first things first I would call JA and place that diamond on hold and request asset images so you can compare.

The diamond is on hold, and thanks again for helping me find that stone.

Unfortunately, when I called and gave her the stone she immediately began commenting negatively about the "old mine" style. It seems she had a problem with how small they "face-up" and thought they had terrible light performance because of the large cutlet. Despite telling her this was what I was looking for, she mentioned it at least 2 more times as we looked through other stones. Definitely, leaves a bad taste in your mouth after so much time researching these stones.

On top of that, the ASET camera is broken and I can't get any images. No eta on when it will be fixed, and they wont hold it until it is. They just suggested I buy the stone so I can see if I like it

On the plus side, she was very friendly and knowledgeable (and opinionated). I have a brother who ordered from JA, and had a much more positive experience than I just did.

The stone is on hold, all they could do is have one of their "experts" look at it and give an opinion. It makes me nervous buying online with out more data. Especially from a company with broken equipment.

 

[farmer gal]

That's interesting Everyone has different tastes but the person that you talked to you should take a lesson in customer service, because you weren't asking if it was their taste. On the positive side they do have an excellent return policy so you could order it to see it in person and return it if you are not satisfied. I think for the price I would, but you have to do whatever makes you feel comfortable

 

[bobdole]

When we are purchasing the rough to cut into AVC, our cutter is competing with rough buyers who are looking at the same parcels they would cut into rounds.
...
you are seeing more and more cushion modifieds on the market and fancies mostly cut for weight. You'll see similar pricing discrepancies amongst other shapes when you're comparing a branded AGS Ideal product (which that 1.08ct is AGS Triple Ideal Cut) compared to diamonds that receive no cut grade and are simply GIA good/very good (which we also have broad access to).

Kindest regards,
Jonathan

Thank you Jonathan. I was just noticing how the AVC "cushion brilliant" cut is slightly different from the JA "cushion brilliant". As a very rough gauge, do you think this would be a fair comparison between regular cushions floating around and the "branded" stones?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6UCa2sAN0w

It's certainly clear which is superior.

 

[bobdole]

On the positive side they do have an excellent return policy so you could order it to see it in person and return it if you are not satisfied. I think for the price I would, but you have to do whatever makes you feel comfortable

Even if I did get it, I'm not sure I'd know what to compare it to. Most diamonds look pretty good to me, it's only when you get them side-by-side I can tell a difference. I wouldn't have anything to compare it to.

I guess what I would need to do is take it to an independent appraiser and pay for what they should be giving me for free. Then ship it back to have the ring made and set. The whole process would add a week or two which I'm not thrilled about.

I really just wanted JA to hold it until they can fix the camera (I'd much prefer to wait two weeks, and not run around town with a loose diamond). I even offered to pay for them to take it to somebody else for an ASET but no luck.

I'll post whatever they can send me, but I'm really turned off after that. I'm gonna keep looking.

 

[farmer gal]

I don't blame you, it is a big purchase and feeling confident with your purchase is the most important thing

 

[Rhino]

When we are purchasing the rough to cut into AVC, our cutter is competing with rough buyers who are looking at the same parcels they would cut into rounds.
...
you are seeing more and more cushion modifieds on the market and fancies mostly cut for weight. You'll see similar pricing discrepancies amongst other shapes when you're comparing a branded AGS Ideal product (which that 1.08ct is AGS Triple Ideal Cut) compared to diamonds that receive no cut grade and are simply GIA good/very good (which we also have broad access to).

Kindest regards,
Jonathan

Thank you Jonathan. I was just noticing how the AVC "cushion brilliant" cut is slightly different from the JA "cushion brilliant". As a very rough gauge, do you think this would be a fair comparison between regular cushions floating around and the "branded" stones?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6UCa2sAN0w

It's certainly clear which is superior.

Hi Bob and thanks for your quick response. Yes absolutely. That video with no commentary actually speaks volumes. Imagine my frustration after calling in 10 diamonds for a client (before AVC) who wanted big flash from the large facets only to get a watery appearance under the table due to severe hemorrhaging (light leakage) or severe head/body obstruction resulting in too much darkness, then showing them these results via ASET and confirmed with HD video... not to mention the amount of capital it costs to transport the diamonds and the time it takes for the photography/examinations.

I knew taking on this task would not result in the cheapest vintage cuts but my primary goal is a visually different vintage that took full advantage of the large facets. Even today Bob ... all the time I look at already cut generic vintages and determine what it would take to make them what I knew to be the most visually appealing. We could easily take a piece of rough and cut it to a 1.0xct H VS resulting in a mid 4k finished product or we can take the same piece of rough ... cut it to a very specific geometry but it would result in a .8xct AVC (there is roughly a 12-20% loss in weight to attain the geometry of an AVC).

Which is more valuable? The truth is neither.

One will be larger at the expense of optics and one will weigh less but will visually be a more stunning product. This same principle applies to any shape and cutting style of diamond we put on the table.

At the end of the day your decision will be akin to that of many others. Decisions on diamonds is all about compromise in some category. What you have to decide for yourself is what aspect you want to compromise in and what you feel will be most important to your lady. Before 2 years ago you wouldn't even have the option you are asking now.

All the best to you no matter what you decide. If you have any questions we're here to help.

Kind regards and have a great weekend (what's left of it!).
Jon

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I think that is crazy that they can't get the ASET pics to you. They have a diamond business, can they not get another camera??!! It is a pain and results in expense to have to have them send a stone to an appraiser and then to you and then back to them and the stone might be a dud in terms of light return. Then you'd have to start over. That stone has a nice appearance, but I wouldn't want a stone with poor light return for an engagement ring. Sometimes you can find the needle in the haystack because Jonathan occasionally finds a great old stone, but as he said, the reason he started cutting them was because there are so few.

 

[YoungPapa]

Hi Bob,

It's times like this I wish I had a commissioned sales staff

The Aset machine is not broken and you will have the image in a day or two. I will also speak to your CSR and some of the other newer reps to sharpen their understanding of vintage diamonds and older cutting styles. We spend a great amount of initial Pricescope training on the nuance of "ideal", hca, pavilion angles, etc. That being said, I think as soon as your rep heard "Pricescope" her brain went into "round" mode.

All the best,

 

[Amys Bling]

That's interesting Everyone has different tastes but the person that you talked to you should take a lesson in customer service, because you weren't asking if it was their taste. On the positive side they do have an excellent return policy so you could order it to see it in person and return it if you are not satisfied. I think for the price I would, but you have to do whatever makes you feel comfortable

couldn't agree more re: customer service! If you are really intrigued you could have the stone shipped out to you and then if it's not what you want, return.

 

[bobdole]

Hi Bob,

It's times like this I wish I had a commissioned sales staff

The Aset machine is not broken and you will have the image in a day or two. I will also speak to your CSR and some of the other newer reps to sharpen their understanding of vintage diamonds and older cutting styles. We spend a great amount of initial Pricescope training on the nuance of "ideal", hca, pavilion angles, etc. That being said, I think as soon as your rep heard "Pricescope" her brain went into "round" mode.

All the best,

Ha, I didn't even realize any one from James Allen would be looking at this. It wasn't my intent to get any one into trouble. She seemed friendly, and I was impressed she recognized the old mine cut right away. The criticism of it though, was definitely unnecessary. It was difficult to be told the light performance of those stones was bad, followed by "no, you can't have any aset images". Still scratching my head on that one.

Thank you for the help. I'll call back for some more questions.

 

[Rockdiamond]

When we are purchasing the rough to cut into AVC, our cutter is competing with rough buyers who are looking at the same parcels they would cut into rounds.
...
you are seeing more and more cushion modifieds on the market and fancies mostly cut for weight. You'll see similar pricing discrepancies amongst other shapes when you're comparing a branded AGS Ideal product (which that 1.08ct is AGS Triple Ideal Cut) compared to diamonds that receive no cut grade and are simply GIA good/very good (which we also have broad access to).

Kindest regards,
Jonathan

Thank you Jonathan. I was just noticing how the AVC "cushion brilliant" cut is slightly different from the JA "cushion brilliant". As a very rough gauge, do you think this would be a fair comparison between regular cushions floating around and the "branded" stones?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6UCa2sAN0w

It's certainly clear which is superior.

Interesting discussion!
Bobdole- by all means , get whatever you need to feel comfortable- however my feeling is that you'll get far more valuable info from photos and videos as compared to aset.
I'd also suggest watching a range of videos from different vendors- some are shot differently. Lighting, camera angles and other factors associated with the taste of the video maker will show different aspects of the diamond's characteristics.

I also think it's a mistake to lump together stones and label them "regular" .
We also cut in conjunction with Yoram- it's very true what Jon mentioned about cost being higher when we're cutting stones for a given look.
Yoram does an amazing job- but there are others also doing a great job......so there is no "regular" cushion.

Unlike Jon, we don't have to pay shipping to look at stones- so we still look at a lot of non branded cushions each week. I agree- there are a lot of duds out there- but also a lot of nice cushion brilliant stones that are not branded.
If you can look in person, that's a big advantage

 

[Rhino]

Interesting discussion!
Bobdole- by all means , get whatever you need to feel comfortable- however my feeling is that you'll get far more valuable info from photos and videos as compared to aset.

I agree as long as that video or photography is effectively showing how the labs, particularly GIA and AGS, define the various optical characteristics that comprise a cut grade. Ie. Brightness, Contrast, Patterned Scintillation, Fire/Dispersion and Sparkle.

I'd also suggest watching a range of videos from different vendors- some are shot differently. Lighting, camera angles and other factors associated with the taste of the video maker will show different aspects of the diamond's characteristics.

I also think it's a mistake to lump together stones and label them "regular" .
We also cut in conjunction with Yoram- it's very true what Jon mentioned about cost being higher when we're cutting stones for a given look.
Yoram does an amazing job- but there are others also doing a great job......so there is no "regular" cushion.

What the OP means, and perhaps may even be using a quote of my own is those cushions that take on an appearance that is more common or regular to the world of cushions. People who view our videos know plainly what I mean when I say a particular diamond takes on a more "common" appearance so in that sense there are PLENTY of regular cushions.

Unlike Jon, we don't have to pay shipping to look at stones- so we still look at a lot of non branded cushions each week. I agree- there are a lot of duds out there- but also a lot of nice cushion brilliant stones that are not branded.
If you can look in person, that's a big advantage

The city is my backyard just like it is yours and I do not pay shipping for individual diamonds coming from NY as I send in a runner 2x a week. NY however is not the only place diamonds are stocked. If we are helping a client attain a particular type of diamond and it is located in Chicago, California, Georgia, Arizona, etc. I extend my queries there as well in the effort to help them find what they are looking for. I'm sure if you called in diamonds from these states too you'd be hit with a shipping bill just like I am. No?

On a lighter note hope you're having a good season Dave.

Kindest regards,
Jonathan

 

[Rockdiamond]

Interesting discussion!
Bobdole- by all means , get whatever you need to feel comfortable- however my feeling is that you'll get far more valuable info from photos and videos as compared to aset.

I agree as long as that video or photography is effectively showing how the labs, particularly GIA and AGS, define the various optical characteristics that comprise a cut grade. Ie. Brightness, Contrast, Patterned Scintillation, Fire/Dispersion and Sparkle.

Great point Jon- Personally I feel that having the diamond in tweezers allows a great look at brightness, contrast, etc. You seem to love the diamond dock- I prefer the tweezers- both can give valuable info

I'd also suggest watching a range of videos from different vendors- some are shot differently. Lighting, camera angles and other factors associated with the taste of the video maker will show different aspects of the diamond's characteristics.

I also think it's a mistake to lump together stones and label them "regular" .
We also cut in conjunction with Yoram- it's very true what Jon mentioned about cost being higher when we're cutting stones for a given look.
Yoram does an amazing job- but there are others also doing a great job......so there is no "regular" cushion.

What the OP means, and perhaps may even be using a quote of my own is those cushions that take on an appearance that is more common or regular to the world of cushions. People who view our videos know plainly what I mean when I say a particular diamond takes on a more "common" appearance so in that sense there are PLENTY of regular cushions.

Interesting point Jon- my first question would be how you know what the OP means- I mean we all speak for ourselves, yes?
Again, if we're using the videos, our different styles will come into play. Crushed ice cushions in particular don't seem to react well to your methods of photography. So, we can lump together a broad grouping of cushions, call them "regular" which simplifies things- IF one has the same taste as the person making that claim.
I've found that there's an endless variety of different looks called "Cushion Modified Brilliant" and even "Cushion Brilliant" encompasses such a wide variety of light performance.
For these reasons I feel it's a mistake to make a broad grouping and state they are inferior. I would agree, many are inferior.
However I'd also probably like stones you would not, and vice versa.

Unlike Jon, we don't have to pay shipping to look at stones- so we still look at a lot of non branded cushions each week. I agree- there are a lot of duds out there- but also a lot of nice cushion brilliant stones that are not branded.
If you can look in person, that's a big advantage

The city is my backyard just like it is yours and I do not pay shipping for individual diamonds coming from NY as I send in a runner 2x a week. NY however is not the only place diamonds are stocked. If we are helping a client attain a particular type of diamond and it is located in Chicago, California, Georgia, Arizona, etc. I extend my queries there as well in the effort to help them find what they are looking for. I'm sure if you called in diamonds from these states too you'd be hit with a shipping bill just like I am. No?

On a lighter note hope you're having a good season Dave.

Kindest regards,
Jonathan

Thanks Bucko- we're jumping as much as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs! We hope you are too.
Also a good point about Californian, Georgian, etc diamonds- we're spoiled being right on 47th street.
On rare occasions when we need to pay for a shipment to look at a stone I feel cheated

 

[Rhino]

Hey senor,

Interesting point Jon- my first question would be how you know what the OP means- I mean we all speak for ourselves, yes?

Yes. I know what he means though because he referenced one of my clips.

Again, if we're using the videos, our different styles will come into play. Crushed ice cushions in particular don't seem to react well to your methods of photography. So, we can lump together a broad grouping of cushions, call them "regular" which simplifies things- IF one has the same taste as the person making that claim.

Yep, but you're not taking into account the video I made in response to our prior discussion on this topic. There are diamonds that fall into a "crushed ice" appearance that take on either positive or negative factors in their appearance when it comes to optics. Remember my clip on that "Understanding "Crushed Ice" Diamonds"?

I've found that there's an endless variety of different looks called "Cushion Modified Brilliant" and even "Cushion Brilliant" encompasses such a wide variety of light performance.
For these reasons I feel it's a mistake to make a broad grouping and state they are inferior. I would agree, many are inferior.
However I'd also probably like stones you would not, and vice versa.

I don't disagree and absolutely "taste" can come into play. I've seen so many cushions over the past decade, both modern and vintage facet variety ... I don't think there is a cutting style with varying optics I haven't seen or recorded. You might be surprised to learn Dave that when we help a client we don't push any one appearance. We learn what it is that pleases their eyes most and help them along that path.

We're jumping as much as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Too funny and yes thank God we are busy too.

All the best,
Jon

 

[TheGreatTwizz]

Hi Bob,

It's times like this I wish I had a commissioned sales staff

The Aset machine is not broken and you will have the image in a day or two. I will also speak to your CSR and some of the other newer reps to sharpen their understanding of vintage diamonds and older cutting styles. We spend a great amount of initial Pricescope training on the nuance of "ideal", hca, pavilion angles, etc. That being said, I think as soon as your rep heard "Pricescope" her brain went into "round" mode.

All the best,

Mr. Schultz:

I entirely understand your 'sometimes' wish for commissioned sales staff. I'd like to take a minute to weigh in on James Allen's customer service, and my personal experience with your staff over the past month. I found a stone that struck me as soon as I glimpsed at the photo. Knowing that JA will compare up to three stones, I picked out another one that was close to meeting my specs, and ordered the ASET and Sarin images (as well as obtaining my own ASET in the meantime, which proved invaluable as I shopped in Philadelphia's Jeweler's Row). I also requested the gemologist's review, and, to quote, was told that one stone was a 'clear winner' (this also happened to be the stone of my preference). As I had a 3 day hold at this point, I indicated that I needed four days for funds to be available, and was told they couldn't hold the stone past three days. But, on the plus side, it would take a few days for the stone to be back to market, and knowing that there aren't a TON of buyers for the size I was at, there was a good chance I could still get it.

In the interim, I looked at no less than 50+ cushions, all over 2 ct, in Philadelphia. I even had wholesalers to whom I was referred say that they 'couldn't handle me' with looking at stones under the ASET and immediately rejecting the duds. Of those 50+ cushions, I only found one performer, and it was a bit small, and not to the shape preference of my g/f.

The following week, my csr, Adam B., emailed to tell me the stone was available, and should I wish to purchase it, he'd bring it right in for me. This went off without a hitch, the stone came in to JA last Tuesday, and was in my hands on Wednesday.

While I was initially disappointed that the hold couldn't be extended in the first place, and I nearly lost the stone, Adam's followup was tremendous, and his service through the whole process was excellent. The stone came in, and as soon as I opened the box, I was instantly in love and knew it was the one, just like the first time I met my girlfriend. The jeweler I'm working with in Philadelphia confirmed I found a winner, and there was no need to continue the search.

Again, Mr. Schultz, I can't say enough kind things about Adam B., and he certainly deserves a personal pat on the back from you for the service he extended to me. Making this kind of purchase online is certainly difficult to even seasoned online buyers such as myself, but Adam was tremendous, and I wouldn't hesitate to personally recommend him to friends and family. Should you need specifics, simply say Chris with the 2.43 J/VS2 cushion.

OP: Once you get the ASET, be sure to post it here. If this is any help to your comparison, here is my thread: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-eval-sarin-and-aset-included.167984/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-eval-sarin-and-aset-included.167984/[/URL]

 

[bobdole]

Looks like a dud... The other stones I compared it to were a little better, but still not what I'm looking for I think. I guess the search continues. What a great discussion though, thanks all.

 

[TheGreatTwizz]

I'd agree with you. Nearly no red at all. Pass. On to the next one.

 

[Rhino]

Perfect demonstration illustrating my point. Just to bring this conversation full circle, the original post was comparing price differences between an AVC with ideal light performance vs a generic vintage.

To help you and the readers better understand my perspective when I undertook the AVC project and whether it would make financial sense (to both layman and myself as investor) ... take the core price of this diamond. $4400.

Now ... take the cost it would take to hire a cutter who had
a. the knowledge to know the perfect geometry to cut this to and
b. put in the man hours and had the necessary talent to cut this to those standards ...

What do you think that would add to the cost of this diamond?

Anyone who has had recutting done by any of the more well known names has an idea. Let's take a conservative estimate and tack on $600 for the recutting (and shipping back and forth) forget about branding, value in that etc. And lets say this 1.04ct loses 15% of the weight (although it could be as much as 20%) and the diamond resulted in a .83-.88ct. You'd end up paying at least 5k+.

A .88ct AVC H VS1 would cost exactly $4400 (wire) with me cutting it from the rough (the same exact cost for this 1.04ct).

While this stands as a great demonstration of my point and this discussion it does not only apply to AVC but would apply to any particular brand that is cut for a very specific geometry and a great lesson in the subject of value.

Kindest regards,
Jonathan

 

[Rockdiamond]

Great point about costs Jon- we face the same considerations with Yoram when he cuts our antique cushions.

I've not yet seen the video you referred to but I'll have a look and give my opinion of it soon- also I'll record my own so folks can get a different viewpoint as well.

 

[Rhino]

Great point about costs Jon- our branded cut for color cushions, also cut by Yoram- would also be in the same category.

I've not yet seen the video you referred to but I'll have a look and give my opinion of it soon- also I'll record my own so folks can get a different viewpoint as well.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your comments. I can't comment on what you have Yoram cutting for you as I've never seen it or inspected it but I do want to make it clear that they are not AVC's (according to Yoram's word and the integrity of our relationship). AVC, a vintage OMB cushion cut for a particular optic, proven via ASET & AGS Labs is my vision, which I had shared with Yoram to produce the AVC. I respect your opinions and whatever it is you are doing but just wanted to clarify so people don't get confused because I know Yoram cuts different products for different people and your comment "our branded cut for color cushions, also cut by Yoram- would also be in the same category" could easily be miscontrued by the readers of this forum that they are AVC's when they are not. I know you know that already but just clarifying.

For educational purposes here is a direct link to the video I'm talking about regarding our discussion of "crushed ice" diaimonds.
http://youtu.be/UYPKsQosNMQ

All the best,
Jonathan

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thanks Jon- you're 100% correct- I've had the pleasure of inspecting an AVC that was worn in by a client- it was a lovely stone!
Yes, it was completely different than what Yoram cuts for us.

I've had the pleasure of seeing many amazing diamond cut by Yoram.
However, as great as Yoram is- there's no artist in the world without peer. A tiny number of others can cut stones that I'd have to say, from my perspective, are comparable in a general sense.
But I also agree with another point you made- if Yoram does work on an exclusive design, as he has for both of us- he will protect that brand. So, no one else will have either one of our stones unless it's bought on the secondary market from a consumer.

I agree that transparency is the best goal for consumers- so avoiding misconceptions is important.

 

[Rhino]

Thanks. I knew you'd understand.

Now get those cats jumping and start rocking!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

WOW, that diamond REALLY shows how valuable an ASET is!!!

I say this all the time here and it holds true this time as well....you get what you pay for!!! (And in my opinion, AVC's are just worth it! )

 

[Rockdiamond]

I can't thank you enough for posting that video Jon!
Here's my take:
I know you want to impart your vision- and you're both great at your craft, and passionate. I applaud you for that.
The video you posted showcases this wonderfully- however it is an advertisement- an infomercial, as it were.
An infomercial may contain some educational aspects- however the entire goal of it is to highlight a particular brand
Here's a few of the aspects of the video that make it highly subjective, and far less educational:
You are using descriptions such as "This is a beautiful diamond" and "This is not a beautiful diamond" "This is a 'slushy watery' diamond"
To be educational it must be able to illustrate a point neutrally.

I might agree- in the case of the horrible princess cut, yes I agree that stone was not well cut.
On the next example it is the point.
You're trashing a stone you don't like- and that's your right- but I can not see, from the footage you provided what is so bad about that cut.
It might be that I would feel it is badly cut if I examined it, but you do not demonstrate this in the video you posted. It might be a pretty stone. Surely some will prefer that type of stone.
My point is, you do not need to insult others to showcase your vision.

But most importantly lacking in that video was a great example of a stone with small virtual facets which create tremendous scintillation- and very good performance in many different lighting environments.
All the "crushed ice" stones you show lack what lovers of good crushed ice seek- a bottomless pit of sparkle. All the "crushed ice" examples you show look like the type of patterned stones you love.
If that's lacking, you call them "slushy watery"
There are some amazing crushed ice stones that look nothing like the ones in your video.
And your shooting methods, like everyone else- highlights your vision- so even there- it's subjective.
Just have a look at a few of my videos Jon- I'm an old diamond grader- so I hold the diamond in tweezers under a grading lamp- in a light box- or in natural lighting.
This gives a totally different view than your methods. Neither is more accurate than the other- but they showcase the diamonds in different ways- and your methods put the small virtual facet stones at a disadvantage.

And I will be honest here Jon- you force the viewer through an ad for AVC first? That's a bit much.

But first and foremost, I truly appreciate the chance to discuss this- thanks!