LAck of sparkle

shutinup · Mar 5, 2003

I just purchased a 2.01 emerald cut diamond and it has no sparkle.

Color: F;
Clarity: VS1;
Polish:Very good;
Symmetry: Very good;
Fl: none;
Culet: None;
Grd: thn-med;

D%: 67.5 T%: 76.0

It has a very clean look to it but literally no sparkle.
Is this normal?

JiffyLuber · Mar 5, 2003

Emerald cut diamonds don't sparkle. It sounds like a great stone.

dirtysanchez · Mar 5, 2003

You got totally ripped off. Emerald cut diamond like that should sparkle.

shutinup · Mar 5, 2003

which is it? this stone is super clear and you can see right through it. zero sparkle. help, please..

pricescope · Mar 5, 2003

Shutinup, welcome to the forum.

I think it is difficult to say whether the diamond sparkles or not. There is nothing wrong with the numbers you posted above. However, it is impossible to judge cut quality based on table and depth % alone.

Sparkling is a subjective term. Emeralds return less light comparing to say rounds and some emeralds cut better than others.

Have you had a chance to compare this diamond to other emeralds?

in particular.

You also might want to show the diamond to an expert gemologist.

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pricescope · Mar 5, 2003

----------------
... you can see right through it.
----------------

That is not a good sign

shutinup · Mar 5, 2003

It has a GIA cert on it and it appraises for close to 30K, even though I paid less than half of that. It looks nice, but no real sparkle. I don't want the girl to get it and say "where is the sparkle?"

Giangi · Mar 5, 2003

I STRONGLY suggest you to return it, if you can. It sounds like you aren't happy at all...

pricescope · Mar 5, 2003

GIA grading reports (certs) give very liitle information on diamond cut. The fact that diamond has GIA grading report doesn't mean the diamond is of good quality.

Over inflated appraisal also means nothing. Did you get the appraisal from independent appraiser or it was issued by the vendor?

Rank Amateur · Mar 5, 2003

I personally don't think emerald cuts "sparkle" much either. Maybe it's the larger faceting. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE emerald cuts, but if you're after the "busy-ness" one normally finds in a round, an emerald may not be the way to go. An assher has an extra level of enchantment that a regular emerald cut does not have, but still not the bling-bling of a round brilliant. On the plus side, buying an emerald probably let you go over the 2ct mark, where you'd be far short of 2cts in a well-cut round.

If you truly can "see right through it" that's not good. Take it to a pro to have a look.

I guess "sparkle" is in the eye of the beholder. My Mom has a 2+ ct round that I like because you can see into the depths of the stone. Maybe you'd think my Mom's stone has no "sparkle" either.

Let us know how you make out.

Hest88 · Mar 5, 2003

It's really hard to tell by words alone if your stone is good or not. That's a rather larger table than I'd like on an EC, but that doesn't mean it's not a great diamond either. ECs don't tend to sparkle the way a brilliant cut would--they're just not cut that way. They should give largish flashes of light, though, and certainly should have a great, elegant look.

Look here for an idea of how a good EC might "sparkle" http://www.goodoldgold.com/emerald_1_51ct_e_vs1.htm

I'd also suggest you go look at as many ECs as possible--not necessarily ones of your size--to see the range of possbilities. It's not easy finding a great EC, unfortunately, so you really need to educate yourself.

shutinup · Mar 5, 2003

I will have to take a better look at it. I will get back to you tomorrow. Thanks

Mara · Mar 5, 2003

Also regardless of what is said..if the stone bothers you with its lack of sparkle, sounds like Giangi is right and you aren't happy. Even if this is a 'normal' occurence, you don't sound happy that you can see through it and it doesn't sparkle. Maybe you should consider a fancy cut that has more sparkle, such as a pear or marquis or similar? The emerald is a classy elegant cut stone, but I really don't think of them as sparklers.

Even if the stone turns out to be well cut and it appraised for over 2ce what you paid, if you are not happy with the look of it, and don't think your girl will be either, return it and keep looking, possibly at a slightly different cut. You can get something along the lines of an emerald cut radiant (don't know if that is the official name) where they are more squarish in shape, but still somewhat have the emerald step cut look to them...I have seen them in some magazines but I don't know anything about them. They looked more sparkly than an emerald in the mag, but then again it could be completely simulated. Good luck!

shutinup · Mar 5, 2003

You are right about me not being happy, it is driving me crazy. I can't return it though, I would have to resell it and get another one.
(The appriasal was from an independent.)

However, if she likes it I wont care. It will give me something to replace as time goes on.

Mara · Mar 5, 2003

How can you not return it? Did you get it from a vendor with no return policy? That is ridiculous!

Giangi · Mar 5, 2003

Thank you Mara

.
Shutinup, ask your jeweler to sell it on consignement or something like that. Or you could ask the next stone's vendor if he takes trade-in's... You could get a very fair amount of money!

shutinup · Mar 5, 2003

I bought it from a cash dealer, who happens to be a good friend. He will take it back, but I will have to wait until he sells it. He doesn't hold a large inventory-

shutinup · Mar 5, 2003

Trade in is a good idea. Especially because I got a deal and I may be able to trade up. Thanks-

Giangi · Mar 5, 2003

This doesn't sound fair AT ALL to me!!!!

(I was referring to the stone's vendor)

shutinup · Mar 5, 2003

Its giving me a headache. I have to leave work early and go look at it.

Mara · Mar 5, 2003

Shutinup--dont get too stressed--though I know it's easier said than done..I was stressed while we were making the final decisions on my stone. If you decide to sell/trade the stone back in, talk to your friend, tell him your concerns and say you want to trade it up for another stone. If he is truly a friend he will work with you on the problem.

Also depending on what you decide to do, you can always run the #'s by people on this forum before purchasing your next stone. Posting stats and specs on a stone PRE-purchase can possibly raise any red flags before you plunk down the $$ next time around...be educated before you commit! People are very helpful on here and between everyone...there is alot of accumulated knowledge. So take advantage!

Good luck!!

okaynow · Mar 5, 2003

did you clean it? I know it sounds dumb, but I just did the windex treatment to my girls diamond for the first time and I was blown away. I didn't realize it was dulled.

divergrrl · Mar 5, 2003

Hey, here is a pic I found of an emerald cut. I just posted it so you could see another. They generally don't have all the facets of other stones, you get a clean, uncluttered diamond. They are beautiful, but don't throw the sparkle. On the other hand, an eye clean EC is something, because at that size you don't have a whole mess of facets to hide inclusions.

Its a matter of tastle, like saying your girl prefers smooth silk over intricate lace, two different fabrics of great beauty.

Hope this helps!

shutinup · Mar 6, 2003

I went and had it appraised again; Good news...I am just paranoid. The appraiser said it was one of the best EC she has ever seen and I didn't know why I was so worried. She conservatively appraised it at more than twice what I paid- Thanks for your help and concern.

shutinup · Mar 6, 2003

thanks for the pic

hope · Mar 6, 2003

I looked at lots of emerald cuts before I settled on mine. I visited Tiffany, Cartier, the NYC diamond district, and lots of local jewelers. The variation of "sparkle" I found differed dramatically from stone to stone, sometimes even when their numbers seem similar.

I think my stone is quite beautiful and I fell in love with its magic the first time I saw it. Although it doesn't reflect much white light back, it reflects a ton of colored light, much like a prism. I think of the facets of my stone like the strings of a violin, playing color back and forth. And in many light conditions, the interior of the stone explodes with points of color that dance around.

That said, it does not "sparkle" like a round brilliant and there are a few light conditions where the stone is quiet and just draws you down into the facets.

Mine is a D, 1.5 carat, 64 depth, 67 table.

If you like the look of the cut, see if your friend will help you find another, and try to view it in different light conditions. Be patient. There are some real beauties out there with lots of life.

Hope things work out for you,

Hope

frizzy_dt · Mar 6, 2003

can you post a pic?
emeralds and squares are my favorite cuts

shutinup · Mar 6, 2003

tomorrow

soda · Mar 6, 2003

trade it for a brilliant round, guaranteed it will sparkle.

shutinup · Mar 6, 2003

Too much sparkle. Not enough class-

LAck of sparkle

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