Marquise diamond cutting to avoid bowtie

[diamondhoarder]

Hi all. It's been a while since I posted. I recently saw a stunning marquise diamond that did not appear to have any bowtie. It was 2ct (ish) so too big for what I am looking for, but it got me wondering whether there are alternative facet patterns for marquise diamonds that eliminate bowties? Or whether this one just had extremely good proportions and flattering lighting.



Can any cut experts weigh on this please?

 

[tyty333]

Beautiful stone! Are those heart sides or trillions?

From my experience, there is no particular faceting pattern that eliminates bow-ties. It all depends on the
individual stone. I wish there were an "Easy" button for marquise, pears, and ovals, but I haven't found it
and doubt it exists unless you go with a super ideal branded stone.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Actually......,
Most colorless Marquise are "Marquise Brilliant".
The stone below was "Marquise Modified Brilliant"
This design adds facets below the girdle that break up the reflections in a way that totally eliminates a traditional "bow tie".
The diamond in the pic- "what, this ol' thang?" was pretty spectacular....around a cool million back in 2012...who knows where she is today...
ETA- the GIA plot is incorrect...let me find a better example of plot.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Just wasted 10 minutes to find freakin GIA uses the same plot fo any Marquise....Brilliant, or Modified Brilliant....unless I missed something.....

The facets are strategically placed right below the girdle. Some of the pavilion facets, which start at the culet, do not reach the girdle.
This design also helps color transmission, which is why many FCD's are cut this way.....
We have had a few colorless cut to Marquise Modified.....

 

[tyty333]

I was just going to ask that @Rockdiamond . I was like...that's a typical 4 main plot, but the stone doesn't look like a 4 main stone!

Very pretty ...as in Gorgeous!!!

I have seen an oval plot that had an up and down kind of pattern on the pavilion connecting the mains. I think it may have been a
branded stone though.

 

[Rockdiamond]

@tyty333 YES!
This same principle is applied to Oval ( Oval Modified Brilliant), Pear, and of course Cushion Brilliant- as opposed to Cushion Modified Brilliant.

 

[diamondhoarder]

Just wasted 10 minutes to find freakin GIA uses the same plot fo any Marquise....Brilliant, or Modified Brilliant....unless I missed something.....

The facets are strategically placed right below the girdle. Some of the pavilion facets, which start at the culet, do not reach the girdle.
This design also helps color transmission, which is why many FCD's are cut this way.....
We have had a few colorless cut to Marquise Modified.....

Aha! That might explain some of the differences across marquise diamonds I have noticed. Im wondering if its more likely that I would find a modified brilliant in an LGD version, based on my understanding that with LGDs they worry less about "wastage" during cutting and more about getting a pleasing look? But if GIA do not distinguish between brilliant and modified brilliant on the cert, I'm wondering whether IGI would either?

Im also wondering whether there is any advantage for a marquise to have a deeper stone with a smaller table in terms of getting a more pleasing overall look, or whether it is all just non-scientific where marquise are concerned, and purely down to the specific combinations of parameters in each individual stone.....

 

[Rockdiamond]

But if GIA do not distinguish between brilliant and modified brilliant on the cert, I'm wondering whether IGI would either?

Not exactly......GIA does note when a stone is the modified design in the description of cut- but for some reason the plots are not showing the differences.

I'm wondering if its more likely that I would find a modified brilliant in an LGD version,

Great question!!
I'll look around, but so far I don't recall seeing one......

Im also wondering whether there is any advantage for a marquise to have a deeper stone with a smaller table in terms of getting a more pleasing overall look, or whether it is all just non-scientific where marquise are concerned, and purely down to the specific combinations of parameters in each individual stone.....

I've never been a fan of "numbers"
Especially with a fancy shape, so many variations are possible. It makes no sense at all eliminating stones based on size of table, etc....

Yes- down to each individual stone.