Minimum size for AVR?

[ratatat]

Hi all,
I absolutely love the look of an AVR. Just wondering what you think would be the minimum size to make it worth getting one, where you could clearly distinguish the facet pattern?
Thanks

 

[Nitedula]

Good question! I've been wondering that myself. @Rhino, what would you say?

 

[Snowdrop13]

I've never seen one in person but I imagine (as with all diamonds) that the bigger the better!

@diamondseeker2006 has a beautiful one that's a bit over 2 carats, probably the perfect size

 

[acaw2015]

I have never seen an avr irl but I imagine that you would see a difference between them and a rb in any size over what would be considered melee, but what size you need to see the facet pattern clearly is a matter of eye-sight. I mean, I see the facet pattern clearly in my 0.1 ct asschers and there is a clear difference between them and any other shape/facet pattern, say a princess. There is no way I would mistake them fore something else than asschers. I think the same goes with avrs.
I also see a difference between the single cut melee in my watch and small full cut melee, but at 0.01 ct I would easily mistake the single cuts for full cuts unless I had a loupe or I saw them next to each other. So, at that size they are too small...
That said, I imagine this wasnt the answer you were looking for.

 

[GeorgieQ]

I don't have an avr but I do have an avc. Mine is .88ct and I can see the gorgeous facet pattern, without any trouble at all. Whilst I would of loved to have an avc in the 1 to 1.4ct range, my budget just wouldn't allow it. I have to say that my .88 avc NEVER ceases to amaze me - it is such a stunning cut, it constantly throws an array of colours in big bold flashes. I absolutely love it. I guess my point is that the avc and the avr are really an extraordinary diamond so whatever your budget allows, size wise, I personally don't think you can go wrong.
Oh and for what it's worth, my eyesight isn't the greatest!

 

[ecf8503]

I have had two AVR's - the first was 0.59ct, and the current one is 0.81ct. I can definitely see the pattern more easily in the larger one obviously, but even in the smaller one it's plainly obvious it's not a MRB. I too would love to have 2 ct AVR, as many of us would, but I'll take what I can get. I absolutely adore the patterning and larger sparkle as compared to my 0.74ct MRB. It's beautiful, bright, and unique. I'd say from my own personal experience that there is no "minimum" size, but obviously the bigger the size the more clear the patterning will become.

 

[rockysalamander]

I don't have a AVR, but I have two 0.4 ct OECs that are side stones to my main stone. They sit at a slight tilt from my main stone. Unless I turn they face-up, I can't see the pattern. I'm not sure if AVRs will be similar, but I would expect that the angle of the setting will affect the prominance of the pattern in addition to size.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I have seen a fair amout of AVRs from .60 to 2.3 cts, and I would say that for a ring, I would even get smaller ones for side stones in a three stone ring. But I'd recommend a carat or more for a main ring stone if that is possible. But if not, start smaller and upgrade over time! The only reason I didn't keep the .60 pair was that one was I color and the other was J, and I could see the color difference. What's funny about me was that I thought my first upgrade was too big at 1.6 cts! But when I started sending for AVRs, I loved the facet pattern so much, that I eventually ended up with much larger than I intended! I still think it's too big and think about selling it at times and go smaller, but I haven't been able to actually go through with that!

Jonathan has gone out on his own and is no longer at GOG, so I need to ask him how he's going to handle upgrades if people go through him (AugustVintageInc.com). He posted yesterday that he is getting in a lot of AVCs very soon, and by the end of the year he will be getting a shipment of AVRs. I'll report back as soon as I find out more info.

I adore my diamond and have a second one that's not set yet. I do plan on buying a smaller pair for earrings (not studs) and possibly side stones for some kind of 3 stone ring.

 

[LLJsmom]

I have a .59 and I can see it. It’s not as obvious as my OEC but I can clearly distinguish the difference in the sparkle from an MRB.

 

[Rhino]

Good afternoon all. Yes ... you can see the differences even in the smaller ones.

With regards to various cuts on the market it's been discussed how it's easier to resolve faceting in modern cut multifaceted diamonds like Solasfera, Eighternity, Star129 etc. in larger sizes 2ct+ however when it comes to smaller sizes I would say AVR faceting is much easier for the eye to resolve than any modern cuts. The large broad reflections attribute to that and do OF COURSE also look amazing in 2ct+ sizes. Thanks for asking.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Okay, Jon said he is working on his sales platform and will announce his plans in the near future. Yesterday he made some Instagram videos talking about his new modern cushion and the fact that he is getting 80-100 new AVCs in soon, and then some AVRs will arrive later in the year. There will be a far greater selection than ever before!

If you are on Instagram, I'd recommend getting on augustvintage and on Facebook, August Vintage Inc. This is how he will be communicating news regarding new cuts and the marketing of his line of stones. I can't wait to see the new cuts he'll be introducing over time!

 

[daintyG]

I had a .60 and could see the facet pattern. I loved that ring, but I traded later for a .90 vintage cushion, which I also love.

 

[ratatat]

Thanks for the replies all! I love the AVRs but have never seen one in real life and there are so few online to choose from. Being on pricescope is fun but also very dangerous for the wallet.

 

[LawmaLlama]

Hi ratatat,
I have a 3 stone AVR, and the smaller of the side stones is .564. I can see the patterning quite easily. Imho, the eye/brain resolves looking at chunky faceting easier than modern, more splintered cuts. If you are thinking solitaire ring, I'd try to go as big as yiur budget allows so you can truly appreciate the facets. Keep in mind GOG has a great upgrade policy too. You can see my ring here
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/gog-custom-cut-avr-trio-in-vatche-royal-crown.227341/

 

[Rhino]

Thanks for the replies all! I love the AVRs but have never seen one in real life and there are so few online to choose from. Being on pricescope is fun but also very dangerous for the wallet.

This is going to change in the very near future ratatat.

Kind regards,
Jonathan

 

[ecf8503]

This is going to change in the very near future ratatat.

Kind regards,
Jonathan

 

[Tophat1]

In my opinion, it's somewhere around 2 cts. I ended up with a MRB for that reason, as my budget would only allow for 1.7-1.8 carats and I felt getting an AVR at that size wasn't worth it because the faceting wasn't as visible

 

[ratatat]

I fear my budget will never stretch this far

 

[foxinsox]

I fear my budget will never stretch this far

I have a 7mm OEC and the facet pattern is clear and easy to see. It's not as precise as an AVR so I would guess that you'd be safe(ish) with that size or even slightly smaller.

 

[GeorgieQ]

ratatat - I've been on PS since 2013 and as you can see I only post very occasionally. I love PS because I love diamonds - all diamonds of all sizes and I love how people kindly share their beautiful jewellery with the PS community. There are an amazing, diverse mix of people here who all share a love of sparkly things. With that diversity comes diversity of opinions - and budgets!! As I said in my earlier post I knew that my budget would never allow for an avc over 1ct (school teacher here ) like never, ever! However I knew from what I had read and seen here on PS that I definitely wanted an avc. I took a well thought out risk - I live in Australia so realistically I wasn't likely to return the stone if I didn't like it because of the costs involved - and the risk paid off big time! I seriously love my .88ct avc, it is beautiful, I can see the facet pattern easily, the colours it throws are amazing. I feel it's a perfect size for my hand and for my lifestyle. I just don't want you to think that an avr or avc are only for people with big budgets. As diamondseeker said, you can always take advantage of the upgrade policy if you should decide (budget allowing) that you want a larger avr later on. Whatever you decide it has to be right for you - good luck!

 

[ratatat]

Thanks for your reply @GeorgieQ!!
I am in Australia too. I've just bought a BGD signature so any further purchases will unfortunately wait, but I will keep your experience in mind and maybe revisit this idea in the near future

 

[KristinTech]

I’m bumping this up to see if there are more opinions out there!

Pics of the <.75 crowd appreciated!

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Bumping because I just dealt with this issue. And there is another active thread right now on the minimum size for an ACA. And a third active thread about whether we should spend $$$ on jewelry we might not wear that often. Put those issues all together and that was my dilemma. I prefer stones <6mm. My 1+ carat diamonds come out of the armoire like once a month. But I’m far-sighted, so how small could I go and still see the pretty facets? But then again do I want to pay $$$ for a diamond that crosses the magic 1 carat mark, that I won’t wear that often?

I started with an earth mined OEC from GOG that is about 5.8mm. I could not see the OEC facets without my reading glasses. But I could definitely tell the difference in chunky facet sparkle compared to my 5.5mm ideal MRB. It is an overall different look. It is different enough that even at a small size, all other factors being equal, I would take an OEC over a MRB.



Well I really wanted to see the facets better. But the best predictor of future performance is past performance and I just don’t wear big stones. And going up big enough where I would guarans see the facets without the coke-bottle eyewear would mean paying the 1+ carat premium. So that would be a good chunk of change for something I might not wear too often.

But hey, this is exactly why the good Lord created Lab Grown Diamonds. I won’t go on and on because of PS forum rules. The story ends happily when @Rhino offered his LGD AVRs. I got a 6.7mm LG AVR and now I have a presbyopia-friendly disco ball that did not break the bank.



‘Thanks for reading!

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Bumping this so interested readers can see the differences in facets between AVR and AVC. The ring on the left has a 0.725 ct AVC (5.2 x 5.5mm) and my poor farsighted eyes can see the facets just fine. The ring on the right has a 1.2 ct AVR (6.7mm).