My Recut is DONE!!

[shady71]

Date: 1/22/2009 7:58:39 PM
Author: tyty333
That is amazing! I am soooo happy for you! I would be on cloud nine if it were my recut. Cant wait to see the reset finished product!

Me too! can''t decide if i want to "rush" picking a new setting, or put it back in the old setting for now and take my time choosing. I am trying to work in 10 old stones, about .15 each, from a favorite aunt''s wedding ring. I am thinking two on each side of the main stone, and 6 on a matching band. Though they are higher color than my "warm" recut, Brian said they look pretty good next to it. This is my aunt''s ring.

 

[shady71]

Date: 1/22/2009 8:16:22 PM
Author:
WOW! That is all I can say is just WOW. The improvement is incredible. It may have dropped some weight, but the diameter barely changed. Even with the change in diameter, that diamond was so deep you know it didn''t have edge to edge return on the light, so I will be curious if you actually subjectively perceive a LARGER stone when you get it in your hot little hands!
Now I too, want a diamond that I can send in for a recut. I want to join the Kelli and Shady71 club!

Thanks! I honestly wasn''t overly concerned about weight loss. After all, what good is weight if it doesn''t look good. Thats what made me decide to recut, much smaller stones looked larger than mine. With so little diameter change, and bright to the edge, should really look huge, I can''t wait to see it in person!!

 

[iheartscience]

Wow, what a makeover! I can''t wait to see more photos, although the ones he sent are gorgeous!

 

[Deelight]

YOWSERS that looks amazing I can''t wait to see more

 

[shady71]

One more view... the fire is incredible!

 

[ociopia]

Holy Cow - it is fantabulous! What gorgeous photos. Oh my heavens, I know you are dying for it to get through the process and into your hands!

 

[kcoursolle]

Yummy!!! What a fabulous recut!

 

[JulieN]

Nice. I love the small table.

 

[shady71]

Date: 1/22/2009 10:46:04 PM
Author: JulieN
Nice. I love the small table.

So do I, gives more chunky flashes. I just love it and can''t wait to get it home

 

[Gypsy]

It''s just incredible. WOW. Congrats. Can''t wait to see what AGS thinks of it now.

 

[Lorelei]

OUTRAGEOUSLY gorgeous!!!! * fans self*

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/22/2009 5:49:23 PM
Author: shady71
I just LOVE this photo

Good lord, some get me my salts!!!

Wowzers, talk about a makeover. It turned out fabulous!

 

[Kelli]

Date: 1/22/2009 5:49:23 PM
Author: shady71
I just LOVE this photo

OMG that is breathtaking! What a difference!

Brian does it again. You hardly lost ANY diameter, you are gonna be so blown away when you open up that box!!!

 

[Dancing Fire]

looks great shady

 

[BlueSki231]

oh wow the colors!!!

sooo beautiful! can''t wait to see more pics when you actually get the stone!

 

[shady71]

Date: 1/23/2009 10:14:48 AM
Author: Kelli

Date: 1/22/2009 5:49:23 PM
Author: shady71
I just LOVE this photo

OMG that is breathtaking! What a difference!

Brian does it again. You hardly lost ANY diameter, you are gonna be so blown away when you open up that box!!!

Thank you Kelli, your recut was my inspiration! I have been debating what to do about a setting, but for now will just get a new head for my existing chunky gold ring and have him set it in that. That will give me lots of time to shop around. I really don't know what I want and don't want to rush. Rushing is how I wound up with the steep/deep in the first place.

 

[platinumrock]

WOWZA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your diamond looks amazing with the recut, and it has so much personality!
Congrats, and I can''t wait to see it set!

 

[shady71]

My recut is off at AGS being graded, I will have to be satisfied with photos for now.

Brian just sent me this before and after shot...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/26/2009 8:30:51 AM
Author: shady71
My recut is off at AGS being graded, I will have to be satisfied with photos for now.

Brian just sent me this before and after shot...

WOW!!! You must be so excited!!!

 

[Eva17]

i''m sure you can''t wait to have it back. looking forward to your reaction once you get to play with it a while.


it looks great!

 

[shady71]

Thank you Lorelei & Eva. I am sitting here just mooning over all the photos. Brian put up a whole bunch of photos on his blog for me to download. I am just amazed at the transformation

 

[tlh]

WOWZA, totally heard Berlin''s "Take My Breath Away" with that one!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/26/2009 9:00:42 AM
Author: shady71
Thank you Lorelei & Eva. I am sitting here just mooning over all the photos. Brian put up a whole bunch of photos on his blog for me to download. I am just amazed at the transformation

I bet!

I would be going so nuts waiting to get it in my eager paws!!!!

 

[Judah Gutwein]

Wow...congrats on your awesome diamond makeover!
I''m always amazed at this kind of transformation in action with supplied ''before and after'' photos!

It seems like the concept of weight loss is a positive attribute along a very wide spectrum!!
The weight loss on this stone from start to finish, is more than justified by the amazingly beautiful visual result.

Indeed, size doesn''t matter if the diamond looks like frozen spit.

Your re-cut diamond is a knockout, enjoy!

 

[shady71]

Date: 1/26/2009 2:44:52 PM
Author: Judah Gutwein
Wow...congrats on your awesome diamond makeover!
I''m always amazed at this kind of transformation in action with supplied ''before and after'' photos!

It seems like the concept of weight loss is a positive attribute along a very wide spectrum!!
The weight loss on this stone from start to finish, is more than justified by the amazingly beautiful visual result.

Indeed, size doesn''t matter if the diamond looks like frozen spit.

Your re-cut diamond is a knockout, enjoy!

Thank you Judah, the best part is not losing diameter, less than 1/10mm. I am so happy I decided to explore this option to "make right" my first mistake.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Shady I am glad you opted for some commercial reality rather than the ''idealist'' brand driven approach and left some naturals and did not sacrifice too much of a weight loss.


As James Allen has explained here some years ago - Carat weight is the most valuable of the 4C''s

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 2/12/2009 1:23:02 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
Shady I am glad you opted for some commercial reality rather than the ''idealist'' brand driven approach and left some naturals and did not sacrifice too much of a weight loss.


As James Allen has explained here some years ago - Carat weight is the most valuable of the 4C''s

Garry... I''m the first to admit that I''m not a guru... but that flew completely over my head, I mean... at the sound of light. Can you explain?? I want to understand.

Sorry if I''m asking you to dumb it down too much.

 

[flowerladytoo]

Just saw this thread and all I can say is WOW!!!! What an amazing transformation. Looking forward to hearing more once AGS gets done grading it, and seeing more pictures once you have it back! Great job

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 2/12/2009 1:46:51 AM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 2/12/2009 1:23:02 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
Shady I am glad you opted for some commercial reality rather than the ''idealist'' brand driven approach and left some naturals and did not sacrifice too much of a weight loss.


As James Allen has explained here some years ago - Carat weight is the most valuable of the 4C''s

Garry... I''m the first to admit that I''m not a guru... but that flew completely over my head, I mean... at the sound of light. Can you explain?? I want to understand.

Sorry if I''m asking you to dumb it down too much.

Hi Gypsy,
In one of the 15 threads on this recut I asked that Shady (and anyone else contemplating a recut) consider that some cutters who offer this service can feel obliged to make diamonds into representations of their brand standard. That can mean cutting more than I would away from a stone.
8* for example would have to cut more off many stones than I would.
The last 1% of visual and symmetry gain can result in an additional 10% weight loss and even pull a stone below a critical carat weight. I have seen it happen many times.

I do not know which of the threads that this comment is in - but I have made this warning several times and recomended people get a second opinion from someone like Bill Bray or the many cutters known to various appraisers.

I am sure that the face up color of this stone is much improved.
It would have been good to see the photo''s taken with another similar coloured stone so we could see the difference. I imagine it is a 2 -3 grade face up improvement.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 2/12/2009 2:23:54 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)

Date: 2/12/2009 1:46:51 AM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 2/12/2009 1:23:02 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
Shady I am glad you opted for some commercial reality rather than the 'idealist' brand driven approach and left some naturals and did not sacrifice too much of a weight loss.


As James Allen has explained here some years ago - Carat weight is the most valuable of the 4C's

Garry... I'm the first to admit that I'm not a guru... but that flew completely over my head, I mean... at the sound of light. Can you explain?? I want to understand.

Sorry if I'm asking you to dumb it down too much.

Hi Gypsy,
In one of the 15 threads on this recut I asked that Shady (and anyone else contemplating a recut) consider that some cutters who offer this service can feel obliged to make diamonds into representations of their brand standard. That can mean cutting more than I would away from a stone.
8* for example would have to cut more off many stones than I would.
The last 1% of visual and symmetry gain can result in an additional 10% weight loss and even pull a stone below a critical carat weight. I have seen it happen many times.

I do not know which of the threads that this comment is in - but I have made this warning several times and recomended people get a second opinion from someone like Bill Bray or the many cutters known to various appraisers.

I am sure that the face up color of this stone is much improved.
It would have been good to see the photo's taken with another similar coloured stone so we could see the difference. I imagine it is a 2 -3 grade face up improvement.

Thanks Garry I saw that and remember it, and puzzled over it then too, but was too ill to ask further. So if you don't mind my asking now (sorry if I'm trying your patience!)... I know for me it was very stressful to send my stone off to get it re-set... and I also used the opportunity to get an updated appraisal from Neil as well because I didn't want to have to send it out twice. How hard it is to find local cutters, or to get appraisers who are familiar with the cutting process that can evaluate what someone re-cutting your stone is doing is what's best? It doesn't seem like there are many with that expertise and I think sending your actual stone around the country for second opinions would be very stressful. For me, I'd just want to pick a cutter I trusted (like Brian, or Bill, or You) and make sure to tell him to mention that carat weight should be balanced against performance, the way you suggested. Does that make sense???

And regarding the 8* issue (their stones aren't to my personal taste) but to use your example, if you pick a known brand, like them or Hearts on Fire... would the brand value, and color lightening of the re-cut diamond balance out the carat loss at all? Not to mention an AGS cert with better grades for performance?

The other thing I'm curious about, I don't know much about cutting (so please correct me if I'm wrong) but I suspect it's part art. The same way two different setting designers can take your ideas (no matter how explicit) and come up with two different executions and results (both pleasing)... wouldn't asking two master chef's how to cut your diamond potentially lead to confusion if the two disagreed. Do you get a third as a tie breaker if this happens???

Also, I've seen Bill's recut of Swingirl's diamond (beautiful), but wouldn't there be a little bit of a conflict of interest if a person was going to choose Bill, but wanted 8*'s second opinion? I mean... wouldn't 8* be tempted to convince the person that their re-cut would be better? (Not casting aspersions on 8*', just using them as an example).

I'm just curious, because well... with custom settings, you look at the person's style and quality record and decide if it's for you (or in Leon's case, take into account his personality, and decide if you can deal with that too)... with diamond cutting, isn't it the same? I mean, if you like 8* you like 8* and want one... so you have them recut because that's what brings value to the stone in your eyes and that's what you want. You don't want an ACA or a HOF, you want an 8*, and even if it means that another cutter (another artist) disagrees, isn't it ultimately what the buyer wants that determines the value (like some people wanting Tiffany, and ONLY Tiffany despite the mark up). So despite the weight loss of getting an 8*, wouldn't it worth it to the educated consumer (I'm assuming they are educated on this and have read this thread, and thought about the weight loss issue) to have the cut they want and to wear it happily, than to worry about resale value and carat weight? I mean... you can't recover much in resale anyway, and while it's true that carat size is a huge consideration when pricing a diamond for sale... but I think most people getting a re-cut are worried about it's wearability and appearance to their own taste, rather than it's resale.

Does that make any sense?