Princess or Radiant...square cut suggestions.

[marv117]

I am having some problems choosing between princess and radiant. My girlfriend prefers square cuts and I don't know which one I should choose.

I noticed that princess and radiant cut with almost perfect square has a higher price range...i guess this means the more square it is the better it is...what's ur opinion on buying a princess or radian cut that's not so square?

Can all you great, wonderfull, and so intellegent people help me by educating me more on pros and cons as well as price differences between these two cuts.

So far, I have noticed that there are more princess cut selections than regent..unless I haven't searched well enough. That is all I know so far.

(Preferred Specs: 1.25ct VS1 G and around 6x6mm in dimension.)

Please advice.

 

[homer_j]

Radiant or regent? Two very different cuts. IMHO radiants look nicer when rectangular. A princess should be as square as possible. Regents and flanders are squarish and are very nice square alternatives to the round brilliant. As far as price, I don't know that a square radiant is more costly than a rectangular radiant. A square princess may be more expensive than a princess that is out-of-square because the symmetry is not ideal. In general a princess is much more common than regent or radiant. But both radiants and regents are available. Your best bet for fancy cuts is to involve the vendor in the selection of a nice looking stone in your carat size and budget range. Tell them what you are looking for and have them find it for you, then after you see it and approve, they make the sale. I lucked out and was able to get a nice radiant on the first try. But next time, this is the way I will probably go about it. Good luck.

 

[marv117]

homer_j...do u mean radiant or princess, not radiant or regent? hehehe

....oops never mind..you did mention princess and then suggested regent..disregard my question above.

 

[homer_j]

you mentioned regent in the last line of your intial post, that's why I asked. If you are looking for squarish cuts you should consider a regent also, but as we just learned from RocDoc, they are only made by one source and can be hard to come buy.

 

[marv117]

so a not so square or a rectangular radiant is ideal? I just want to make sure that if i choose a radiant I'll buy an ideal cut.

 

[Hest88]

It's going to be easier finding a nice princess than a nice radiant, purely because princesses are so popular. A princess is more symmetrical, while a radiant has more of a sparkle. Not that that makes it better, just that it has a different "look." A princess, IMO, is a much safer choice if you don't know her preferences.

 

[marv117]

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On 6/1/2003 8:30:11 PM homer_j wrote:

you mentioned regent in the last line of your intial post, that's why I asked. If you are looking for squarish cuts you should consider a regent also, but as we just learned from RocDoc, they are only made by one source and can be hard to come buy.
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oh sorry about that..i didnt even notice i typed regent.

 

[homer_j]

Radiant can be cut rectangular or square. Their are ideal proportions for both, but the jury is still out on exactly what qualifies as ideal with fancy cuts. According to the pros, fancies don't stand up to as rigid a set of rules as round brilliants. For a good general set of guidelines check out the cut grade charts and the DIY Cut Grading tool on the AGA website at www.gemappraisers.com. The charts are also reproduced on the pricescope homepage under the link for fancy cuts. So really the numbers can get you in the ballpark, but it has to pass the eye test first. If you are looking on-line it's good to work with a vendor who will offer their expertise for you on this matter before sending it out to you for your final approval.

 

[diane5006]

HI

So this is the information I have...someone correct me if I am wrong...

Princess - square 4 sided pointed corners
Radiant - square or rectangular 8 sided cut corners
Flanders - square 8 sided cut corners
Lucere - square 8 sided cut corners
Elara - square 8 sided cut corners
Regent - cushiony square 12 sided

I believe all of the above are sometimes called square brilliant or modified square brilliant ...except mabye the rectangular radiant

Then you have your emerald and Assher cuts

diane

 

[homer_j]

A rectangular radiant is identified on a GIA cert as Cut Cornered Rectangular Modified Brilliant. Yes, they have 8 sides if you include the facets created by cutting the corners, but really they have 2 long sides, 2 short sides and the corners clipped off like an emerald. Here's a radiant plot from a GIA cert, it will give you an idea of the shape and facet arrangement.

 

[Hest88]

Yes, Diane, that's the general idea, but what's missing in those descriptions for a newbie is the actual cut description. That just describes the "outline" of the stones. A princess has a more angular appearance, while the radiant, as Homer has shown, has a more rounded pattern and is combined with a step-cut. The regent, Elara, Lucere, and Flanders look more like a RB, but are still different in cut.

 

[diane5006]

Yes...thanks I am not the best at describing...

What would be nice is if there were a pictorial (with descriptions) of all of the cuts...in one place...

Then people could look and see the differences (similarities) and make a more informed choice...

Rather than looking all over the net to find bits of info...

thanks

 

[caratgirl]

Hi Marv,

Why don't you just logon to www.goodoldgold.com? Go to the for sale section, go into fancy shapes, and there you will see every fancy shape pictured. This should give you a great idea of what they really look like.

 

[diane5006]

HI Good old gold great site they have some good stuff under educational diamonds ... as well...

They have lots to look at

 

[marv117]

yes, GOG is a great site! I go there constantly like a bad habit...

I have 6months or more before I purchase and already I'm going crazy...I can't wait any longer!!! hehehe