Pros and cons of different round cut diamonds

[Diamond_14]

Hi everyone!

I have really enjoyed starting to read through this forum. I really have been bitten by the diamond bug haha.

I am finishing graduate school this coming May and I want to get a ring for myself to celebrate.

I am looking at getting a round diamond and have been looking at a variety of different cuts including OEC, transitional, and modern ideals. Are there other variations I should consider??

I still have a lot to learn before I make a purchase, but I am hoping to gather information at possible pros and cons to each round cut type. For example, I have heard OEC being described as more flowery or more like a snowflake. What causes the difference in the cut? Is there a type of cut which has the most fire, sparkle, scintillation, etc.? Is there a big difference or minor overall?

Any information you are willing to share about the characteristics of different round cuts would be really helpful as I am sure a lot of aspects simply haven't occurred to me because I don't have enough knowledge to consider it yet.

Thank you all.

 

[dk168]

OMC as in Old Mine Cut?

Have fun with your search and purchase.

DK

 

[Diamond_14]

OMC as in Old Mine Cut?

Have fun with your search and purchase.

DK

Ooh thank you so much. I need to look into those for sure

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Rose cut
Crown Jubilee
Portuguese

Which finger are you thinking? Any idea on setting style? Any initial color preference? Price?

For example if you want an antique ring for your middle finger I would recommend a rose cut because it could sit low, it has a lot of spread for the carat weight, you can get lower color, and the money you save on carat and color could be put toward a designer antique setting, like CVB.



If I could only have one round diamond it would be an August Vintage round. It flashes fire in nearly every setting and is bright white. But it does not have little splintery scintillation. The first one below is LGD, the second is earth grown.




Non-branded OECs have chunky flashes but tend to come in lower colors and do not face up as white as branded AVRs. But they have an antique-y feel so the low color looks consistent with the style.



MRB supposedly have the most light return if cut to mathematically ideal proportions. If you want bling, this is your choice. Branded super ideal cuts will cost $$$. I do not have any but I have never seen an ugly one online. Unbranded but well cut MRBs are still pretty and sometimes give you the option of a spreadier stone that reflects a lot of white light.

I had one unbranded ideal cut that ended up going dark too often and I returned it to the vendor. I love my other unbranded ideal cuts although I’ve been told they are “far from” ideal by PS standards.

 

[Diamond_14]

Rose cut
Crown Jubilee
Portuguese

Which finger are you thinking? Any idea on setting style? Any initial color preference? Price?

For example if you want an antique ring for your middle finger I would recommend a rose cut because it could sit low, it has a lot of spread for the carat weight, you can get lower color, and the money you save on carat and color could be put toward a designer antique setting, like CVB.



If I could only have one round diamond it would be an August Vintage round. It flashes fire in nearly every setting and is bright white. But it does not have little splintery scintillation. The first one below is LGD, the second is earth grown.




Non-branded OECs have chunky flashes but tend to come in lower colors and do not face up as white as branded AVRs. But they have an antique-y feel so the low color looks consistent with the style.



MRB supposedly have the most light return if cut to mathematically ideal proportions. If you want bling, this is your choice. Branded super ideal cuts will cost $$$. I do not have any but I have never seen an ugly one online. Unbranded but well cut MRBs are still pretty and sometimes give you the option of a spreadier stone that reflects a lot of white light.

I had one unbranded ideal cut that ended up going dark too often and I returned it to the vendor. I love my other unbranded ideal cuts although I’ve been told they are “far from” ideal by PS standards.

Wow, your rings are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing the photos and your knowledge.

I certainly need to think about which finger I will usually wear the ring on. I am thinking of wearing it mostly as a right hand ring probably on my fourth finger. I have an engagement ring (left hand, ring finger). I am not sure what finger is most common for a second ring...

For the setting I am thinking solitaire right now but not set in stone on that. Definitely something simple.

I think for color I will be looking for colorless to near colorless (D-J). I really haven't seen enough diamonds in person to know if I am sensitive to color. I need to go look at some more in person.

As for price, I am thinking about 3-6K right now. I would like to get something around 1ct if I can so I can increase my budget some if needed.

Those August Vintage rounds look stunning. I definitely am interested in those. I am excited to look into those more. Do you have any recommendations on color range, clarity, cut proportions, or anything else. that I would want to look for on a AVR or OEC cut?

Thank you so much!

 

[mrsctobe]

+1 for august vintage. They're a dream to work with too

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Wow, your rings are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing the photos and your knowledge.

I certainly need to think about which finger I will usually wear the ring on. I am thinking of wearing it mostly as a right hand ring probably on my fourth finger. I have an engagement ring (left hand, ring finger). I am not sure what finger is most common for a second ring...

For the setting I am thinking solitaire right now but not set in stone on that. Definitely something simple.

I think for color I will be looking for colorless to near colorless (D-J). I really haven't seen enough diamonds in person to know if I am sensitive to color. I need to go look at some more in person.

As for price, I am thinking about 3-6K right now. I would like to get something around 1ct if I can so I can increase my budget some if needed.

Those August Vintage rounds look stunning. I definitely am interested in those. I am excited to look into those more. Do you have any recommendations on color range, clarity, cut proportions, or anything else. that I would want to look for on a AVR or OEC cut?

Thank you so much!

You can probably get a 1carat in your budget if you go with an unbranded oec. Mine is SI1 and it is fine.

You could get a LGD AVR with your budget for sure. An earth grown 1 carat AVR, you might have to go down in color. Here is a summary of the arguments:

- AVR are so well cut that they face up white and you can go way down in color. AGS color grading really isn’t that different than GIA grading.

versus

- AVR aren’t any different than other well cut diamonds, you can still see the color, and AGS is way too liberal with their color grading so whatever AGS color you get figure it is 2-3 shades warmer.

My experience is that my earth AVR that is AGS graded G looks white from the top and a little warm from the side. Both my earth AVR and earth AVC are graded by AGS and they are definitely warmer than my diamonds graded by GIA.

 

[ecf8503]

I would suggest looking at some videos on YouTube - search for the Good Old Gold, Good Old Gold Diamond Lab, and Rhino's School of Rock channels. Rhino (of Distinctive Gem) is Jonathan, the inventor of the AVR. He has many comparison videos, on a plethora of shapes and diamond topics. Maybe visit the Good Old Gold website and have a look around too - they have other round shapes besides the AVR, MRB - like Solasfera, and occasionally other branded shapes as well. Jonathan used to be at Good Old Gold, and his family still owns it.