Question about H&A stones

[nabwong]

Hello,

If say you''re only considering a round stone, is there any reason that you should consider anything else besides a H&A one?

Thanks!

 

[JulieN]

it's like saying should you only consider G color. why?

 

[JoeNewbie11]

Well, budget could be a reason for not picking a H&A. There is a premium for the optical symmetry of a H&A, if that is something you truly care about, you''ll be willing to pay it. There are plenty of non-H&A Ideal cut stones with great proportions that are not branded H&A that look equally as beautiful in my opinion and don''t have the extra premium.

 

[nabwong]

I guess I''m assuming that a H&A stone being carefully cut for symmetry would also score well on the other attributes like light return. I''m just confused at the moment. So you''re saying that a H&A cut is not necessarily a "level" of cut but just a "kind" of cut. So stones that are not H&A would be able to be "better" than a H&A? A non-H&A stone could sparkle more than a H&A?

What other types of design are there besides H&A for round stones?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 6/26/2008 10:32:16 PM
Author: nabwong
I guess I''m assuming that a H&A stone being carefully cut for symmetry would also score well on the other attributes like light return. I''m just confused at the moment. So you''re saying that a H&A cut is not necessarily a ''level'' of cut but just a ''kind'' of cut. So stones that are not H&A would be able to be ''better'' than a H&A? A non-H&A stone could sparkle more than a H&A?

What other types of design are there besides H&A for round stones?

many, check out GOG !
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamondSearch.php

 

[Lorelei]

Many well cut stones may show an arrow pattern, but not be actual hearts and arrows cut, it depends on what you value more as to which you choose. You can find beautifully cut diamonds in this manner which may be an excellent choice, or you may prefer the pedigree of a branded H&A cut. It depends on your preferences and budget.

See this thread for more info - https://www.pricescope.com/hearts_indx.asp

 

[honey22]

Date: 6/26/2008 10:32:16 PM
Author: nabwong
I guess I''m assuming that a H&A stone being carefully cut for symmetry would also score well on the other attributes like light return. I''m just confused at the moment. So you''re saying that a H&A cut is not necessarily a ''level'' of cut but just a ''kind'' of cut. So stones that are not H&A would be able to be ''better'' than a H&A? A non-H&A stone could sparkle more than a H&A?

What other types of design are there besides H&A for round stones?

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and you feel comfortable sharing your budget, we can help you find a fabulous stone and a setting too if you want.

We would need to know how much you want to spend total, and what type of setting you are thinking, and in what metal. That way you get an idea of what really well cut stones will cost and what you can realistically get with your budget.

When looking for a diamond, remember that cut is king! A well cut stones will look bigger, whiter and much more sparklier than an inferior cut, so you really don''t want to scrimp on cut!

Good luck with your search!

 

[nabwong]

I spent the whole of last night reading the Niceice tutorial and i''m starting to understand a little bit more what you all are saying. I will spend today reading GOG''s tutorials.

As I''ve read about a lot of people here, I can''t help feeling the same about purchasing a diamond before reading every single thing about them. So I might be suffering from a bit of buyer''s remorse. I did not know about H&A before I purchase one. It''s on the way, expecting to reach me today. Click me to view

After reading some tutorials, I don''t feel so bad anymore but somehow, I feel like maybe I could have done better. My budget was originally below $1000 but I stretched it a little to give me a little bit more flexibility. ( Grad student here )

I guess this stone does have a pseudo H&A pattern. It''s just that when I saw a photo of other H&As, I was blown away. Buying it online, I could not compare how they''d look with my naked eye. So, that''s where the remorse is coming from; not knowing what I''m going to get as this is my first ever diamond purchase.

Well, I hope to post some pics. Not sure if my 8 year old camera can get a good image but I''m anxious to post one. I have an idealscope on the way ( monday ). Too bad I read about idealscope after the diamond was set and ship; couldn''t request one from the retailer. Maybe I''m just being overly worried for nothing?

 

[Lorelei]

Actually I don't think you need to worry, that is an excellent AGS0 diamond you have picked, and it appears to show an arrow pattern anyway, so see what you think when it arrives - you did really well.

Also please bear in mind that the images and magnified pics we see do not trump reality. Even with an undisputed H&A diamond, you won't notice the arrows all the time, only in some lighting. The diamond you have picked is a desirable AGS0 cut grade with excellent proportions - unless having a true hearts and arrows matters very much to you, I think you did fine!

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Date: 6/26/2008 10:32:16 PM
Author: nabwong
I guess I''m assuming that a H&A stone being carefully cut for symmetry would also score well on the other attributes like light return. I''m just confused at the moment. So you''re saying that a H&A cut is not necessarily a ''level'' of cut but just a ''kind'' of cut. So stones that are not H&A would be able to be ''better'' than a H&A? A non-H&A stone could sparkle more than a H&A?

I am just digesting the info of HRD, who have yesterday presented their new objective system of grading H&A. There is a lot of info there, and I will definitely write more about this later.

However, this already shows that H&A-patterns are possible in pavilion angles ranging from 39.9° through 41.7°, crown angles ranging from 29.9° through 41.1° and table sizes from 52 through 59%. In that way, there is no direct relationship of the pattern with perfect light return. In some proportion-combinations, the H&A-pattern will be an extra contributor to scintillation, when the basic proportion-set is already extremely good. In other combinations, it probably contributes to the scintillation of a less than ideal proportion-set.

In other words, a H&A is better than a non-H&A with the same proportion-set. But a H&A might be worse than a non-H&A with a better proportion-set.

Live long,

 

[nabwong]

Thanks Lorelei, Andy,

I just received the ring.

1st impression - Nice box. Came with the AGS cert and an appraisal. The appraisal declared a higher value than the purchase but at the same time had disclaimers. So I guess it doesn't really mean anything. When I first opened the ring box, I didn't know what to think of it.

It's pretty cloudy today so there's not a lot of light. I thought the stone was just ok. The weight of the setting was good, it felt substantial and it was great quality overall. I began to examine it more closely and i found tiny fibers stuck in between the prongs and the diamond. What are they and should I try to remove them?

Then the sun came out for a while and I was wondering how the diamond would look under direct sunlight. KAPOW! Sparkles galore, almost blinding. I guess this is normal then. Would a cloudy stone sparkle as much under direct sunlight?

Ok one problem now. I hope to show how much it sparkles when I show it to her the very first time. Problem is, my plan is to propose at night. Any ideas? lol.

I can't see any arrows but neither can I see any inclusions. Maybe the next step is to get a 10x loupe. Where's the best place to get em? My idealscope is coming on monday. So that's exciting.

Also, i'm gonna try to post some pictures later.

PS. This diamond has the old AGS cert 2004. Should I be concerned?

 

[Lorelei]

A stone which isn''t cut very well won''t do all that much in the way of sparkle, even if the light is right, so KAPOW! sounds most promising! A well cut diamond doesn''t sparkle all the time, but it should look attractive when in '' rest mode.'' As to a nightime proposal, diamonds can look stunning in candlelight, so that might be worth considering.

 

[nabwong]

Thanks Lorelei,

This stone has the old AGS cert 2004. Is there a huge difference in standards with the new one? Should I be concerned?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Nabwong, you made a better choice of diamond that 99% of the people on the diamond market! Relax, enjoy, plan your proposal... STOP WORRYING!! That is an order !

If you want to knock her socks off, I highy recommend finging a location that has high potlights. That really makes the stone fire. Mine looks best in a nightclub, but maybe you don't want to propose there

.

As for how it looked in the cloudy light, in that environment you will only see brightness, so the whole diamond should be a pretty white circle with some contrast of darker colors. Poorly cut stones will show more grey or darker areas. You will NOT see arrows in normal viewing, those are only apparent in photographs.

 

[vfrhokie]

Bring along an LED book light.

 

[nabwong]

Date: 6/27/2008 1:25:37 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Nabwong, you made a better choice of diamond that 99% of the people on the diamond market! Relax, enjoy, plan your proposal... STOP WORRYING!! That is an order !

If you want to knock her socks off, I highy recommend finging a location that has high potlights. That really makes the stone fire. Mine looks best in a nightclub, but maybe you don''t want to propose there

.


As for how it looked in the cloudy light, in that environment you will only see brightness, so the whole diamond should be a pretty white circle with some contrast of darker colors. Poorly cut stones will show more grey or darker areas. You will NOT see arrows in normal viewing, those are only apparent in photographs.

Oh my god! Only 99%!?!?!?!

Ok, maybe I''m a little paranoid, a little. Aiight, how bout this for a proposal; 4th of july fireworks. You think that''d make the diamond sparkle?

By the way, do you have any comments on the fibers that is stuck in between the prong and diamond?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/27/2008 2:30:01 PM
Author: nabwong

Date: 6/27/2008 1:25:37 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Nabwong, you made a better choice of diamond that 99% of the people on the diamond market! Relax, enjoy, plan your proposal... STOP WORRYING!! That is an order !

If you want to knock her socks off, I highy recommend finging a location that has high potlights. That really makes the stone fire. Mine looks best in a nightclub, but maybe you don''t want to propose there

.


As for how it looked in the cloudy light, in that environment you will only see brightness, so the whole diamond should be a pretty white circle with some contrast of darker colors. Poorly cut stones will show more grey or darker areas. You will NOT see arrows in normal viewing, those are only apparent in photographs.

Oh my god! Only 99%!?!?!?!

Ok, maybe I''m a little paranoid, a little. Aiight, how bout this for a proposal; 4th of july fireworks. You think that''d make the diamond sparkle?

By the way, do you have any comments on the fibers that is stuck in between the prong and diamond?

I only said 99% because the other 1% got their dimaonds after looking at PS and got equvalently great stones

As for the fibers, they are probably from a cleaning cloth or something, so you can probably just pull them off with tweezers... happens to my ring sometimes too. I hesitate to say this and add to your paranoia, but but if the prongs are correctly done there shouldn''t be things getting caught on them. Can you post an extreme close-up of it?

As for fireworks, I''m not sure it''ll give off enough light to make the diamond really sparkle, but who cares right? She will be so shocked she won''t even be able to focus on the ring until later on...