? re: rose cut diamonds & light play

[the_mother_thing]

I am working on a project where I am using several small (2.75mm) rose cut diamonds as accents. I don't have any RCs set in anything to see how the light play works with them.

What I am specifically wondering is this: without a 'backing' under the RC, would light enter into the table and pass through (since the pavilion is flat) or does it still reflect back out of the table?

If it passes through, would it 'bounce' around inside the gallery and reflect off the metal (e.g., polished white gold or platinum) and perhaps into the pavilion of the other stones, albeit possibly negligible?

 

[distracts]

Um, I don't have a technical answer but rose cuts with backings are much prettier. I think without the light often just goes through? If possible leave a gap between the backing and the diamonds so you can clean them.

 

[bunnycat]

You are much better off with a backing to simulate the old style foiling on antique rose cuts, IMO. I don't have a large modern RC, but some white topaz and I'll show you the difference when I can get a pic.

Disagree with leaving a gap. Bezel set or let the backs get dirty. They love it.

 

[bunnycat]

Here's a couple of comparison pics. The ring is from the early 1800's and has rose cuts in it that are about 2.5mm.

The other 2 are silver with white rose cut topaz. One has a silver backing and is several years old so has patina on it (including the silver backing). The other is new.

So I guess it depends on the look you want. If you want to mimic the way antique rose cuts look (sort of rustic, patina'd and glowy), go with a backing. If you like the water droplet look of the modern iteration then no backing.

 

[the_mother_thing]

Um, I don't have a technical answer but rose cuts with backings are much prettier. I think without the light often just goes through? If possible leave a gap between the backing and the diamonds so you can clean them.

Thank you! Since these are small accents for a CS ring, I am actually hoping there is some light let into the gallery, and perhaps some interesting play off them without a backing; that's why I am trying to understand how light travels in/around/through them.

You are much better off with a backing to simulate the old style foiling on antique rose cuts, IMO. I don't have a large modern RC, but some white topaz and I'll show you the difference when I can get a pic.

Disagree with leaving a gap. Bezel set or let the backs get dirty. They love it.

Thank you BC. They will be bezeled, but I don't want a backing on them.

Here is a link to my thread in CS to help understand what I am looking to do: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/second-sparklie-splurge-red-spinel.229321/

 

[the_mother_thing]

Bunnycat: beautiful bling! Your ring with the 2.5 mm RCs, are those diamonds, and do they have a backing?

 

[distracts]

Have you looked at JuliaB's etsy/instagram? She does things with bezeled rose cuts and there are often videos.

 

[the_mother_thing]

Have you looked at JuliaB's etsy/instagram? She does things with bezeled rose cuts and there are often videos.

No, but I did browse a few of JbG's videos with RCs. But I can't really see under the ring in the videos to see how light travels into the stones, so I figured I just needed a somewhat 'scientific' answer to the general question.

 

[bunnycat]

Thanks Jenn!

The rose cuts in the antique ring are diamonds. It's so old and I don't really know enough about how the foiling process was done to be able to say if they were foiled or blacked on back at some point in their 200+ years, or not. They are prong set, and do not have a back and I don't clean them often, just a little on top sometimes. I would say I have yet to see ANY modern rose cut diamonds set this way (prong or open back) that glow like the actual old ones. The closest I have been able to get is putting a silver backing on like in the white topaz and then letting it patina to mimic the way most antique rose cuts you see looks. (I say most because if you get someone who polishes off the patina in an antique, then the rose cuts don't "look right" to me. The lose their glow and definition, imo.)