- Joined
- Jan 26, 2003
- Messages
- 22,146
As you can tell from my choice of title for this thread, I am not impartial about the the sudden popularity of vintage diamonds. Dancing Fire started a thread recently asking why anyone would want a rose cut diamond since it didn't sparkle, but I am referring to all the so-called "vintage" cuts sweeping Pricescope with their popularity.
I just visited one website that discussed single cuts, rose cuts, Old Mine Cuts, and Old European Cuts, describing all the differences in the way the diamonds were cut. Then the site-predictably-called the round brilliant, the "modern round brilliant" as if it were only one of many equal round cuts, no better or worse than the Old Mine Cut or the Old European Cut- and not the only cut we have been calling the round brilliant for decades, the only round cut currently graded by GIA and AGS (i.e. the reputable diamond labs).
Must I remind all of you of the past decade in which we all ogled the Firescope, the Holloway Cut Advisor, the Brilliancescope, and every other possible device known to mankind in order to discern how to measure light return? The things about which men buying engagement rings obsessed were fire, brilliance, and how to keep even one iota of light from being lost from the sparkle of the diamond they chose! And now none of that matters? After the millions of dollars spent on learning how best to measure light return and cut for ideal light return? Are you kidding me? Now everyone wants a yellow diamond that could have been cut 100 years ago?
Karl called it. It's all about the rise in diamonds prices. Due to the rise in diamond prices, people cannot afford large, high color, well cut diamonds, but they still want large diamonds. So the industry is selling them large, low color diamonds in an affordable form. And telling them that these diamonds are actually better! Yes, better!
And no one is shouting that the emperor has no clothes!
Gypsy is right. If you like naked emperors, go watch one parade in the street. That is your right. But you should know that the diamond industry spent tons of money perfecting the best cut for light return. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry now has its own branded ideal cut diamond. So why, other than to boost diamond sales and accrue more wealth, would diamond merchants suddenly start pushing diamonds with no light return? You should, at least, know that their sudden interest in vintage cut runs counter to everything they have touted in the past ten years or more!
Deb/AGBF
I just visited one website that discussed single cuts, rose cuts, Old Mine Cuts, and Old European Cuts, describing all the differences in the way the diamonds were cut. Then the site-predictably-called the round brilliant, the "modern round brilliant" as if it were only one of many equal round cuts, no better or worse than the Old Mine Cut or the Old European Cut- and not the only cut we have been calling the round brilliant for decades, the only round cut currently graded by GIA and AGS (i.e. the reputable diamond labs).
Must I remind all of you of the past decade in which we all ogled the Firescope, the Holloway Cut Advisor, the Brilliancescope, and every other possible device known to mankind in order to discern how to measure light return? The things about which men buying engagement rings obsessed were fire, brilliance, and how to keep even one iota of light from being lost from the sparkle of the diamond they chose! And now none of that matters? After the millions of dollars spent on learning how best to measure light return and cut for ideal light return? Are you kidding me? Now everyone wants a yellow diamond that could have been cut 100 years ago?
Karl called it. It's all about the rise in diamonds prices. Due to the rise in diamond prices, people cannot afford large, high color, well cut diamonds, but they still want large diamonds. So the industry is selling them large, low color diamonds in an affordable form. And telling them that these diamonds are actually better! Yes, better!
And no one is shouting that the emperor has no clothes!
Gypsy is right. If you like naked emperors, go watch one parade in the street. That is your right. But you should know that the diamond industry spent tons of money perfecting the best cut for light return. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry now has its own branded ideal cut diamond. So why, other than to boost diamond sales and accrue more wealth, would diamond merchants suddenly start pushing diamonds with no light return? You should, at least, know that their sudden interest in vintage cut runs counter to everything they have touted in the past ten years or more!
Deb/AGBF