value of branded diamonds?

[nbrock]

how much better are branded diamonds (superbcert, hearts on fire, etc) than diamonds graded AGS ideal? any opinions are useful.

 

[aljdewey]

I don't know that branded diamonds are "better" than other ideal cuts.

People choose brands....A Cut Above, HOF, etc., because they denote a consistency in the level of quality being sought. Kind of like a Honda....people have come to expect a certain level of quality/reliability/dependability when they purchase a Honda.

There are, I'm sure, many unbranded ideal cut diamonds that could go toe-to-toe with any of the branded diamonds. It just takes a bit more legwork on your part to find & identify them.

 

[yanyan]

i hv recently purchased an eternity ring from Cartier and I was told that it is a all F colour and VVS clarity.

Without doubt, i brought it but i found out that the information was not true and called up the shop.

And realise that the stone are a combination of F and G colours and they are of VVS and VS clarity instead.

I got my ring refund cos i am very upset. And went to Tiffany and CO. And find out that they are doing the same. Sigh, branded stuffs are only always the best.

Hope this will help.

 

[yanyan]

But of course, cartier and tiffany & co. also stock very excellent quality diamonds and jewellery. Guess maybe the sales person that serve me is not experience.

I am very thankful that they refund the transaction. i will still buy their products in future but will gather more information.

Apology for misleading about the reputation of the brands.

 

[nbrock]

thanks for the early quick answers. i guess part of the question i have is how much more consistency do you get in the brand than you get from an AGS ideal certificate?

 

[pricescope]

In the internet branding includes the whole package: quality of the products and services, integrity, company image, personal attention to each customer needs, friendliness and openness, knowledge, etc, etc.

 

[Smooth]

----------------
On 8/20/2003 2:37

0 PM nbrock wrote:

thanks for the early quick answers. i guess part of the question i have is how much more consistency do you get in the brand than you get from an AGS ideal certificate?
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The AGS Ideal cut encompasses a fairly wide range of proportions, including some that might not be favorable for light performance. Branded diamonds are typically cut to tighter tolerances to ensure good performance, and the "brander" may reject poor performers so as not to damage their brand. So branded diamonds should be more consistent compared to AGS0 diamonds as a whole.

Still, that's not to say branded diamonds can't vary somewhat. Different brands have different standards. And as others have said, it's entirely possible to find an unbranded diamond that is superior to a branded diamond.

 

[hoorray]

The AGS Ideal cut proportions are fairly broad, so some people are starting to refer to stones as "super-ideal" or ultra-ideal, etc. This simply means a tighter range for the cut porportions that will optimize light return. I assume most of the branded stones fall into this tighter cut range. If you narrow your range of what you are interested in, I think you can easily match the performance of the branded stones with unbranded ones, but just the "Ideal" designation is not enough.

The general specs I used were in a thread a few months ago by NiceIce, in this thread. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-is-max-percentages-on-ags-0-anyone.5364/

They were:

Total depth between 59 - 61.8%
Table diameter between 55 - 56%
Crown angle between 34.3 - 34.8 degrees
Pavilion angle between 40.6 - 40.9 degrees
Girdle: thin to medium, faceted or medium, faceted
Culet: GIA None or AGS Pointed
Polish: GIA Excellent or AGS Ideal
Symmetry: GIA Excellent or AGS Ideal

and there was other good discussion about the Ideal specs.