What am I missing about this cut? Please help.

[poorcollegeguy]

Hello,

I would first like to thank everyone who responded to my earlier thread with beginners questions. You guys really came through and I appreciate it. Thanks to you all, I know consider myself a novice (which is a big improvement, trust me).

Now, I have taken what I have learned and have found a diamond that I think is pretty good. However, something seems wrong with the way that AGS graded the cut. The certificate says that it is an "Excellent 1 cut". That’s less than Ideal right? But the specs seem almost spotless. Please take a look at the numbers and let me know what I am missing about the cut of this stone. Thanks in advance for any help.

The stone:

Round Cut

Cut:

Table Diameter: 55%
Crown Angle: 34.8 degrees
Crown Height %: 15.5
Pavilion Angle: 40.8 degrees
Pavilion Depth: 42.9%
Girdle Thickness: faceted 1%-1.1%
Cutlet: pointed
Depth: 60.7%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Ideal
Proportions: Ideal


Color F
Clarity VS2

What am I missing? And is what makes this an "excellent" instead of "ideal" really going to make that big of a difference on the brilliance or fire of the stone?

Thanks a lot,
Nathan

 

[Brian Knox]

Hi Nathan,

Cutters tell me that when trying to obtain the AGS zero cut, which involves getting AGS's highest rating or "0" on the following:

ideal polish
ideal symmetry
ideal proportions

that getting the designation 'ideal' for polish is the most difficult for various reasons.

Getting a higher score (lesser quality) than a zero on any of the three categories will disqualify a stone from getting the sought after zero cut designation.

I have seen many spectacular diamonds graded as the diamond you are considering.

It is highly unlikely that 'you' could tell the difference between a ideal polish and a one cut for polish.

If you have compared it against other ideal cut stones, I would not worry about it.

 

[aljdewey]

Ditto....this didn't get an AGS0 rating because the polish is excellent instead of ideal.

It's NOTHING your eye would be able to discern, and it means you get a much better deal for the money.

Nice pick!

 

[JohnQuixote]

Those dimensions receive a 1.3 on HCA. Excellent choice (any score below 2 means you have eliminated known poor performers - an estimated 95% of all diamonds).