What do black areas mean on this 1 carat cushion?

[pixley]

I''ve been enlisted Mark T. to hunt down a 1 carat old mine brilliant style cushion (a mini Boston_Jeff, if you will) and he finally was able to locate the attached stone for me. My question is: What do the black areas mean? Is this something I should be concerned about or is this something that comes with the territory on this type of cut? What other questions should I ask? He says it has good scintillation from across the room, but I want to make sure that I don''t see a big black patch when I look down at it. Specs are: 1.02 carat G/VS2. Thanks for your help and wisdom!

 

[iheartscience]

It could be just the black camera lens reflecting in the diamond. (Also, apparently Mark T. is not the hottest photographer, from what I''ve read here on PS.) But he is the cushion guy and he has a good return policy, right? I''d have him send it to you so you can see it in real life.

 

[TravelingGal]

That's better than the one I got (see below). You won't get WF photos with Mark. But what you will get is an honest opinion...I have yet to see a horrid cushion sold by him on these boards. I would buy from him again a heartbeat...he did a wonderful job with the cushion I bought from my mother - it was beautiful. Since he is not a poster on these boards (although he lurks), he only has his reputation to go by. Get the stone sent to you and see if it sings!

 

[chrono]

Mark doesn''t do a great job at photographing his stones but they are much better in person. My guess is that the darkness is shadowing from the camera. I''ve yet to see Mark recommend a bad stone, so I''d request to see the stone in person just for my own peace of mind.

 

[pixley]

Mark did say that there was a black area, but that it was due to the type of cut, and it wasn't over the majority of the stone. I'm just wondering whether this will read as a big black hole every time I look at it. I haven't seen any of these cuts in person, so it's hard to picture what it will look like in an indoor setting. I originally requested this type of cut because I wanted a fiery stone that reflected large rainbow flashes in the sunlight,which I think the chunky facets will do, but does that mean I'll have to sacrifice brilliance in an indoor setting?

BTW: TravelingGal - I love your twin cushions! So gorgeous.

 

[neatfreak]

I also think it''s probably mostly the reflection of the camera in that picture. Mark isn''t the best photographer.

BUT he is very honest. So I would just make sure that this stone meets his recommendation, and then go from there. I haven''t seen him sell a bad cushion yet, so I doubt he would recommend a stone that is sub-par.

 

[chrono]

Oh, I think I understand it a little better now. I believe you are looking for an antique styled stone that normally has a bowtie effect or maltese cross type look. Yes, it is normal for the stone to have certain areas (more in the center) to look dark, but it is this very same dark area that shoots out rainbows in natural lighting. You will not see it all the time, just in certain lighting only. You sound very unsure about the stone, so please take a look at it in person before making your final decision.

 

[pixley]

Chrono - that''s right. I would expect a maltese cross or bowtie, something symmetrical.

 

[cdt1101]

pixley-i have a cushion that was cut like an antique stone (not from mark however, GOG find my stone). Anyway, my stone does have a dark area/bowtie in the center. But i don''t see it all the time, mostly when I''m looking directly at it (i have dark hair?). The pictures from GOG did not blow me away, but when I saw the stone I fell in love. Even though it had a lot of what i didn''t want (such as an EGL cert). Even when I take pictures of my ring I don''t like them...crazy, since I LOVE LOVE LOVE my ring and wouldn''t trade it for anything. Pictures do not begin to capture the beauty of cushions, at least in my opinion. I get complimented all the time on my ring and get lots of questions on the cut since it''s not seen often.

For reference, this is what the dark area looks like in my stone at it''s worst. But keep in mind that pictures are super magnified, so it''s not ''that'' noticable in real life..same goes for my large culet.

 

[pixley]

Oooh, that''s beautiful, cdt1101. Thank you for the reality check. I know it''s nearly impossible to fall for a stone from a fuzzy b&w photo, but I was expecting to see a little bow-tie like yours, and not a whole section. I''ll see if I can''t get some photos of some other angles.