Which Has the Most Fire...

[poptart]

I know that a well cut round brilliant has the most fire and spread, but what about the other cuts? Out of the cushion, emerals, marquis, oval cuts etc., which has the most fire? Are they even comparable?

 

[supergirl518]

People have said and I have read on the forums that emerald cuts do not have much brilliance as rounds. A really good emerald cut will be clear and you'd be able to see all of the step cuts. But, it does not sparkle as brightly.

I have an emerald cut engagement ring and I think it sparkles a lot but I could just be blind from love

Hope this helps! I'm sure there are experts on the forums who can help...

 

[poptart]

Thanks! I remember my friend also had an emerald cut and it was very glassy looking. Beautiful though.

*M*

 

[Gothgrrl]

There was a thread on this before, but I can''t find it. If I remember correctly....ovals would be the next. Maybe the newer cushion cuts? They said the square cuts, except for the square H&A are not that sparkly. Hope that helps.

 

[Mara]

to me the old euro cuts have a ton of fire since they are typically very deep. i think old mine cuts can be very fiery as well as cushion cuts. if i was looking for blazing FIRE i'd definitely do an older cut or a modernish cushion cut with a deeper pav. i don't really love emerald cuts as they look so glassy (though i have seen some smaller EC's that are quite pretty)...the facets just don't seem to do much at all. i know some people think it's a classy/elegant look and i think for certain types of jewelry it is a wonderful stone, but i prefer to see all sorts of STUFF going on in the stone for an e-ring stone. i love asschers because when well-cut they offer amazing light return and fire but still that elegant kind of look to the stone that EC's can give as well.

 

[chrono]

If I wanted lots of big fire, I''d go with an OEC or OMC, or a modern cushion with large chunky facets.

However, I MUST defend the emerald cuts. They are NOT glassy looking. If it is, then it is a poorly cut EC. If the stone is kept still, then yes, you can see the steps into the stone. If moved side to side, there should be a good amount of scintillation and large flashes of fire. My original EC which was poorly cut was white and glassy with pretty clear steps. My newer well cut EC is nothing but a fireball. Sure, it cannot quite compete with my rounds and Jubilee because my rounds and Jub have lots more sparkle but their sparkle is different; lots of smaller and busier flashes. The EC is "calmer" but has bigger coloured light flash.

 

[Mara]

i have seen some really beautiful smaller EC''s chrono, but i have seen a few larger ones too in person that just did not do it for me at all. i just figured since it was the same amount of facets maybe the glassiness came from the fact that the facets were larger and yet the same # of them ... kind of like when you see a really large RB...the facets are so much larger than a smaller RB that the look is very different. the sparkle is different too.

 

[poptart]

Thank you so much for all your replies! I am surprised to hear that the OEC or OMC has so much fire. I just would have never thought that. My friend''s mother has a modern cut cushion (I believe) and it is absolutely gorgeous, not to mention the setting is antique! Yum! But really, hearing that antique cuts can be so "alive" kind of amazes me. I just always thought that those types of cuts wouldn''t perform as well as the others. It''s good to hear though, because I love the OMC!

*M*

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Well-cut ovals and radiants are very fiery.

 

[oldminer]

I really doubt you would want a diamond that had more "fire", colored light return, than a fine diamond may have. It would look rather unusual and strange, not as diamond-like as most fine stones. On top of this problem of appearance would be how anyone would determine a diamond had more fire than another. You can measure total light return, sparkle and intensity, but you can only predict or guess at total colored light return. Would you want to discount body color? How about small bits of fire that might be there which the eye does not detect? What kind of lighting would be used? Facet size, position and shape all dictate fire''s visibility, but the value of a diamond is not determined by fire.

You need to be sure of the definintions of what you are asking for before wanting some component of light return which is not only elusive, but an inherent part of most every faceted diamond''s character.

Fire will show more in certain lightiing and less in others. Fire needs to be large enough to see even though predicitve tools will tell you it exists where you can''t see it. Fire is always a feature of a finely cut diamond, but may not be the way to determine which one to purchase. It could be for you, but as a generalization, fire would not be something to quantify in order to choose a diamond.

Beauty is what most folks want in a diamond. Beauty is a product of light return and the craft of diamond cutting. It is a subjective thing which therefore has no exact maximum. We can measure certain components which occur when regular people and experts agree a diamond is beautiful. We then can say we can give a set of measures which occur when beauty is generally perceived. Fire is not a necessary component of these measures. It could be if one wants to include it, but it is more variable and always found in regular and finely cut diamonds.

I hope this helps you make a better question and/or a more meaningful search.

 

[poptart]

Thanks oldminer! My question was kind of abstract, but I can''t think of how to phrase it better... You pretty much answered my question when you said that there is not real way to determine if one stone has more fire than another. It''s seems to be that the answer to the question is just as subjective as I thought it would end up being. Thanks again.

*M*

 

[oldminer]

If I controlled the lighting and showed you a very firey diamond and a very finely cut diamond, you might select either one as the one you''d buy. Both would have plenty of fire. None of us know what your eyes will tell you is best. The trade thinks it has a very good handle on what is the best range, but not everyone would agree. We work pretty much by consensus and majority opinion, not by true absolutes.

If you shop a bit and learn to look closely, you will begin to appreciate better cut diamonds from poorer cuts. Compare stones side by side. You will soon see some are better looking, but it is difficult to describe what you will notice most. Brightness, sparkle, even distribution of light return all go into the mix along with many other details. Fire will be present in most worthwhile diamonds. Fire may be the "thing" for you when all other features are equal. Just so you know what it means is enough that I''ll feel okay with you making a decision.