Yellow Diamond gripe

[musicloveranthony]

Just a gripe. I suppose it’s also a question.
Why are yellow diamonds almost always so poorly cut?

 

[elizat]

This one is easy. Colored diamonds are cut for color. Harder to find nice ones!

 

[musicloveranthony]

I know that’s the common excuse. I’m not sure I buy it. A precision cut tends to bring out much better color in gemstones. I can’t imagine diamonds are special enough to buck that

 

[elizat]

I know that’s the common excuse. I’m not sure I buy it. A precision cut tends to bring out much better color in gemstones. I can’t imagine diamonds are special enough to buck that

Maybe @Rockdiamond has insight.

I actually do not like precision cut gemstones personally. I think it can bring out better color, but depends. I guess we could say that about anything though!

 

[kenny]

The same piece of diamond rough may be "precision" cut for:
1. the best light performance.
2. to maximize the diamond's body color when viewed from the top (desirable in FCDs, but undesirable in D-Z diamonds). For FCDs they maximize color saturation by planning the position and angle of every facet to keep the light bouncing and traveling through more of the colored diamond material before finally emerging out the top. The more colored diamond material the light travels through (especially by bouncing internally and making a journey through the diamond material an extra time or two) the more color it picks up.
This is why so many FCDs are radiants, which can force more bouncing of the light path than, say, emerald cut.
This is why so few FCDs are emerald cut.
If you find an emerald cut with strong color you really have a gem of a gem.

With Fancy Colored Diamonds a higher color grade of course fetches a higher price.
As they say, follow the money.
FCDs are cut for color and weight, not for light performance ... but read on.

Even with D-Z diamonds they are usually cut for maximum weight, not for the best light performance, which would grind away more of the precious rough material, resulting in lower carat weight.
Only premium brands of D-Z diamonds are cut for light performance, and we pay a premium for it.

Searching for an FCD with good light performance is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Vendors will tell you not to bother. Of course they want to sell every diamond in their vault.
But if you have patience you may eventually find one.
I have managed to buy a couple, my Fancy Intense Green OEC, and my Fancy Vivid Yellow Asscher.

IMO they ended up with good light performance by an accident of nature: the rough happened to be of a shape that resembled the parameters which maximized the weight and color of the FCD.
IOW they cut for color and weight and accidentally ended up with good light performance too.
A rare and happy accident.

 

[sprinklesparkles]

The same piece of diamond rough may be "precision" cut for:
1. the best light performance.
2. to maximize color when viewed from the top. They do that by planning the position and angle of every facet to keep the light bouncing and traveling through more of the colored diamond material before finally emerging out the top. The more colored diamond material the light travels through (especially by bouncing internally and making a journey through the diamond material an extra time or two) the more color it picks up.
This is why so many FCDs are radiant shape (which can be planned to accommodate more bouncing of light paths than, say, emerald cut), and so few FCDs are emerald cut.
If you find an emerald cut with strong color you really have a gem of a gem.

With Fancy Colored Diamonds a higher color grade of course fetches a higher price.
As they say, follow the money.
FCDs are cut for color and weight, not for light performance ... but read on.

Even with D-Z diamonds they are usually cut for maximum weight, not for the best light performance, which would grind away more of the precious rough material, resulting in lower carat weight.
Only premium brands of D-Z diamonds are cut for light performance, and we pay a premium for it.

Searching for an FCD with good light performance is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Vendors will tell you not to bother. Of course they want to sell every diamond in their vault.
But if you have patience you may eventually find one.
I have managed to buy a couple, my Fancy Intense Green OEC, and my Fancy Vivid Yellow Asscher.

IMO they ended up with good light performance by an accident of nature: the rough happened to be of a shape that resembled the parameters which maximized the weight and color of the FCD.
IOW they cut for color and weight and accidentally ended up with good light performance too.
A rare and happy accident.

This is fascinating. I've heard that emeralds show more color than other cuts, not fancy colors just tints. Does this mean that's not true?

 

[distracts]

This is fascinating. I've heard that emeralds show more color than other cuts, not fancy colors just tints. Does this mean that's not true?

I think it's more that emeral cuts show more of whatever the natural color of the crystal is - ideal cut round brilliants can mask it with brilliance/white light return, and radiants can mask it by concentrating color.

 

[kenny]

This is fascinating. I've heard that emeralds show more color than other cuts, not fancy colors just tints. Does this mean that's not true?

D-Z diamonds (white diamonds) are color graded looking into the bottom, the pavilion.
FCDs are color graded looking into the top, the crown.



Notice above the emerald cut has fewer "virtual facets", making it a less-busy cut.
Emerald cut is perhaps the least-busy cut, meaning you see larger uninterrupted areas.

When it comes to noticing body color of D-Z diamonds, these larger areas make the diamond naked, if you will.
The body color of an emerald cut is not concealed by a zillion distracting virtual facets that flash on and off as the diamond is moved.

 

[sprinklesparkles]

D-Z diamonds (white diamonds) are color graded looking into the bottom, the pavilion.
FCDs are color graded looking into the top, the crown.



Notice above the emerald cut has fewer "virtual facets", making it a less-busy cut.
Emerald cut is perhaps the least-busy cut, meaning you see larger uninterrupted areas.

When it comes to noticing body color of D-Z diamonds, these larger areas make the diamond naked, if you will.
The body color is not concealed by a zillion distracting virtual facets.

Thank you, this is so helpful

 

[musicloveranthony]

The same piece of diamond rough may be "precision" cut for:
1. the best light performance.
2. to maximize the diamond's body color when viewed from the top (desirable in FCDs, but undesirable in D-Z diamonds). For FCDs they maximize color saturation by planning the position and angle of every facet to keep the light bouncing and traveling through more of the colored diamond material before finally emerging out the top. The more colored diamond material the light travels through (especially by bouncing internally and making a journey through the diamond material an extra time or two) the more color it picks up.
This is why so many FCDs are radiants, which can force more bouncing of the light path than, say, emerald cut.
This is why so few FCDs are emerald cut.
If you find an emerald cut with strong color you really have a gem of a gem.

With Fancy Colored Diamonds a higher color grade of course fetches a higher price.
As they say, follow the money.
FCDs are cut for color and weight, not for light performance ... but read on.

Even with D-Z diamonds they are usually cut for maximum weight, not for the best light performance, which would grind away more of the precious rough material, resulting in lower carat weight.
Only premium brands of D-Z diamonds are cut for light performance, and we pay a premium for it.

Searching for an FCD with good light performance is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Vendors will tell you not to bother. Of course they want to sell every diamond in their vault.
But if you have patience you may eventually find one.
I have managed to buy a couple, my Fancy Intense Green OEC, and my Fancy Vivid Yellow Asscher.

IMO they ended up with good light performance by an accident of nature: the rough happened to be of a shape that resembled the parameters which maximized the weight and color of the FCD.
IOW they cut for color and weight and accidentally ended up with good light performance too.
A rare and happy accident.

Thank you so much!!

 

[ksluice]

Just because I can’t stop watching this video—perhaps, this one should be chalked up as the exception that proves the rule?

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[acebruin]

What Kenny said. I'm a step cut nut myself. So I look for Emerald Cut / Asscher fancy colored diamonds. If you look hard and long enough, you CAN find a yellow diamond with amazing cut.

 

[Rockdiamond]

ust a gripe. I suppose it’s also a question.
Why are yellow diamonds almost always so poorly cut?

Simple answer- they’re not always poorly cut.
in fact, cutting quality on yellow and light yellow cushion modified and radiant cut diamonds has made quantum leaps over the past 10 years based on what I’m seeing.
Most notably the average table size is far smaller than 10 years ago leading to increased crown height.
In general computers have improved precision.
The entire discussion of cut quality needs to be put in context of taste.
“Crushed Ice”? Good or bad?
Personally I don’t see it as a question of good or bad, or better or worse.
There’s definitely better and poorer examples of cut quality in every cutting style. But average quality on Fancy Yellow cutting is improved