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Do you have a heart?

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zeolite

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(says the tin man)

Show your heart shaped gems. Heart cuts seem quite difficult, since they are free form curves and don''t lend themselves to simple mechanical rotations such as round or rectangular. Plus the notch doesn''t lend itself to cutting on a flat disc.

I''ll start off: here is an attractively symmetrical citrine, 5.36 cts.

citheart4686.jpg
 

innerkitten

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Thats nice! I don''t have any hearts yet. But someday I would like one. I like heart shaped diamonds and green gemstone hearts a lot.
 

Harriet

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No, but I have a question. When is it efficient to cut a heart rather than some other shape?
 

crown1

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i don''t own any but am coveting a heart shaped ruby bezel set. i saw such a pendant and i loved it.
 

zeolite

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Date: 3/6/2009 9:00:24 PM
Author: Harriet
No, but I have a question. When is it efficient to cut a heart rather than some other shape?
It is only efficient if you wanted to cut a round, and there was a flaw near the edge, where you could place the notch (of a heart cut), to remove the flaw, and get a larger gem. The notch and the free form (and free hand) curve makes it very difficult to cut perfectly symmetrically. That is why you see very few heart cuts available. It is too much work for too little return.
 

chrono

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Unfortunately, I am not fond of hearts - it looks sort of tacky, especially for someone my age.
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However, that doesn''t mean I don''t enjoy looking at them.
 

Harriet

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Zeolite,
Thanks for the explanation. Does it mean that a heart carries a premium over a round, all things equal? I'm curious as to how the loss of rough factors into pricing.

Separately, I will never forget the day a new seller proudly emerged from his office with two huge amethyst hearts. He took one look at my face, and we both burst out laughing. Zeolite's piece is a different story, but I'm not sure what I would have done with that purple pair.
 

Skippy123

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Oh what a beautiful heart, thanks for sharing!!!
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I think Marcy has a beautiful heart too!!! Hopefully she will pop in and show hers off.
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FrekeChild

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Date: 3/6/2009 11:26:42 PM
Author: Chrono
Unfortunately, I am not fond of hearts - it looks sort of tacky, especially for someone my age.
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However, that doesn''t mean I don''t enjoy looking at them.
Ditto except for the age thing, because I''m not sure of Chrono''s age.
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Some would say I''m a heartless *female dog*. Lol.
 

Ellen

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I wouldn''t say hearts are "tacky".
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They''re just not for everyone, like many other cuts. I happen to love them, but I don''t own any.
 

Deelight

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Lovely heart :).

I don't but I have always wanted either a small pink or red heart (species doesn't matter) to bezel into a small
pinky ring :).
 

Kaleigh

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Date: 3/7/2009 9:07:56 AM
Author: Ellen
I wouldn''t say hearts are ''tacky''.
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They''re just not for everyone, like many other cuts. I happen to love them, but I don''t own any.
Ditto. I don''t own any either, but would love one down the road.
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Lorelei

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Date: 3/7/2009 10:15:46 AM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 3/7/2009 9:07:56 AM
Author: Ellen
I wouldn''t say hearts are ''tacky''.
11.gif
They''re just not for everyone, like many other cuts. I happen to love them, but I don''t own any.
Ditto. I don''t own any either, but would love one down the road.
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Thritto, I would love a diamond heart pendant one day.
 

LD

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Is anybody going to believe me if I say I''m not keen on heart shapes? I didn''t think so!

Actually I''m not keen but these seem to have crept into my collection over the years!

From the top left: 7ct Amethyst, 1.23ct blue diamond (irradiated), 1.02ct natural yellow diamond - I love this necklace
Middle row: Sapphire (can''t remember weight), Paraiba Tourmaline (can''t remember weight), 2 x Rubies (5ct and 2ct)
Bottom row: 8.15ct Tanzanite, Colour Change Garnet (green to red) - can''t remember weight
 

LD

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Ooooops forgot these:

Natural peach diamonds (smaller outside ones) and natural lilac/purple diamond. Included but VERY sparkly and an adorable colour in real life. These are being made into a pendant as I type!
 

Skippy123

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Date: 3/7/2009 11:28:08 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Is anybody going to believe me if I say I''m not keen on heart shapes? I didn''t think so!

Actually I''m not keen but these seem to have crept into my collection over the years!

From the top left: 7ct Amethyst, 1.23ct blue diamond (irradiated), 1.02ct natural yellow diamond - I love this necklace
Middle row: Sapphire (can''t remember weight), Paraiba Tourmaline (can''t remember weight), 2 x Rubies (5ct and 2ct)
Bottom row: 8.15ct Tanzanite, Colour Change Garnet (green to red) - can''t remember weight
Wow beautiful; my favorite is the yellow diamond pendant.
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Great collection!!!
 

Ellen

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Date: 3/7/2009 11:28:08 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Is anybody going to believe me if I say I''m not keen on heart shapes? I didn''t think so!

Actually I''m not keen but these seem to have crept into my collection over the years!

From the top left: 7ct Amethyst, 1.23ct blue diamond (irradiated), 1.02ct natural yellow diamond - I love this necklace
Middle row: Sapphire (can''t remember weight), Paraiba Tourmaline (can''t remember weight), 2 x Rubies (5ct and 2ct)
Bottom row: 8.15ct Tanzanite, Colour Change Garnet (green to red) - can''t remember weight
*swoon*

Love them all, but highlights are my faves!
 

zeolite

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Date: 3/7/2009 1:04:51 AM
Author: Harriet
Zeolite,
Thanks for the explanation. Does it mean that a heart carries a premium over a round, all things equal? I'm curious as to how the loss of rough factors into pricing.

Separately, I will never forget the day a new seller proudly emerged from his office with two huge amethyst hearts. He took one look at my face, and we both burst out laughing. Zeolite's piece is a different story, but I'm not sure what I would have done with that purple pair.
I have not found that a heart shape is any higher priced or lower priced than any other shape. I think the reality is that there are very few heart cuts available to buy, and about an equal very rare number of buyers looking for them. So supply and demand are in balance.

I wouldn't comment on how many gems I have in my collection, but it is a very large number. In it, there are only two hearts, including this one. But I select by intensity of color, brilliance, and quality of cutting and not by cut shape.

Highest yield from the rough is of huge importance in the pricing of the finished gem. So the finished shape chosen by the cutter, is determined by getting the highest yield possible from that particular shape of rough. Cutters who only cut for yield might get a 45% yield, while cutters looking for brilliance mught get a 25% yield. Cutters looking for top color in certain low yield crystals like yellow scapolite or diaspore, might get an 8% to 10% yield.

LD, you must have more heart cuts than all of Pricescope combined. A great collection!
 

PrecisionGem

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Some rough stones lend them selves very well to cut a heart. Actually often they do. I don''t cut many because they typically don''t sell very well, and I think the cut in clef look a little cheap, so I cut them flat across the top. It still looks like a heart, but to me is a bit more elegant looking.

A heart shape takes a bit more work than most other shapes, as there is only symmetry about one plane. From a cutting standpoint, the fastest and easiest stone to cut is a round shape. A nice shaped piece of rough, with no flaws to work around can be cut in a round in about 1 to 1.5 hours, where the same piece if it were to be heart shaped may take 2.5 to 3 hours.
 

Gailey

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Date: 3/7/2009 11:28:08 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Is anybody going to believe me if I say I''m not keen on heart shapes? I didn''t think so!

Actually I''m not keen but these seem to have crept into my collection over the years!

From the top left: 7ct Amethyst, 1.23ct blue diamond (irradiated), 1.02ct natural yellow diamond - I love this necklace
Middle row: Sapphire (can''t remember weight), Paraiba Tourmaline (can''t remember weight), 2 x Rubies (5ct and 2ct)
Bottom row: 8.15ct Tanzanite, Colour Change Garnet (green to red) - can''t remember weight
Flipping Heck CS, you''ve posted amazing pictures today of the stuff you don''t like!! When are you going to post stuff that you do like?

Love the yellow heart pendant by the way.
 

chrono

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My local jeweller (who sells tons of gemstones) said that hearts are normally cheaper because they don''t sell well. Also because they don''t sell well, many cutters try their best to avoid that shape.
 

LD

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I find heart shapes, in general, a bit "twee" and it puts me off wearing mine (with the exception of the yellow heart pendant - and hopefully my new multi coloured diamond heart pendant). I can understand people not opting for heart shapes as they''re also slightly more difficult to wear.

I don''t think they''re cheaper per carat than any other cut - in fact they''re normally about the same but since there''s more work in cutting you''d expect there to be a higher premium so I guess the fact that they''re normally priced reflects the lack of desire for this cut in the market place.
 

PrecisionGem

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As far as cutting time effecting cost, remember most colored stones are cut in places where the cutters are paid next to nothing per hour. So if a stone takes 2 times as long, it adds maybe $.20 to the cost.

I know a guy that I see each year at Tucson has a cutting factory in China, he told me that each person MUST cut 30 stones a day. They work in an assembly line fashion, where one person only dops, then passes the stone down, the next person cuts the pavilion, passes it to the next who polished etc... The line will only cut one shape, and one size all day long. While the cutting is poor, and mostly windowed, and you would think they are cutting for weight, he told me they end up typically with about 15% recovery. 15 is very low, and I think is a result of poor planning, and not selecting the best cut for the stone. The poor quality of the cutting is just a result of careless cutting, not really understanding the correct angles to use, and of course working way to fast.
 

icekid

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Date: 3/8/2009 11:46:09 AM
Author: PrecisionGem
As far as cutting time effecting cost, remember most colored stones are cut in places where the cutters are paid next to nothing per hour. So if a stone takes 2 times as long, it adds maybe $.20 to the cost.

I know a guy that I see each year at Tucson has a cutting factory in China, he told me that each person MUST cut 30 stones a day. They work in an assembly line fashion, where one person only dops, then passes the stone down, the next person cuts the pavilion, passes it to the next who polished etc... The line will only cut one shape, and one size all day long. While the cutting is poor, and mostly windowed, and you would think they are cutting for weight, he told me they end up typically with about 15% recovery. 15 is very low, and I think is a result of poor planning, and not selecting the best cut for the stone. The poor quality of the cutting is just a result of careless cutting, not really understanding the correct angles to use, and of course working way to fast.
wow, that is interesting! And unfortunate, as well. Hopefully they''re not doing this with expensive, rare rough at least?
 

T L

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These are not mine (I wish). Here is a suite of fancy colored diamonds.

heartsgalore2.jpg
 

Ellen

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Wow, great pic!!
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zeolite

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Here''s my newest heart, a 2.64 ct rhodolite garnet.

rhod264_6.jpg
 

chrono

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Date: 3/13/2009 8:47:45 PM
Author: zeolite
Here''s my newest heart, a 2.64 ct rhodolite garnet.
That''s a beauty!
30.gif
 
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