Diamond girls out there. I know the cardinal sin of diamond buying is choosing carat over cut. I know this---but.... Has anyone ever found a stone that was (1) beautiful to the eye and (2) a very good price BUT (3) not a great grade and (4) still loved it? In my case, this is one with only a "fair" cut. I didn't see the GIA until I had already decided on it from just my naked eye. Anyone have a lower cut stone that still sparkles???
Choosing a diamond even with a lower GIA score??
- Thread starter leem
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Sometimes a cut is not symmetrical or considered good because it's deliberately hiding flaws that otherwise could be seen to the naked eye. That's not going to problem when wearing and especially not if you don't intend to sell it on.
I don't mind quite grey diamonds that would not be graded high in terms of desirable colour so for me it depends on the detail of the GIA reading and not just overall grade.
I say go with your gut nd eye more than the piece of paper that accompanies.
What does the GIA Cert that was of concern say then? Just about the cut?
Thank you for responding
The color and clarity are fine. And it really sparkled to my naked eye. But when I saw that the "cut grade" was "fair" my heart sank. I have read over and over that it is the most important "c." But I don't intend to sell it.
While cut is important, it can be more of a preference. I tend to focus more on color and clarity.
Like @papertiger said, the only thing I'd be concerned with is a cut that hides flaws.
But there are some places that tend to do a more shallow or deep cut depending on how they want the diamond to look. For example, Tiffany cuts their diamonds in a way to maximize their brilliance and sparkle. Therefore, they cut their diamonds a little more shallow than the ideal range for a diamond. This means that most of their cuts isn't "ideal" according to GIA standards but that's not what is important to them.
(This is probably also why they have their own labs and grading system
).
However, this does not deter many people, including me, from buying Tiffany diamonds.
Here's an article about Tiffany diamonds if you want to get a little nerdy lol
https://niceice.com/online-diamond-vendors/tiffany-diamonds/
Like @papertiger said, the only thing I'd be concerned with is a cut that hides flaws.
But there are some places that tend to do a more shallow or deep cut depending on how they want the diamond to look. For example, Tiffany cuts their diamonds in a way to maximize their brilliance and sparkle. Therefore, they cut their diamonds a little more shallow than the ideal range for a diamond. This means that most of their cuts isn't "ideal" according to GIA standards but that's not what is important to them.
(This is probably also why they have their own labs and grading system
).However, this does not deter many people, including me, from buying Tiffany diamonds.
Here's an article about Tiffany diamonds if you want to get a little nerdy lol
https://niceice.com/online-diamond-vendors/tiffany-diamonds/
Very interesting!While cut is important, it can be more of a preference. I tend to focus more on color and clarity.
Like @papertiger said, the only thing I'd be concerned with is a cut that hides flaws.
But there are some places that tend to do a more shallow or deep cut depending on how they want the diamond to look. For example, Tiffany cuts their diamonds in a way to maximize their brilliance and sparkle. Therefore, they cut their diamonds a little more shallow than the ideal range for a diamond. This means that most of their cuts isn't "ideal" according to GIA standards but that's not what is important to them.
(This is probably also why they have their own labs and grading system
However, this does not deter many people, including me, from buying Tiffany diamonds.
Here's an article about Tiffany diamonds if you want to get a little nerdy lol
https://niceice.com/online-diamond-vendors/tiffany-diamonds/
A cut grade of fair suggests that it's got either a pretty serious symmetry issue or really not complimentary angles. That being said "super ideal" stones aren't everyone's taste by any means. There's a lot of flavors that some people like - for example one of my stones is a 60/60 which many people don't like.
If you love it, fine, but with a cut grade of fair I'd make sure you've seen it in a lot of lighting conditions, including dim lighting and bright outdoor sunlight, to make sure what you're liking is the actual diamond and not LED sparkle in a jeweler's office.
If you love it, fine, but with a cut grade of fair I'd make sure you've seen it in a lot of lighting conditions, including dim lighting and bright outdoor sunlight, to make sure what you're liking is the actual diamond and not LED sparkle in a jeweler's office.
When you looked at the stone, were you looking at it under the jeweler's lights? Because those lights could make a lump of coal sparkle. If it sparkles in natural light and you've compared it side by side with higher cut grades and still love it, then it may be the right stone for you.
And perhaps you can get a comparison of that stone next to one that is GIA Ex/Ex/Ex or AGS 0 to see if you can tell the difference. I upgraded my fair stone last year to a super ideal cut and the difference was extraordinary. But before I saw the super ideal I thought my stone was very sparkly. The biggest difference I noticed is that the super ideal sparkles edge to edge whereas the fair stone did not.
If you love it find out what their return policy is. That would be important to me.
I have a 60/60 triple x stone that I absolutely love! However, as mentioned above many ppl do not like 60/60 stones. But I also have AGS 0 studs and my 60/60 stone definitely gives my studs some serious competition. And on paper my AGS 0 studs should be the clear winner.
I had a beautiful cushion years ago that was fair cut. It was still a gorgeous diamond that I also loved and wore for many years. I sold it and even made money off of it. So there is that too.
I have a 60/60 triple x stone that I absolutely love! However, as mentioned above many ppl do not like 60/60 stones. But I also have AGS 0 studs and my 60/60 stone definitely gives my studs some serious competition. And on paper my AGS 0 studs should be the clear winner.
I had a beautiful cushion years ago that was fair cut. It was still a gorgeous diamond that I also loved and wore for many years. I sold it and even made money off of it. So there is that too.
It’s actually a good question!
60/60 is a 60% table and 60% depth. 60/60 pertains to RB stones only. They were popular and the norm for cutting well cut diamonds for a long time in the US. Although, not ideal for diamond enthusiasts today.
Some ppl don’t like how “flat” or “top heavy” they look from the top. They will also appear larger than their carat weight.
Here are some articles explaining it better:
60/60 is a 60% table and 60% depth. 60/60 pertains to RB stones only. They were popular and the norm for cutting well cut diamonds for a long time in the US. Although, not ideal for diamond enthusiasts today.
Some ppl don’t like how “flat” or “top heavy” they look from the top. They will also appear larger than their carat weight.
Here are some articles explaining it better:
What are 60/60 Diamonds? | Whiteflash
Before gem laboratories began cut grading so called 60/60 diamonds were the default standard. Learn why 60 table and 60 depth is not always ideal.
www.whiteflash.com
60:60 vs Ideal MRB proportions – Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Can one cut fit all?
Alright folks, after the 60:60 vs. “Ideal” MRB proportions topic has emerged on multiple occasions in recent PS discussions, it is finally time for the topic to have a thread of its own! I am certain that many members of the forum and members of the trade have much more experience and can...
www.pricescope.com
Is the stone returnable or not? If it's not, then I wouldn't worry about it! I think it takes seeing a LOT of diamonds that are well cut for most people to develop an eye for the best cut stones.
If you'd like to post the table, depth, crown angle and pavilion angle, and perhaps girdle size, we can tell you more about why it got a fair cut grade.
If you'd like to post the table, depth, crown angle and pavilion angle, and perhaps girdle size, we can tell you more about why it got a fair cut grade.