It is normal for a cutter to retain weight. However, sometimes, the cutter may sacrifice on the diamond's performance just to retain the weight. Below is what I can deduced based on my own reasoning, so take it with a pinch of salt:
By retaining weight, the retail price can be higher because it is easily justifiable -> More weight, more money. Now, I will use a 0.37ct diamond as an example. It is easier to tempt potential customers to "want" that diamond more compare to smaller 30-pointers. In this situation, it will be worth the pay the extra price if the extra carat weight does not sacrifice on the diamond's performance, however, if the cutter sacrifice the diamond's performance, then it is really not worth it in my opinion. If the customer is convinced that the diamond is worth that price, all they are paying is for carat size and not performance, which I think is not worth it.
Ok, in another situation whereby you have limited budget and start to negotiate the price with the seller, the seller may give you a better discount, making the diamond's price close to a 0.3ct. Wow, great bargain, right? Paying something lesser for something bigger, surely is a good bargain, but if the smaller one can perform much better than the bigger diamond, then will you still go after the bigger diamond for the same price? Are you willing to sacrifice the performance just for the carat weight? If your answer is YES, then congrats, you have found your diamond. But if you answer is NO, then sit back and think for awhile, what do you really prefer. In reality, there is really nothing much to lose because it is just 0.07ct after all. In fact, there may be something to be gained by the diamond cutter. And guess what is that? Answer: TIME.
Ok, why TIME? This is because the diamond cutter will utilize lesser time to cut and polish the diamond to a smaller size with higher optical precision (which translates to better performance). Imagine if 2 man hours are saved from the diamond cutting and polishing process, and 1 man hour is worth XXX amount of USD. So there is actually 2 times XXX USD saved. Also, the diamond cutter is able to free himself/herself up earlier and proceed with the next diamond. This translates to better productivity, and better productivity translates to better income. However, from customers point-of-view, all they get may be a heavier diamond with lesser performance, and again, whether it is worth it or not, is really up to each individual's judgement.
And now, how can I identify if the diamond is cut for performance or cut for weight retention? I think the fastest way is to look at the crown and pavilion angle. For crown angle, try not to go beyond 35 degrees (max can go should be 35.5, but to be safe, try to max at 35), while for pavilion angle, try to max at 41 degrees, but 40.6 - 40.9 is preferred. Next, try to limit the depth to max at 62%. Lastly, try to make sure the crown height is not close to 16%. Personally, I would probably max at 15.3% but that is just me. Overall, the depth of the whole diamond will give you a more obvious picture.
So, for companies that sell super ideals, like Brian Gavin, WhiteFlash, and High Performance Diamonds, you may noticed that their diamond is actually slightly more expensive that a similar size stone or even a larger size stone. However, do note that the premium you are paying is actually for their workmanship and time, and they have all the necessary images to back things up. This is actually the experience I want when buying a diamond, and this is when I don't mind paying some reasonable additional premium. For the best quality in optical precision, I would probably go with Black by Brian Gavin series.
If you prefer brick-and-mortar stores. You can consider taking a look at "Hearts on Fire" carried by Habib Jewels. However, please note that this brand is heavily marked-up and it is not under the "reasonable additional premium" I mind to pay. But it is always good to take a look and learn more about Hearts & Arrows if you visit Habib Jewels. Another jeweler that is famous for Hearts & Arrows diamonds is Jann Paul, which is located in Singapore. Anyone that wants to buy a diamond but have little to no experience should at least go to YouTube and type in Jann Paul. They provide quite a number of useful tutorials that can educate you well in my opinion. It is quite enjoyable. Price-wise, I am not too sure, but you can always Facebook message them and find our further!
By retaining weight, the retail price can be higher because it is easily justifiable -> More weight, more money. Now, I will use a 0.37ct diamond as an example. It is easier to tempt potential customers to "want" that diamond more compare to smaller 30-pointers. In this situation, it will be worth the pay the extra price if the extra carat weight does not sacrifice on the diamond's performance, however, if the cutter sacrifice the diamond's performance, then it is really not worth it in my opinion. If the customer is convinced that the diamond is worth that price, all they are paying is for carat size and not performance, which I think is not worth it.
Ok, in another situation whereby you have limited budget and start to negotiate the price with the seller, the seller may give you a better discount, making the diamond's price close to a 0.3ct. Wow, great bargain, right? Paying something lesser for something bigger, surely is a good bargain, but if the smaller one can perform much better than the bigger diamond, then will you still go after the bigger diamond for the same price? Are you willing to sacrifice the performance just for the carat weight? If your answer is YES, then congrats, you have found your diamond. But if you answer is NO, then sit back and think for awhile, what do you really prefer. In reality, there is really nothing much to lose because it is just 0.07ct after all. In fact, there may be something to be gained by the diamond cutter. And guess what is that? Answer: TIME.
Ok, why TIME? This is because the diamond cutter will utilize lesser time to cut and polish the diamond to a smaller size with higher optical precision (which translates to better performance). Imagine if 2 man hours are saved from the diamond cutting and polishing process, and 1 man hour is worth XXX amount of USD. So there is actually 2 times XXX USD saved. Also, the diamond cutter is able to free himself/herself up earlier and proceed with the next diamond. This translates to better productivity, and better productivity translates to better income. However, from customers point-of-view, all they get may be a heavier diamond with lesser performance, and again, whether it is worth it or not, is really up to each individual's judgement.
And now, how can I identify if the diamond is cut for performance or cut for weight retention? I think the fastest way is to look at the crown and pavilion angle. For crown angle, try not to go beyond 35 degrees (max can go should be 35.5, but to be safe, try to max at 35), while for pavilion angle, try to max at 41 degrees, but 40.6 - 40.9 is preferred. Next, try to limit the depth to max at 62%. Lastly, try to make sure the crown height is not close to 16%. Personally, I would probably max at 15.3% but that is just me. Overall, the depth of the whole diamond will give you a more obvious picture.
So, for companies that sell super ideals, like Brian Gavin, WhiteFlash, and High Performance Diamonds, you may noticed that their diamond is actually slightly more expensive that a similar size stone or even a larger size stone. However, do note that the premium you are paying is actually for their workmanship and time, and they have all the necessary images to back things up. This is actually the experience I want when buying a diamond, and this is when I don't mind paying some reasonable additional premium. For the best quality in optical precision, I would probably go with Black by Brian Gavin series.
If you prefer brick-and-mortar stores. You can consider taking a look at "Hearts on Fire" carried by Habib Jewels. However, please note that this brand is heavily marked-up and it is not under the "reasonable additional premium" I mind to pay. But it is always good to take a look and learn more about Hearts & Arrows if you visit Habib Jewels. Another jeweler that is famous for Hearts & Arrows diamonds is Jann Paul, which is located in Singapore. Anyone that wants to buy a diamond but have little to no experience should at least go to YouTube and type in Jann Paul. They provide quite a number of useful tutorials that can educate you well in my opinion. It is quite enjoyable. Price-wise, I am not too sure, but you can always Facebook message them and find our further!
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May 14, 2017
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