Buying Fancy Cuts - Precautions

Precautions on Pear-Shaped Diamonds

Additional weight may be retained in the rounded end of this fancy cut. Instead of having a nice 'pleasing' curve at the rounded end, the cutter may retain weight by leaving that
end to appear similar to a rounded triangle. The value of the pear-shaped diamond becomes less due to the 'high shoulders'. Watch out for this when purchasing a pear-shaped diamond.

Also, with pear-shaped diamonds the relative position of the culet with respect to the pointed and rounded ends is important. It should be centered under the widest part of the table or very close to. The objective, of course, is to cut the diamond in such a way that the angles on the rounded end are maintained as closely as possible to the ideal 41 degrees. This is impossible if the pear-shaped diamond is long and narrow but should be exact if the pear-shaped diamond is largely circular on one end.

Precautions on Marquise-Shaped Diamonds

The narrow cross section is used to evaluate a marquise shaped diamond. If the marquise diamond is too long and narrow it means that unless the culet is elongated a great deal, the pointed ends will be so flat that the reflection of light back through the crown, and thus the brilliancy, will be reduced significantly. A more brilliant marquise diamond is one that has a wider cross section with respect to its length. It is important when choosing an elongated marquise that the culet be rather elongated since this permits the diamond to be cut more closely to the 41-degree ideal pavilion angle. Many marquise diamonds are too shallow for the length of the diamond.

To achieve maximum brilliancy with the marquise diamond it is necessary, as it is in any other cut, to have a 41-degree angle on the pavilion in the narrow cross section. As with the emerald-cut, the length-versus-width dimensions are a matter of taste.

Precautions on Heart-Shaped Diamonds

A heart-shaped diamond may be considered as a special variety of the pear-shape. It is very similar to the pear shape except for the indentation on the rounded end. The heart-shaped diamond is a wider pear-shape than usual. To analyze the proportions of a heart-shaped diamond the diameter taken is that which crosses the two lobes, rather than along the line that bisects the heart. This is used to determine the size of the table, total depth measurement and the thickness of the girdle, crown and pavilion.

Precautions Concerning the "Bow-Tie" Effect on Diamonds

The oval, pear and marquise shaped diamonds are modifications of the round brilliant cut diamond. The modifications produce a loss of brilliancy which becomes more noticeable as the disparity between length and width increases. Elongating the culet tends to minimize this effect, but the elongation of the culet may not be sufficient to provide a reasonable approximation of the correct pavilion angles. Consequently, the brilliancy of these modified brilliant cuts may be seen to differ with respect to the length versus the width directions within a given diamond. The marquise, pear or oval-shaped diamond will appear more brilliant in one area or direction and less brilliant in another direction.

This difference in brilliance may produce a shadow effect through the narrow cross section of these fancy shaped pear, marquise, and oval cut diamonds. Most examples of these fancy cut diamonds exhibit the "bow-tie" effect. If the bow-tie effect is sufficiently pronounced then the value of the diamond will come down. Try and purchase a diamond with as little as the "bow-tie" effect showing as possible.

A Cautionary Note Concerning Early Modern Brilliant Cut Diamonds vs. the Earlier Modern Brilliant or Transition Cut Diamonds

The earlier modern brilliant cut diamonds were cut around 1925 to 1940. They do closely resemble the modern round brilliant cut diamond however, they are priced approx. 15% lower. Be careful that you do not receive an earlier modern brilliant cut diamond instead of a modern round brilliant cut diamond. The earlier modern brilliant cut diamonds are quite beautiful and there is nothing wrong with them, but you should be told by the jeweler. The earlier modern brilliant cut diamonds had a little larger culet and they had a higher crown height and a smaller table. The earlier modern brilliants can be distinguished by the pavilion main facets which are positioned about half way from the girdle to the culet whereas in a modern round brilliant cut diamond they extend about 2/ 3 the way down to the culet. In the earlier modern brilliant cut diamond the bezel facets are longer than in the modern round brilliant cut diamond.

Precautions of Emerald Cut and Princess Cut Diamonds

Excessive weight may be saved on the diamond by having the diamond bulge as seen in the diagram below. The further out the sides bulge the less desirable that it is. The area in white is the correct area. It is very difficult today to find a princess cut diamond without some bulge.