 | Jerry Burnell has been a driving force in the jewelry industry of Kansas for the past 30 years. Jerry is a native of Wichita and a graduate of Wichita State University. He jokingly says that he had a degree in business, almost a masters in business, almost a degree in chemistry, with heavy studies in physics, math, and biology and he just quit college, that he figured that with 239 credit hours he should be able to make a living somewhere. Actually he was already deep into the motions of starting the most respected jewelry design team in this part of the country. Jerry is highly regarded and considered an expert in many fields, three of which are Precious gemstones, jewelry manufacture, and jewelry design. Jerry is presently president of The Kansas Jewelers Association and holds a position on the advisory board of Jewelers of America. You may contact Jerry at Burnell’s Jewelers, (316) 634-2822, or find Burnell’s Jewelers on the web at www.burnells.com |
Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry
2004-05-01 08:19:00
The most popular diamond cut is...
Question: What is the most popular cut of diamond today?
ANSWER: Many people think that the princess cut diamond is the most popular cut of diamond today. But actually close to eighty percent of all diamonds are still cut in one of the round shapes. The princess cut is the current fad. Twenty years ago it was the marquise and before that it was a pear shape, and before that it was an oval. The brightest cut of diamond is the round. It is interesting to see the young people coming in wanting a princess cut diamond but insisting that they want a bright diamond and need the highest quality in color and clarity. They are already giving up approximately 20% in brightness by choosing a princess or 40% in choosing a marquis but are willing to pay up to twice as much to get a 5% increase in color and clarity. There seems to be something wrong with this logic. Lets dispel another myth. A correctly cut princess cut of 1.1 carets is not larger than a 1 caret round it is just heavier because of depth and the corners sticking out. There are only two things you buy in a diamond: How large it is and how bright it is. The most important factor in the brightness of a diamond is the angles that the facets are to each other. In a round diamond these angles can be the same all around the stone. In all other cuts they are compromises. Why are princess cut diamonds so popular? They are popular because you can get a heavier stone out of the original rough diamond and it gives the mass marketers the appearance that they can sell you a diamond cheaper. And that is almost correct. It is a cheaper diamond, in all respects. A princess is usually a cheaper cut. To achieve that, most princess cut diamonds are what are known as "swindle cuts" in the industry. Many diamonds come out of the ground as an octahedron crystal. That is a fancy name for two pyramids base to base. If you cut the two pyramids apart and you get two (flatter on top deeper on the bottom) swindle cut princess cut diamonds with very little loss of material. Why are they called swindle cuts? Because with them, unscrupulous diamond dealers can swindle the uneducated consumer. The stones look okay when they are exceptionally clean, but they do not stay that way when you put them on and wear them. Another factor is that a swindle cut princess cut diamond does not have much in the way of dispersion. Dispersion is the color flashes that say Diamond, and when they get a little oil on them from your skin they will look like a piece of glass.So how many princess cut diamonds are swindle cut? Only about 98%. Yes 98% of princess cut diamonds today are poorly cut. And how much cheaper are they? In an ideal round brilliant cut diamond you will lose about 50% of the original diamond. In a greatly swindle cut princes cut diamond you may only lose 10%. That gives you a 40% difference in value up front. No, the value of the princess is not 40% cheaper for the same stone, it just has 40% less true value and does not cost as much in the swindled form. So are you 40% better off buying these less expensive princess cut diamonds? No! The swindle cut stones will end up looking like pieces of glass and watch out for the sharp flat corners. They tend to chip. The difference in how well fashioned all shapes of diamond are, can cause a disparity of 40% in the value. If you are a true expert with more than ten years experience buying diamonds on a daily basis, you may be able to find a "deal". A well-educated jeweler can save you money and is usually the best "deal". Some one that was selling shoes last week or on the other end of the Internet filling orders usually is not the best way to go. Shopping for the cheapest diamond will usually get you less true value. Why are 80 percent of all diamonds still cut as rounds. Because they are the brightest and in the form of the older 58 facet round cut or the new 129 facet, Star 129 they will continue to be the brightest long after the current or previous fads dim. If you still want a Princess cut, search out one that has finely cut proportions. Yes, you and others can to see the difference and you will be happier in the long run.
