Can you change the cut of a diamond? Step cut to Brilliant?

[sparkleandfire]

Can you recut a step cut diamond into a brilliant cut diamond and still have the cut be “ ideal”

 

[dk168]

I am not an expert and could be wrong, however, the cut quality will be assessed based on the new cutting, rendering the old cut quality grading obsolete.

DK

 

[musicloveranthony]

Definitely - just have to be willing to sacrifice weight

 

[Karl_K]

depends on the starting stones shape and angles.
For a while not that long ago there was a big enough price difference that asscher cuts where being bought and recut into mrb stones.
Sadly a lot of nice stones disappeared from the market.

 

[musicloveranthony]

depends on the starting stones shape and angles.
For a while not that long ago there was a big enough price difference that asscher cuts where being bought and recut into mrb stones.
Sadly a lot of nice stones disappeared from the market.

booo. I'd take a solid asscher over a MRB any day

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

So musicloveranthony, when you go out to feed them at night, how many MRBs come up to the fence and how many Asschers?

 

[musicloveranthony]

So musicloveranthony, when you go out to feed them at night, how many MRBs come up to the fence and how many Asschers?

Haha! I need to figure out what kind of treats they both prefer!!

 

[Texas Leaguer]

On a systematic trade level it is all about the economics of the yield. As in the example @Karl_K posted above, over the years diamond dealers have seen opportunities to transform some of their inventory to take advantage of market conditions that allow them to sell slower moving diamonds, even after the weight loss and labor cost are factored in. Essentially the dealers in these cases are looking at their existing inventory as "starting rough" and doing their calculations according to prevailing market demand and price.

On a consumer level, it may revolve as much around desire for a certain shape, style or look. And then it is more a matter of personal preference and risk tolerance. You will still need to consider the market, because it may be more advantageous to sell the existing stone and buy the new one.

These decisions become more complicated when it comes to re-cutting stones that have been damaged. Then it is not just a matter of angles and percentages of the existing stone to consider, but also the nature and severity of the damage. There is also need to consider the risk of putting a stone back on the wheel. Particularly a badly damaged stone.

Sometimes there is also a factor inherent to the existing stone why it cannot be successfully recut to a particular shape or quality. For example, things like graining and polish directions can prevent a diamond from getting an ideal cut grade because the material may have an area that cannot be brought to a mirror finish (ideal polish).

Re-cutting diamonds is tricky business!

 

[denverappraiser]

You can, but usually it doesn't work economically. All a cutter can do is subtract. The final stone is going to be smaller, and possibly quite a bit smaller if you're making a radical change. Add to this that it's kind of an expensive process without guaranteed results and nearly everyone ends up choking over the money.