Diagem et al

[Cehrabehra]

As you know I am a huge fan of yours. You have cut some of the most beautiful stones I''ve ever seen. I know I am not alone in wishing I had a piece of your art on my finger. But alas...

I would like some raw feedback on my stone. I have to admit that when I first saw my stone I was disappointed with the uneven mains. I always envisioned 8 equal pavilion mains radiating from a large culet. I liked the elongation (1:1.26) but I had to grow to appreciate the particular cut on the pavilion of my stone.

That said I have no regrets because I fell in

with the stone instantly right down to the tiny 20x flaw in the heart of it. It was beautiful and did magical things I have yet to see another diamond do - ever. But I still pine a little bit for the more traditional 8 main and wonder if there might be a better potential balance.

If I keep my stone as is it has to go into another setting. It is dying. I always accepted the leakiness of it as a sign for it to let light in from every direction as well as out. The thing shone like a marvelous sparkling beauty from every angle when it wasn''t set - much prettier than any round I''ve ever seen from other than head on (rounds corner that market well lol).

I have the option of recutting it... but do I? Do I accept that some stranger out there cut my stone and it will always be a mystery, or do I embrace the artistry and give the stone that I love a chance to evolve into a more traditional and balanced old mine cut done at the hands of a master that I trust?

Anyone can answer - but be kind

 

[elmo]

Sara, you probably know this but the two folks here who can help answer your question are Ari at Singlestone and Jon at GOG. Both have a proven track record of having nice traditional cushions cut. At that point, assuming they will cut from a client''s stone, I think it''s mostly a matter of economics - yield for what you want compared with what you''re starting with vs. cost of just getting a second stone from one of them. It''s only money

.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Yes Elmo - it''s only money lol I actually love my diamond which is a good thing because I don''t see a second diamond of this size in my future.

I know there are a few cutters out there but I''ve already chosen one and am really close to sending my ring off, I just want to think this through out loud a bit before I do.

I probably shouldn''t have put to be kind - maybe I''d have more responses! lol

 

[Todd Gray]

Hi Sara,

The description you wrote of your diamond sounds a bit mixed, on one hand you state that you are in love with the diamond and that is exhibits beautiful flashes of color and light; and on the other that you might want to re-cut it... I''m thinking this is why you might not have received that many responses and it isn''t a matter of the "be kind" comment

I''m a big fan of if it works, don''t mess with it... And it sounds like while your diamond might not have a perfect cut, that it is performing well and I don''t think that I would re-cut such a stone because it seems like a recipe for emotional disaster... Better to work closely with a jewelry designer to create a new setting which will show off the diamond and enable it to work with available light to perform well. Just my two cents.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Hi Todd! Thank you for your (kind) reply

My feelings overall on the stone ARE mixed so you didn''t miss anything. I love the stone itself (intrinsically) and I like what it does in some situations but I''m pretty confident it could have been done better. I get what you''re saying about the if it ain''t broke.. but it ain''t right either. I am just out of touch with what is a setting issue and what is a diamond issue - it''s been driven home to me that a "well cut" stone will look good in any setting and mine doesn''t - does that mean it isn''t well cut? When it was unset or in the holder thingy that let in a lot of light through the pavilion the thing was just a firebomb in every direction and THAT beauty I haven''t see in any other stone (probably intentional) and I no longer see in mine.

I do appreciate your comments - I need to talk this through, I don''t have a conclusion yet.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 9/10/2009 8:50:34 PM
Author:Cehrabehra
As you know I am a huge fan of yours. You have cut some of the most beautiful stones I've ever seen. I know I am not alone in wishing I had a piece of your art on my finger. But alas...

I would like some raw feedback on my stone. I have to admit that when I first saw my stone I was disappointed with the uneven mains. I always envisioned 8 equal pavilion mains radiating from a large culet. I liked the elongation (1:1.26) but I had to grow to appreciate the particular cut on the pavilion of my stone.

That said I have no regrets because I fell in

with the stone instantly right down to the tiny 20x flaw in the heart of it. It was beautiful and did magical things I have yet to see another diamond do - ever. But I still pine a little bit for the more traditional 8 main and wonder if there might be a better potential balance.

If I keep my stone as is it has to go into another setting. It is dying. I always accepted the leakiness of it as a sign for it to let light in from every direction as well as out. The thing shone like a marvelous sparkling beauty from every angle when it wasn't set - much prettier than any round I've ever seen from other than head on (rounds corner that market well lol).

I have the option of recutting it... but do I? Do I accept that some stranger out there cut my stone and it will always be a mystery, or do I embrace the artistry and give the stone that I love a chance to evolve into a more traditional and balanced old mine cut done at the hands of a master that I trust?

Anyone can answer - but be kind

CerahBerah I respect your posts on here I read a lot of them from 2007 when I was learning about cushions. This post really puzzles me??

. Do you have a new stone or is it your one from a few years back?

The stone you have is an antique 8 main and is rectangular so those mains would never be evenly sized no matter how it is recut, unless somehow it was reshaped into a perfect square cushion or a round.

I have never seen an antique 8 main (even one with 1:1 ratio) with evenly sized mains and no OMCs like that either. The closest I have seen is listed in my thread I call it the "trivial pursuit cushion" https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/old-mine-brilliant-versus-cushion-brilliant-gotta-have-the-maltese-cross.118358/ (look at it beside the trivial pursiot piece) and its an OMC but that stone is definitely dark in the centre and not something you would want.

So I do have a couple of questions for you:

1) Do you have a picture of an already cut stone that you are trying to copy? or are you trying to break new ground?
2) I am just guessing but you might be looking for a Square Cushion HA with a large culet and shorter lower halves. (I haven't seen this, closest thing is a OEC but then its a round outline).

So I am very curious what you are after to start with. As far as what others have said I wonder if you get a setting with the pavillion completely exposed from the sides if your stone would then be bright enough or if you are just tired of it (or its dirty

), I hope its just dirty and needs some serious cleaning.

After that I think a cutter could answer your other questions I have no business going there.

Best Regards,
CCL

 

[strmrdr]

DiaGem is really busy right now so not online.

He would tell you your diamond is beautiful and it would be a crime to re-cut it.

 

[Cehrabehra]

lol storm

So.... how do you know he''s busy?

 

[Harriet]

Hey, Cehra! Maybe Strm = DiaGem?

 

[Maisie]

Hi Cehra

While I can''t help you with any technical stuff I would say this. I remember when you set your diamond a ways back. You became very stressed by the whole process. I hope this change of heart won''t mean you will end up that way again. It made you very miserable.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/11/2009 5:17:59 PM
Author: Harriet
Hey, Cehra! Maybe Strm = DiaGem?

lol the man of mystery unveiled!! Yeah - the storm personality has time to respond Like clark kent and superman - but which is which? hmmmm

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/11/2009 5:29:01 PM
Author: Maisie
Hi Cehra


While I can''t help you with any technical stuff I would say this. I remember when you set your diamond a ways back. You became very stressed by the whole process. I hope this change of heart won''t mean you will end up that way again. It made you very miserable.

well maisie - good lord I hope not. I am going to do things differently. Last time the designer was very new at cad and kept all of the waxes private and to do it again I will do two things different: One, I will not do a darn thing until I have SOMETHING concrete to base my decision on and two, I will go with someone who will keep the process transparent. Part of the stress I went through was wanting to protect someone and hold back my whole truth. Before I get to trying to set the stone I want to actually start from square one and ask how I should go about that... do I send a proposal to several people and see what they come up with? I dunno. What I do know for sure is that I would like to put an emerald in this ring. I think it will make a perfect birthstone/family ring for me. My husband and I are both emerald and my children are the 3 rubies underneath.

So I just need to trust my gut and have the stone taken out. I may just have the diamond put in the cheapest setting I can find as I wanted the bulk of that expense to be closer to my 20th anniversary which is still close to 2 years out.

I am going to post some pictures from another computer in a bit - maybe it will help explain what I mean.

 

[Maisie]

So you are putting an emerald in the setting you had made for this diamond? I love emeralds!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/11/2009 7:03:02 PM
Author: Maisie
So you are putting an emerald in the setting you had made for this diamond? I love emeralds!

I think it will look great with an emerald. Even though it wasn''t exactly what I envisioned and even though my diamond is very unhappy in it - the ring is still important to me. It was made by someone very special and has many qualities I either loved right off or have grown to love. There''s no way I''d part with this ring or have it dismantled. Oh hell no!

So... I need an emerald, I need a new setting for the diamond (I have a year for that), and I really feel like a total noob - worse than a noob. A noob who knows too much and yet still manages to not know the right things lol

 

[Cehrabehra]

BTW Hi Harriet

 

[Maisie]

I am sure that you will end up with a beautiful ring. I don''t have a ring now. I realised it all got out of hand and sold everything. Now I just wear a plain gold ring and I am happy with that.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 9/11/2009 7:33:26 PM
Author: Maisie
I am sure that you will end up with a beautiful ring. I don''t have a ring now. I realised it all got out of hand and sold everything. Now I just wear a plain gold ring and I am happy with that.

Quick threadjack here... REALLY, Maisie???! You sold your round AND your BGD ring???

Did I miss this somehow?

 

[Lynn B]

Back to our regular programming:

Sara,

I LOVE your diamond. LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

I think it is GORGEOUS. Personally, I wouldn't mess with it. You'd lose size if nothing else, and I just don't think it would be worth it.

That said, and being totally honest (while still [I hope!] *kind*

!) I personally really never loved the setting. IMVHO, too big, too bulky, too busy.

Put that cushion in a simple, classic, delicate Leon solitaire and watch it BLOSSOM!!! Oh yeah babeeee, YEAH!!!

 

[Cehrabehra]

threadjack all you like lynn - especially if you can throw in a little ass kicking my way lol

And Maisie - I totally get it. I do. They are beautiful, but they are material baubles and obsessing about them can get out of hand and lead you from thinking about what is really important. I hope you have found that again (((((hugs)))))

 

[Cehrabehra]

woot! ass kicking and it feel so good! lol I didn''t say that. I didn''t. I really didn''t

You know who I have really liked for years now? The simple style of some of Phillip Schmidt''s work. I have stayed in touch with him over the years but I cannot deal with sending my stone to australia when i''m about to move to china. I am actually planning on leaving my stone in the USA for 2 years

But anyway - I''m not much into designer names... but what I would like is something super simple with as much naked stone as possible. 4 prongs, 8 prongs - I have no idea... something simple and elegant and yet with unique lines. I don''t even want to try to explain anything this time - I want someone to show me some sketches and have me go "that one" lol

I have always thought this was absolutely brilliant:

 

[Cehrabehra]

BTW I know that would absolutely not fly for a diamond - but you get the idea lol

 

[Cehrabehra]

Oh and one more thing - I probably will at least get the stone tightened up a little - it has a couple symmetry issues that bug the bleep out of me sometimes lol Whether or not to change the cut style... I will wait and see what the big guy says about that.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 9/11/2009 8:40:44 PM
Author: Cehrabehra
Oh and one more thing - I probably will at least get the stone tightened up a little - it has a couple symmetry issues that bug the bleep out of me sometimes lol Whether or not to change the cut style... I will wait and see what the big guy says about that.

See, here''s the thing about that... how much will that cost? I bet a LOT. As in incredibly, crazeee expensive, I would imagine. ???

I am all about the budget and I''m not sure that the end result would be worth the $$$ ??? I dunno! Just my humble 2 cents!

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 9/11/2009 5:17:59 PM
Author: Harriet
Hey, Cehra! Maybe Strm = DiaGem?

lol not even close

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/11/2009 8:49:54 PM
Author: Lynn B

Date: 9/11/2009 8:40:44 PM

Author: Cehrabehra

Oh and one more thing - I probably will at least get the stone tightened up a little - it has a couple symmetry issues that bug the bleep out of me sometimes lol Whether or not to change the cut style... I will wait and see what the big guy says about that.

See, here''s the thing about that... how much will that cost? I bet a LOT. As in incredibly, crazeee expensive, I would imagine. ???


I am all about the budget and I''m not sure that the end result would be worth the $$$ ??? I dunno! Just my humble 2 cents!

well, the cost for a recut in general is really not that bad - less than I expected...

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 9/11/2009 11:19:27 PM
Author: Cehrabehra


well, the cost for a recut in general is really not that bad - less than I expected...

Really? That''s interesting, Sara!
Are you comfortable giving a ballpark figure, because I am VERY curious now!!!
Thanks!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Well under 1k for my stone. I don''t want to throw out the ballpark I got because nothing is set in stone.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Lynn, what would you suggest? I had so many ideas before and the one thing I really got out of my last experience is that I can visualize something so clearly in my head but obviously I fail at getting it across or standing up and not giving in on things (in the end I really just wanted my ring whatever it looked like). Now I feel like I have no idea how to pursue this... a blank slate.

 

[Cehrabehra]

well... maybe I could go for a rosebud but maybe without any melee stones... hehehe

 

[Kaleigh]

I am curious as to who is going to do the recutting. How can they say 1k, if they don''t have the stone to evaluate it. Unless the vendor who sold you the stone will recut it for you ?

I am one that would really look into this before going ahead... I''d want other opinions.


I remember your stone and loved it from day one. Perhaps it''s the setting that needs to be changed out.. I dunno, just a thought.

Best of luck!!!