Does no bow tie in an oval equal poorly cut?

[Randy Top]

I''m ready to buy an engagement ring, but I''m trying to get a better understanding of bow ties in fancy cuts (specifically ovals).

I know all ovals should have some sort of bow tie. I''ve read that it can be minimized with a deeper cut, but I know you don''t want too deep of a cut. I''ve seen a few ovals without noticing a bow tie, but I didn''t get the numbers on them to check out the cut quality.

Mainly I want to know if you can have a good cut oval and not see a bow tie.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 4/7/2010 11:57:38 PM
Author:qkid13
I''m ready to buy an engagement ring, but I''m trying to get a better understanding of bow ties in fancy cuts (specifically ovals).

I know all ovals should have some sort of bow tie. I''ve read that it can be minimized with a deeper cut, but I know you don''t want too deep of a cut. I''ve seen a few ovals without noticing a bow tie, but I didn''t get the numbers on them to check out the cut quality.

Mainly I want to know if you can have a good cut oval and not see a bow tie.

You can''t go by numbers alone. They won''t tell you much. Best thing is use your eyes... Ovals are gorgeous, and bought one for a RHR. You can do a search to see it, I think the Title was some where oval the rainbow..
I love doing fun titles.

I do NOT like bow ties and wanted one that didn''t have that bow tie effect....

I bought from www.goodoldgold.com Ask for Jonathon.

HTH, good luck in your oval search!!!!

 

[petrock<3]

I thought bow ties were bad?? A sign of a bad cut, and light not being returned out of the diamond. Now I''m confused! I''d like to hear the answer to this!

 

[kenny]

If you like seeing a black bowtie in your diamond then it is not bad.

I suspect the vast majority of people do not like seeing that black shape in their diamond, especially when you can select one free of bowtie.

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 4/8/2010 12:41:19 AM
Author: petrock<3

I thought bow ties were bad?? A sign of a bad cut, and light not being returned out of the diamond. Now I''m confused! I''d like to hear the answer to this!

Bow tie is of a similar effect to what gives the arrows on a round diamond. If it is pavilion facet that results in the bow tie is cut too shallow, the darkness will be visible from a much further distance than normal viewing distance, and it will look black most of the time.

 

[petrock<3]

Thank you Stone Cold for clearing that up!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/7/2010 11:57:38 PM
Author:qkid13
I''m ready to buy an engagement ring, but I''m trying to get a better understanding of bow ties in fancy cuts (specifically ovals).

I know all ovals should have some sort of bow tie. I''ve read that it can be minimized with a deeper cut, but I know you don''t want too deep of a cut. I''ve seen a few ovals without noticing a bow tie, but I didn''t get the numbers on them to check out the cut quality.

Mainly I want to know if you can have a good cut oval and not see a bow tie.

It really depends on the diamond, rather than trying to avoid them yourself going by various suggestions such as looking for extra deep stones ( which is no guarantee), look at the stone as a whole and see how much of a bow tie it shows. If working online then having a trusted vendor be your eyes is essential, yes you can have a beautifully cut oval not show much of a bow tie and a bow tie itself isn''t bad per se, it just depends on the buyer''s preference. As an example, Victoria Beckham''s original engagement ring, a 6 ct marquise shows a very distinct bow tie, its a beautiful diamond but the bow tie is very evident.

 

[Lorelei]

Lets see if I can add a photo of Victoria Beckham's ring....The photo isn't very clear but you can see the bow tie.

 

[Randy Top]

I know bow ties are based on personal preference. I don''t want a bow tie that has a very visible bow tie. I know there can be well cut diamonds with a bow tie, I just don''t know if there are well cut diamonds without bow ties. Or do you seem to sacrifice a little on cut to get a less noticeable bow tie?

 

[kenny]

Date: 4/8/2010 7:11:46 AM
Author: Lorelei
Lets see if I can add a photo of Victoria Beckham''s ring....The photo isn''t very clear but you can see the bow tie.

What ring?
There''s a ring in that pic?

Hahaha.

Hey, as a photographer I''d love to experiment with lighting on a diamond with bowtie.
I suspect I could eliminate the bowtie by carefully positioning lighting to shine into the back of the diamond.

But no vendor would ever do that.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

It also depends on the lighting and angle at which you''re holding the stone. I know with my oval I have no BT most of the time, but in certain lighting it''s there and when I hold my hand at just the right angle it''s there.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/8/2010 9:42:38 AM
Author: kenny

Date: 4/8/2010 7:11:46 AM
Author: Lorelei
Lets see if I can add a photo of Victoria Beckham''s ring....The photo isn''t very clear but you can see the bow tie.

What ring?
There''s a ring in that pic?

Hahaha.

 

[mail4sam]

The bow-tie effect, observed with the unaided eye, is frequently found in marquise, oval, radiant, pear and some heart-shaped diamonds, and is considered a negative factor if prominent. It arises from the variations in the pavilion facet angles required in cutting stones, which are longer than they are wide.

The bow tie effect is a result of a small amount of light leaking through the diamond. Facets are suppose to alternate between light and dark as the diamond, viewer or light source are moved but with the bow tie effect, certain facets stay relatively dark regardless of the movement.

The bow-tie looks like two dark triangular shapes joined at the point in the center of the stone and looks like a man''s black bow tie. Depending on the size, angle and placement of the diamond''s facets, this bow tie can be barely visible (often termed minimal) or very pronounced and everything in between. While almost every elongated stone has some "bow-tie" shadowing, your goal is to find a diamond with minimal bow-tie effect such that the distraction is minimal or absent.

For the diamond shopper trying to select diamonds based on specifications rather than visual observation, the bow tie effect is a challenge. The numbers on a diamond grading report do not provide assurances concerning the bow tie. Over the years, some rules of thumb have evolved for the different shapes that increase the probability of a minimal bow tie effect. For example, with a marquise shape depth percentages in the low sixties and a crown height close to 14% seems to result in less visible bow tie.

However, only visual inspection can determine the true level and perceived significance of the bow tie effect.

In other words the less of the bowtie effect the better the cut.

 

[Parmela1]

I just bought a 1.6 caret, D, VS1 oval diamond a couple of weeks ago and picked up from the jeweler, where I took it to be mounted, on Friday. It has a bow tie, but it isn''t visible all the time. I can only see it when I hold my hand a certain way or under certain lights...... the overheads in my kitchen for some reason. I don''t find it a defect at all. Quite the opposite! For me, it maked the stone more interesting because it constantly changes.

I find myself playing with, by trying to make the bow tie appear and disappear. Did I mention it is absolutely gorgeous!

I looked for about 4 months before making a purchase and most of that time was spent educating myself regarding oval diamonds. I found this site to be incredibily helpful. You will find everything you need to know under the KNOWLEDGE button above.

Good luck with your search and remember to have fun!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

dup post...I thought this thread looked familiar!