How to tell if a pear is too deep? Or, post your pear pics w/depth for comparison ....

[Circe]

Call it buyer''s remorse, call it a nervous disposition ... now that I have my pear in hand, I can''t help periodically searching for similarly size/priced pears (like, say, this one) to see if I did well or not.

Stats on my pear:

Carat Weight: 1.30
Color: E
Clarity: Si1
Cut Grade: Very Good
Table %: 59.00
Depth %: 64.50
Girdle: Thick
Culet: N
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Good
Fluorescence: Strong Blue
Measurements: 9.13-5.94x3.83
Length/Width ratio: 1.54

I think part of this is due to the fact that when I showed my husband the pear next to my e-ring round to show color, he squinted and said, "So, the engagement stone is much better, right?" My e-ring is a J to the pendant''s E ... but the round brilliant faceting definitely makes the e-ring like brighter all over, as opposed to the small facets fore and aft, big facets in-between look of the pear cut. So I''m trying to figure out if it''s just the difference between a round and a fancy cut, or if my stone has issues. I knew it was on the deeper side, but I was hoping it would be within bounds, and that the depth would actually minimize bowtie (there is, for the record, very little bow-tie that I can see).

Also, here''s the thing: I hadn''t cleaned the poor thing properly since I got it! Because it''s set in a deep-backed bezel, I''d hoped that just wiping it down with rubbing alcohol would keep it spic-n-span. But as I wrote the post, I figured I''d check it through the loup, and ... OH MY GAWD. Cleaning it just now made an immense difference. So, tomorrow methinks I''ll be getting either a steam-cleaner or an ultrasonic.

Consider this a PSA - no matter what, clean your stone scrupulously! (But you knew that.)

So, post-with-two questions:

1) Those of you who have pears or are fancy-shape experts; what are some of the visual signals that a pear is too deep? Or, for that matter, too shallow? Pics welcome.

2) Um ... steam-cleaner or ultrasonic?

A pic of mine own, for illustrative purposes ....

 

[Dreamer_D]

Baby toothbrush and dish soap seems to work really well for me!

I suspect that you are just noticing the different flavours of an RB versus a Pear. That would surely explain a *much* larger share if the variance between your RB and Pear than would the potential depth issue in the Pear.

 

[Lorelei]

Circe, a pear is going to look quite different to a round diamond so its not comparing apples to apples. The depth is fine also, bear in mind with fancy shapes that the depth percentage doesn't always relate to the spread in the same way as round diamonds as weight can be hidden in other areas.

The thread explains further, it is based on Princess but a similar principle can apply with other fancy shapes.

http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/21/1/The-matter-of-depth-in-a-princess-cut.aspx

 

[Amethyste]

Hey Circe,
My pear is also a little deep... Here are the specs:

GIA report: December 24, 2008 ( woah a day before Xmas! )
Pear modified brilliant
14.77 X 8.72 X 5.69 ( 1.69 ratio - yummy )
Carat Weight: 5.13 CT
Color: W to X Range
clarity: VVS2
Total depth: 65.3%
Table Size: 56%
girdle: slightly thick to Thick, faceted
Culet: none
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Good
fluorescence: Strong Blue
Key to Symbols: feather, Extra Facet

And here s a shot dead on - I do not see a bowtie either...

I do believe, at least in my and your case, a little deeper stone can minimize the bow-tie, but I also believe in the symmetry of the stone to play a role in that too. I am no expert, I mostly trust my eyes. A thing I noticed with most pears, that even if you have no bowtie, you will always find a "window" when you tilt the diamond a little sideways... Kinda like a dead spot where you can see through. that doesnt bother me though. I think the fact that my diamond is more yellow, plays differently with my perception, making everything golden...

I love your pendant, it is so beautiful... I love the little stars on the side of the bezel.

 

[susimoo]

Hi Circe,

I am no expert, so I will leave the stats to the experts!

I just wanted to say that I thought your pendant was beautiful. As far as cleaning is concerned, 4 days after finding PS I ordered an ultrasonic cleaner. ( Much cheaper than the diamonds I am currently considering as a result of too much time on here lol)

My diamond jewellery has never looked better! If you need recommendations on make a quick search will give you various manufacturers that other PS''s in the USA use. ( as I am in the UK)

HTH

 

[oldminer]

64.50 for a Pear is borderline deep, but really not a problem at all. To make up for the longer length, the depth needs to be increased a bit sometimes. The depth % is only based on depth to width and does not take length into account. Depth % for fancy shapes is done in an overly simplistic way that has become "tradition" rather than modern science.

The depth of fancy colors has NOTHING to do with the depth for near coloress stones. Depth in fancy colors sometimes helps make them more colored in appearance and of greater value.

 

[FB.]

Pears often have thick girdles (presumably to retain weight and $$$), which means an extra 1-2% depth.

A quick guesstimate of a pear's proportions can be made using AGA's cut charts - and HCA. Yes, you read that right.

The best pears often fall above and to the right of the HCA's "Ideal" (and above and right of AGS0 candidates), but within GIA's "Excellent". If it was a round, it would be termed "steep deep" - sitting on the edge of the green and blue zones of the HCA.
But in pears, a little extra depth (relative to a round) helps the internal light reflections on its longer axis, by improving the angle at which the light bounces off the facets.

Sure, cannibalising the HCA is a "rough-and-ready" guide and a visual inspection/good returns policy is always required, but I think you'll find it surprisingly good.....

These numbers have a good chance of making a nice "backbone" for a pear. Put them in the HCA and notice how they fall in what we consider to be a bad zone for rounds......

Depth 64%
Table 57%
Crown 15%
Pavilion 44%

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi Circe,
Not that you should love your pear or not...but based on my experience, 64.5% is NOT borderline deep in any way for a pear shape.
Nor is Amethyst''s pear deep based on it''s 65.3% depth.
All due respect, but this is a good indicator of the problem with the cut charts.
They may give consumers the idea they have a stone that is "borderline" something, when in fact, it could be a gorgeous stone. "Borderline" sounds bad to me......
I''ve seen beautiful colorless pears with depths in the high 60''s that I would not consider deep at all.

 

[CLEICS]

sorry to hijack but Susimoo where did you buy your ultrasonic from?

 

[susimoo]

Hey again Cleics,

I found the model by doing a google search, the chose the best price with free shipping which I found on amazon.

The model is a JPL7000 Ultrasonic Cleaner. I paid just over £26 for it.

It is marvelous! My jewellery and that of everyone I know has never looked better. he he