Is this a bad emerald cut?

[charmandy]

Video with IGI is attached.

Okay so, I know this is a K IGI. So maybe a GIA L. Is it possible the jewelry store lighting made it look dark? I wasn’t expecting the stone to look so bad! It looks clear in the middle as well. Is it badly cut?

Also, if it is a bad cut, could anyone help me pick a better emerald cut stone from the JA website? I’m clueless… and I don’t get another chance to view stones in person. So I might just need to go for a different shape altogether.


Video of the stone

 

[lovedogs]

This likely isn't one we would have recommended because of how the center steps all turn dark at once. It makes the middle look really dark and "dead" face on.

What's your budget and prefered color/clarity?

 

[musicloveranthony]

Emerald cuts certainly show any imperfection more than a round cut does. They'll show color and inclusions readily. I would not choose that stone as I don't like the patterning of the cut and light reflections. If you give your desired cost and what size stone you're looking for we could help look

 

[charmandy]

This likely isn't one we would have recommended because of how the center steps all turn dark at once. It makes the middle look really dark and "dead" face on.

What's your budget and prefered color/clarity?

My budget is $6k! Clarity eye clean as possible and as for color I don’t care. I really wanted dimensions of a 1.4-1.5 ratio and as big as I can get it. But I agree it’s dead and I thought the lighting was the problem. The sales lady was nice but not helpful when I asked what was going on with it and why it’s so dark. She just said it’s how emeralds look.

 

[charmandy]

Emerald cuts certainly show any imperfection more than a round cut does. They'll show color and inclusions readily. I would not choose that stone as I don't like the patterning of the cut and light reflections. If you give your desired cost and what size stone you're looking for we could help look

Agree with you! My budget is $6k! Clarity eye clean as possible and as for color I don’t care. I really wanted dimensions of a 1.4-1.5 ratio and as big as I can get it. This stone is a nice 8.5x5.8mm which is quite possibly the biggest I could find for the price under $6k. But that definitely meant it wasn’t cut right. It has excellent symm and polish but apparently that doesn’t matter if it’s built like a window. Sigh.

 

[musicloveranthony]

I think I like this one. I have noticed in the past that JA has a poor collection of emerald cuts and the way they video them makes it hard to tell what they really look like. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.52-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-sku-17810134

 

[charmandy]

I like this one https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.52-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-sku-17810134

Omg! I had it on my favorites! Thanks so much! It does look really nice in the video and much less darkness straight on

 

[lovedogs]

I think I like this one. I have noticed in the past that JA has a poor collection of emerald cuts and the way they video them makes it hard to tell what they really look like. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.52-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-sku-17810134

I like this one!

 

[lovedogs]

I have a few alternatives. I didn't stick with any specific ratio because I need to see videos vs focusing on length/width.

1. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.51-carat-k-color-si1-clarity-sku-17296489

2. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.50-carat-k-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-17751764

3. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.40-carat-k-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-17716997

4. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.30-carat-k-color-vs1-clarity-sku-17810981

 

[charmandy]

I think I like this one. I have noticed in the past that JA has a poor collection of emerald cuts and the way they video them makes it hard to tell what they really look like. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.52-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-sku-17810134

This!!! I was so certain I had picked a good cut and when I got it I was like what … what is this? I was so convinced that it was the lighting playing tricks on me. It was at an odd angle and yellow tinted so even my champagne sparkle nails looked like nasty and yellow in it lol

 

[charmandy]

I have a few alternatives. I didn't stick with any specific ratio because I need to see videos vs focusing on length/width.

1. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.51-carat-k-color-si1-clarity-sku-17296489

2. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.50-carat-k-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-17751764

3. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.40-carat-k-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-17716997

4. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.30-carat-k-color-vs1-clarity-sku-17810981

Thank you so much for the options!!! Hero! Were you looking for alternating bands of light for the step pattern? I really thought that the stone 360 videos at first were just a CGI representation so this is just a big learning experience. Selecting Emeralds is hard mode.

 

[lovedogs]

Wrong ratio so it's a little more like an asscher (lol probably why I like it), but here's an option: https://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/170ct-u-v-vs2-square-emerald-diamond-r10103

 

[charmandy]

Wrong ratio so it's a little more like an asscher (lol probably why I like it), but here's an option: https://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/170ct-u-v-vs2-square-emerald-diamond-r10103

Diamonds by Lauren always knocks it out of the park with their stones! It’s so gorg

 

[lovedogs]

Thank you so much for the options!!! Hero! Were you looking for alternating bands of light for the step pattern? I really thought that the stone 360 videos at first were just a CGI representation so this is just a big learning experience. Selecting Emeralds is hard mode.

These are actual videos of the stones, so they're fairly accurate to what you'll see IRL. Yup, I look for "twinkling" as I rotate it around with my finger on the 360 versus seeing all dark/off at once. I also look for movement on the other facets (sides, top/bottom) as I rotate.

 

[musicloveranthony]

2. https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/1.50-carat-k-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-17751764

I think this is the only one that I'd consider in this crowd - the rest have a sort of mushy appearance at some angles which I think is from a sort of fish-bowl deep and chubby cut (to retain weight). Emerald cuts are so hard to pick from online. You really have to read between the lines and guess what they're not showing you. I think I'd probably still opt for the 1.52 J VS2 I had sent, though due to the ratios and I think it'll have a better facet pattern.

 

[lovedogs]

I think this is the only one that I'd consider in this crowd - the rest have a sort of mushy appearance at some angles which I think is from a sort of fish-bowl deep and chubby cut (to retain weight). Emerald cuts are so hard to pick from online. You really have to read between the lines and guess what they're not showing you. I think I'd probably still opt for the 1.52 J VS2 I had sent, though due to the ratios and I think it'll have a better facet pattern.

Yeah, I'm definitely not an emerald expert. I just look for "life" as I rotate and post ones that appeal to my eyes. But I agree that they are really hard to read online

 

[charmandy]

Yeah, I'm definitely not an emerald expert. I just look for "life" as I rotate and post ones that appeal to my eyes. But I agree that they are really hard to read online

I know what you mean about the “life” - those sparkles in an emerald are rare but man, are they just amazing. Thank you for the help