Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Why would lab diamond cutters not accept doing the same cut with natural rough?

CalliopeCladdagh

CalliopeCladdagh

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 26, 2018
Messages
332
I would like to buy a specialty cut diamond from a well-known vendor (who I don't want to name unless they choose to post here themselves) and they tell me that this cut is only available in lab diamonds, and their cutters are not willing to cut this same shape in natural diamond.

Why might this be? Lab and natural diamonds are the same material, why would cutters accept one form of rough diamond but not the other?
 
Why won't they clarify their answer with an explanation?
 
I was reading on I think it was Idex a while back that some cutting houses in India have switched exclusively to Lab.
It could well be that the cutter they use just does Lab.
 
Autumn in New England said:
I think everyone else pretty much covered the possible reasons. My first thought was that, if the cut is overly intricate or risky, the lap may not be willing to make a mistake with natural rough.
Click to expand...

Not to mention yeild and recovery
 
It's an oval shape, so I don't think it's overly intricate or risky.

These cuts already have pricing premiums built in due to being a named cut so I don't really understand why it would be too expensive to use natural rough as the vendor can just pass the extra cost along to the customer?
 
Lab rough does not have the potential of internal knots or stress inside it that often comes with natural rough. Natural rough also has random inclusions that are problematic, while Lab rough is far less included. You can be far less trained to cut Lab rough than to cut far more costly mined rough with all the inherent extra problems.

I'd imagine Lab rough cutting is done at a far lower cost than cutting mined stones of sizes sufficient for solitaire rings. Cutters don't like to have any potential for mixing up Lab and minded diamonds in their shops. That would lead to claims they did the switch on purpose.

I suggest Garry has it right. If what you want is an oval diamond, just buy one that is already cut. Custom cutting an oval would be a huge risk for a consumer. What if you did not like the way it looks after it is cut? Don't go there unless you go fully informed.
 
The OP says it's a specialty cut oval so perhaps there isn't one in a mined stone that she can purchase and wanted to have one cut?
 
Lookinagain said:
The OP says it's a specialty cut oval so perhaps there isn't one in a mined stone that she can purchase and wanted to have one cut?
Click to expand...
Yes exactly, I want this specific facet pattern, ideal cut and performance etc. Totally different to a standard oval. Unfortunately I'm not interested in a lab stone for this particular ring.
 
oldminer said:
Lab rough does not have the potential of internal knots or stress inside it that often comes with natural rough. Natural rough also has random inclusions that are problematic, while Lab rough is far less included. You can be far less trained to cut Lab rough than to cut far more costly mined rough with all the inherent extra problems.

What if you did not like the way it looks after it is cut? .
Click to expand...
Okay this makes sense, thank you!

Regarding your second point, the cut has a strict pattern and proportions (like for example Whiteflash ACA) so all the stones look very similar. All I'm asking for is the same thing just in natural not lab.
 
Just curious-about what carat weight were you trying to get cut?
 
lulu_ma said:
Just curious-about what carat weight were you trying to get cut?
Click to expand...
Around 0.8 carat.
Basically I asked the vendor my preferred colour and clarity range, gave my budget and asked for whatever carat weight that would get me in this cut. Which worked out to around 0.8 which was what I expected based on their other natural diamond cuts and prices.
 
CalliopeCladdagh said:
Around 0.8 carat.
Basically I asked the vendor my preferred colour and clarity range, gave my budget and asked for whatever carat weight that would get me in this cut. Which worked out to around 0.8 which was what I expected based on their other natural diamond cuts and prices.
Click to expand...

Maybe that vendor just isn't cutting new mined diamonds at all and sticking with lab stones.
 
I was actually wondering the same thing that the OP asked. I had been eyeing a particular line of supposedly high-performing modern pears that were being cut but only in lab diamonds. (I will not give the vendor's name but perhaps it is the same as the OP.)
 
RunningwithScissors said:
I was actually wondering the same thing that the OP asked. I had been eyeing a particular line of supposedly high-performing modern pears that were being cut but only in lab diamonds. (I will not give the vendor's name but perhaps it is the same as the OP.)
Click to expand...
It could well be!

I'm pretty sad. This ring has been a long time coming what with saving the money and deciding what shape to get, etc. Now I'm not sure whether to wait longer in case things change with the vendor (they currently can't give me an answer as to whether anything will change) or to go in a different direction.
 
Have you seen these? they are mined stones. I think they were just announced so I assume it's a different vendor.

www.briangavindiamonds.com

0.758 D VVS1 Signature Oval

Brian Gavin Diamonds
www.briangavindiamonds.com www.briangavindiamonds.com
 
CalliopeCladdagh said:
I would like to buy a specialty cut diamond from a well-known vendor (who I don't want to name unless they choose to post here themselves) and they tell me that this cut is only available in lab diamonds, and their cutters are not willing to cut this same shape in natural diamond.

Why might this be? Lab and natural diamonds are the same material, why would cutters accept one form of rough diamond but not the other?
Click to expand...

Sorry for your frustration @CalliopeCladdagh,
There are a variety of business reasons that a company would not entertain this type of request, and many have already been cited in this thread; availability of natural rough to cost effectively make the stone, restrictions regarding mixing lab and natural on a given cutting floor, lab grown diamond rough is different in certain ways from a cutting perspective (more forgiving), general uncertainty about the outcome of the project and potential for loss.

Custom diamond cutting is a very, very small niche. It requires much more time, attention, and logistics as a one off project ( I think this was @Garry H (Cut Nut) 's point) which few merchants are willing or able to devote themselves to. Virtually all the companies willing to play in the custom cutting niche restrict themselves to rounds, for which the calculus is much more predictable and the likelihood of a successful win/win is much greater.

I think custom cutting lab grown diamonds may grow into a bigger part of the industry simply because availability and cost of the rough lends itself to experimentation. But natural diamond rough will always be on the prohibitive side of the calculation.
 
CalliopeCladdagh said:
Now I'm not sure whether to wait longer in case things change with the vendor (they currently can't give me an answer as to whether anything will change) or to go in a different direction.
Click to expand...

Is the cut proprietary? If it is, then it can only be done by the house owning the patent or copy write of the pattern. If not, you can talk with various companies to find one willing to cut the shape for you. The site holder companies can find you a piece of rough from their inventory and quote you a price based on the cost of the rough and the expected yield. (Edited to add, I am NOT an attorney and I do not know what is possible with patents or copy writes on diamonds.)

You may faint at the price and decide to pass. You may swallow hard and commission the project. You may even be pleasantly surprised, although I would not hold my breath for that result...
 
My experience has been:
Lab growers have asked us to buy at least 10 of a given cut/size if we want custom cutting.
This might change...who knows.
But if we're talking about natural mined diamonds- it's really a crap shoot- especially with Fancy Shapes. When it comes to color, there are a lot of "surprises". Stones that should have polished one color, turn out differently.
Even fluorescence can't be reliably determined in the rough.
For these reasons, it seems better to advise trying to find an existing stone that pleases you.
 
Lookinagain said:
Have you seen these? they are mined stones. I think they were just announced so I assume it's a different vendor.

www.briangavindiamonds.com

0.758 D VVS1 Signature Oval

Brian Gavin Diamonds
www.briangavindiamonds.com www.briangavindiamonds.com
Click to expand...
Thank you, I will definitely check these out!

Texas Leaguer said:
Custom diamond cutting is a very, very small niche. It requires much more time, attention, and logistics as a one off project ( I think this was @Garry H (Cut Nut) 's point) which few merchants are willing or able to devote themselves to.
Click to expand...
Totally get this but this vendor already does plenty of custom cuts in both natural and lab for the other shapes they offer, and I'm pretty sure either all, or almost all, the lab stones that have been cut in this particular oval shape have been custom orders.

Wink said:
Is the cut proprietary?
Click to expand...
Do you know how I could find this out?
 
CalliopeCladdagh said:
Thank you, I will definitely check these out!


Totally get this but this vendor already does plenty of custom cuts in both natural and lab for the other shapes they offer, and I'm pretty sure either all, or almost all, the lab stones that have been cut in this particular oval shape have been custom orders.


Do you know how I could find this out?
Click to expand...

I suspect it would be on their site somewhere. You could also ask.
 
Different cutters for lab and mined. Did you look at their proprietary oval cut in mined? Doesn't have the chunky faceting you are seeking, but it's a knock out cut and AGS Ideal.
 
OcnGypZ said:
Different cutters for lab and mined. Did you look at their proprietary oval cut in mined? Doesn't have the chunky faceting you are seeking, but it's a knock out cut and AGS Ideal.
Click to expand...

Yes =)2
I've spent a lot of time watching their comparison videos, searching through the inventory of the other oval cut trying to 'make' myself like it, but it just isn't what I want, unfortunately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top