Loose Diamonds

When you compare round diamonds with princess cut diamonds, one of their distinct characteristics is their shape. Princess cut diamonds are square, although they have a slight rectangular outline. However, having a princess cut diamond means you should take care of it because it’s prone to chips and cuts, especially around the corners. In Bova Diamonds, the cuts are precise and perfect, making your loose diamond priceless and perfect.

When you want loose diamonds in cocktail rings or as necklace pendants, the Marquise shape is perfect for you. It’s one of the most popular diamond cuts in Dallas, Texas. Also dubbed as the football-shaped cut, this diamond has an elongated diamond shape with pointed ends. For bling-lovers who are fond of extravagant jewelry designs, this cut is a top loose diamond type. Diamonds are shiny, glittery and beautiful. If you’re looking for the best diamonds, you need to trust only the best dealers. Remember, diamonds are huge investments, and you should pay attention on how to spot fake ones. Nevertheless, diamond lovers are fond of this gemstone for a reason – perfection and elegance.

Sparkling Diamonds and Gems offers radiant cut diamonds. They are sought after because of their outstanding brilliance and durability. Radiant cut diamonds have been popular since the 80’s up to now. It is known for being impressively radiant and brilliant. Originally designed by Henry Grossbard way back in 1977, he aimed to combine the best aspects of a round brilliant cut with the emerald cut. The Radiant Cut was then designed with 70 facets at its pavilion and crown. Each facet adds to a brilliance that can only be matched by the round brilliant cut.

Radiant cut diamonds have beveled corners that make them durable and less prone to chip and breaks. It is perfect for people with an active lifestyle compared to other diamond cuts. If we compare radiant cuts with the cushion cut, they may have similarities but also distinct differences. Cut and appearance may appear to be similar, but radiant cuts have more distinct edges compared to the round edges of the cushion cut. Both have trimmed corners though that provides stability. The cushion cut is known reflect colored light, but the brilliance of radiant cut diamonds is beyond the former’s. The exceptional brilliance is thanks to the many facets of radiants and it’s large table. As for the other details, personal preference dictates the width and length ratio. Both cuts are available in square or rectangular compositions. Cushion cuts however, are more popular at 1.0-1.09 ratio which is square in shape.

Bottom line is, if you prefer a radiant and brilliant cut that is stable and durable, Radiant Cut Diamonds are your perfect cut. If you are to give it to someone, consider their taste when it comes to the size and shape of the diamonds in their jewelry. Also, consider how often they will be wearing the jewelry and how active their lifestyle is. You don’t want them to chip or lose the diamond because if wearing it to work or while doing usual activities. If you can’t decide which among radiant cut diamonds, cushion cut or round brilliant diamond cuts, you can ask our friendly and professional personnel for assistance.

If you are looking for a unique diamond cut for an engagement ring, we highly recommend the Emerald Cut Diamonds. Unique and vintage-looking, this cut is rare and gives the impression of having a larger diamond than it actually is. However, like everything else, emerald cut diamonds have pros and cons.

Pros: Engagement rings with emerald cut diamonds appear to be larger. Even a 1 carat diamond will have more surface area with this cut, giving the illusion of larger size. This gives buyers an advantage because they can choose a smaller diamond and make it look bigger with this cut. It helps save money without compromising the grandeur of the engagement ring. And because the diamonds look bigger and elongated with the emerald cut, they make the wearer's finger look slender. The larger the length and width ratio, the longer and thinner the diamond will be. For engagement rings, we recommend 1.33 to 1.50 although many opt for 1.2 to 1.8. Another advantage is that emerald cut diamonds are cheaper than other cuts. It is less in demand and will allow you to save up to 20% to 30% on your diamond purchase.

Cons: Emerald cut diamonds have their imperfections noticeable compared to round diamonds. Although you save on price, you can use that for choosing a high clarity level. S12 clarity level would be a bad choice since the greater the surface area is with this cut, the more the imperfections become visible. Aside from clarity, color is also more revealed or visible. One tip is to choose colorless diamonds in D to F color. Another tip is to choose a color grade higher than what you would choose for a round cut. One more downside to this cut is that emerald cut diamonds only have a subtle sparkle to them. Brilliant cut diamonds can be impressively sparkling, but emerald cuts are what we call a step cut that has broad flashes of light from the middle and sparkle at the edges. Lastly, emerald cut diamonds are not graded by the GIA for cut. This will require you to have a expert perform a visual inspection first before buying it. For more information about emerald cut diamonds, visit our store and have our staff assist you in choosing the best engagement ring for your future wife.

Sparkling Diamonds and Gems offer Cushion Cut Diamonds. Read on to find out why this cut is one of our bestsellers.

History of Cushion Cut Diamonds

Cushion cut diamonds are square cut diamonds with rounded edges that make it resemble a pillow or cushion. It is also known as the “old mine cut.” This classic diamond cut has been existed for almost two hundred years now. It was once the default diamond cut until the early 20th century. Antique rings usually feature traditional cushion cut diamonds with an enlarged cutlet. The cut is credited to Marcel Tolkowsky, based on a design he created back in the 1920’s. Over time, the cut was modified and refined into having smaller cutlets, enlarged table and with improved cut angles that give it more brilliance.

Traditional versus Modern Cushion Cut

Modern variations of the cushion cut usually has three basic pavilion facet patterns. The third pattern offers an extra row of facets and GIA classifies this as a modified cushion cut. The extra needle-like facet makes the diamond appear like “crushed ice” and look more similar to the radiant cut. Many still go for cushion cut diamonds today, not just because of the modifications and refinements of the classic cushion cut. Since the cut is old and classic, it has an antique feel that many appreciate. The modern version of the cut improves its performance ans durability, like a perfect blend of the old and new. It may not have the same intense brilliance of round brilliant diamonds, but the cushion cut allows reflection of colored lights referred to as “fire.” The round edges of the cut makes it more secure and durable even for wearers who lead an active lifestyle. For the diamond’s details, we recommend that you explore your own personal specifications or taste. The classic cushion cut is more square with a length to width ratio of 1.00. However, the modern cushion cut can be more rectangular at 1.10-1.20 length to width. With every diamond purchase however, personal taste should dictate the measurement and exact shape of the cushion cut diamond.

If you want to stick with brilliant cuts, here is an alternative that might just be what you are looking for. This cut is great for engagement rings. You will surely impress your special someone when proposing marriage with this diamond cut that sparkles impressively. Oval cut diamonds are also perfect for wedding bands, as well as with other gemstones.

What are Oval Cut Diamonds

Ovals are relatively new compared to other cuts and was only created in the 1960's. The popular jeweler Lazarene Kaplan International created this cut as modification to the brilliant cut. The oval cut is popular because of their striking flash and fire features. The eye-catching brilliance is similar to that of round brilliant cuts, but ovals are actually a great alternative for such traditional engagement ring diamond cuts. Usually oval cuts have 56 facet, although some have more depending on how the pavilion or undercut or the is set. Length-width ratio for perfectly symmetrical ovals are at 1.5.

Why Choose the Oval Cut

Oval cut diamonds are usually found in fancy and elegant engagement rings. Since it is oval, there are no sharp corners with this shape. It won’t catch on your hair or clothes, even knitted ones. If you choose this cut for an engagement ring, your future wife can wear it daily without worrying about losing the diamond when it gets caught in her clothes. Another good thing about oval cut diamonds is that although it is among the fancy cuts, it costs much less than radiants with the same carat and quality. You can save hundreds to a thousand of dollars. The brilliance of ovals are similar to brilliant round cuts which means it will sparkle and shine brilliantly even at small carats. The only downside is, when an oval cut is executed poorly, it will have a shadow shaped like a bow tie that will affect it’s brilliance and fire. Not to mention the fact that it can be quite visible. This effect can be reduced significantly if the diamond is cut expertly.

Recommendations

Oval cut diamonds are best on engagement rings when within these grades:

For color, stick with G or above on the GIA scale. For clarity, choose VS1 or above.

Anything lower on color and clarity grade may end up with visible flaws and color tint which will be revealed with the oval cut.

A diamond’s shape refers to its physical form. There are different types of shapes that a diamond can be cut into. However, if you’re looking for something truly special, then you should look Asher cut diamonds. The shape of the Asher cut diamonds, or, as they are more traditionally called, the Asscher cut diamonds, were designed by the Asscher brothers of what is now called the Royal Asscher Diamond Company. Despite the design being created in 1902, the Asher cut diamond did not become popular till the 1920s. For years after the Great Depression, Asher cut diamonds could only be bought from jewelry stores selling vintage items. The beautiful shape gained popularity once again from the beginning of the 2000s. Asher cut diamonds are similar in shape to Emerald cut diamonds. However, the main difference between the two shapes is that Asher cut diamonds are always square – well, octagonal actually, since the corners are always cropped. However, shape looks square after the diamond is set on a ring with a four corner prongs. Asher cut diamonds feature large step facets as well as high crown. The table or top of the diamond is flat and you can clearly to the peak of the stone. The facets are cut in such a way that brilliance resembles an endless corridor of shining mirrors. If you plan to buy an Asher cut diamond, then the clarity of the stone should be at least VS2. With the large facets, any inclusions would be clearly visible. You can choose any color of diamond, however, experts say that the “I” color is ideal for Asher cut diamonds. This way, you get a lovely color without being the diamond being too expensive. The best settings for these cuts are vintage settings which have intricate details and clean, beautiful lines.