Shallow Diamonds and Stud Earrings

[TWilliams]

Do diamonds with a shallow cut (you know, a short bottom) make good stud earrings? I mean, its basically a rock on the ear so its not going to shine like a diamond ring and it might be more inexpensive. Is it a common practice then to have it liike this?

[Yosef]

Hi there,

Whether cut too shallow or too deep they're still still cut out of "ideal" spec and will not sparkle to their full potential.

I suppose if one had to pick between a deep cut and a shallow cut diamond, it's better to get the shallow cut because face up it will appear larger with a bigger diameter then a bottom heavy diamond.

Sacrificing on diamond cut is rarely ever economical or cost-effective. The cost between a GIA Good to GIA Very Good cut is only about a 5-10% difference, and the price difference between a GIA Very Good to Excellent is only about 5-10% again if I were to guess. That's like getting one color grade less. I'd much rather sacrifice 1 color grade then 1 cut grade less.

You should always get the best cut diamond, and then adjust your budget from there for color, clarity, carat weight. Is a super ideal worth the 10-20% premium from Excellent/Ideal? I would say no for most people while there definitely are those that must have the best and that's fine too. But always get a premium cut diamond at the very least like a GIA Very Good - Excellent cut.

[ukmarkyj]

Hi,

With regards to the cut, I am inclined to agree with Yosef. One thing I have found with many of the very shallow, spready diamonds over the years, is that sometimes they exibit an appearance not too dissimilar from a "fish-eye" This is often from light entering the girdle which causes an unattractive ring at the centre of such a flat stone. It almost creates a lifeless appearance within the diamond.

Many stones such as this will look large for the weight, but will not produce the sparkle we all love.

This said though, some very thickly cut diamonds, cut for weight with little regard given to cut, will almost verge on "bullets" Out of the two, I would opt for the spready stones as at least they will give a good show with their larger diameter.

[amol1980]

Though shallow cut diamonds look bigger than same size stones with a more proportional cut, but what you get in size you lose in brilliance.

Light travelling through a shallow cut tends to go out the back instead of bouncing off the sides of the stone and back into your vision.

[Mervyn L. Cohn ASA]

Do diamonds with a shallow cut (you know, a short bottom) make good stud earrings? I mean, its basically a rock on the ear so its not going to shine like a diamond ring and it might be more inexpensive. Is it a common practice then to have it liike this?


I think it depends on whom your trying to fool. I suggest that if you are trying to show them off as diamonds then they should sparkle like diamonds and not lay flat like a piece of paste/glass when all the light striking them is absorbed by the earlobe as it passes through the shallow cut stone. If you give these to your favorite girl, you'll have to live in dread of her having someone ask her if they are diamonds, because they won't look like real diamonds. Even if they are just mined and polished rocks.