|
Warping
One more thought on crown & pavilion angles
for the perfectionist
Is it possible for
any single round or fancy shaped diamond to have more than one crown
angle or pavilion angle? You bet! In fact a round diamond can be
checked anywhere on its circumference and fancy shaped diamonds,
usually checked at the 3 and 9 clock positions, can also be measured
slightly off those positions to render multiple crowns and pavilion
angles.
Now here is the
million dollar question. When a lab grading report appraisal is
done, which crown and pavilion angle are you given? Are you given
the
best one? Probably. The worst one? Not likely. In an ever competitive
race for your dollar, the cutter, the jeweler, and even the appraiser
can be caught up in “warping.”
Warping is the placement
of accurate pavilion and crown angles on the diamond but solely
in one location. The rest of the crown and pavilion angles are off
to the benefit of weight retention. There are two types of warped
diamonds - inward and outward. An inward warped diamond may have
the side of the pavilion slightly curved to pickup the correct measurement.
In an outward warped diamond there is a slight bulge in one location
above or below the girdle. Warps to a good cutter can make that
cutter many more dollars. Knowing that most labs and appraisal services
check for the best measurement or an average lets a cutter push
through a diamond as a class 1 or 2 when in actuality it is a class
3 or 4 (a poorly proportioned diamond).
In purchasing your
diamond don't be afraid to ask the question, “Is the crown
and pavilion on my diamond based on a single measurement, an average
or on the worst?”
If a diamond’s
worst crown and pavilion angles are acceptable then surely the rest
will be as well. You can also ask for minimum and maximum pavilion
and crown angles to see the extremes in both directions. If a jeweler
doesn’t know how the angles are derived then I would not put
much faith in the numbers he tells you.
PS: The only two pieces of equipment that can
accurately check for warping are Sarin and Megascope machines.
Also see Diamond:
Parts of the Stone and A
Glossary of Diamond Terms.
by Fred Cuellar, author of the best-selling book
"How to Buy a Diamond."
More questions? Ask
the Diamond Guy®
BACK
to Diamond Articles Index.
|
