So you’ve found the type diamond you want with regards to cutting style but you’ve also come to learn that the clarity range, color range and size range of what you’re looking for is not available. Or perhaps it’s an unusual and rare combination of carat, clarity & color and *THAT’S* what you want!
That makes you a perfect candidate to consider having a diamond custom cut to your liking.
Before you decide to embark down this path there are some things you need to be aware of.
- Depending on the type of cut it …
- Can perhaps be cut from an existing diamond on the market already or
- Must be cut from the sourced rough material.
If it can be custom cut from an existing diamond on the market then we can pretty much guarantee you minimum specs it will result in. Say for example you are looking to purchase an Ascendancy Hearts & Arrows, an August Vintage European Cut or perhaps a Solasfera, Star129 or one in the list below. In these cases we can generally take a pre-existing diamond on the market and recut it to the desired cut. Since it will have already been graded by GIA or AGS we pretty much know what it will result in upon completion. Diamonds that can be custom cut from pre-existing diamonds on the market would be the following …
- Hearts & Arrows Rounds
- August Vintage European Cuts
- Solasfera Hearts & Arrows
- Star129
- Eighternity
Note: When we are custom cutting from an existing diamond on the market we must locate and select the diamond in order to ensure it is suitable for re-cutting. It is not as easy as just picking a diamond and re-cutting it. Some of the factors we must do here in our lab is the following...
- Ensure graining levels are not too high (Graining Video)
- Ensure there is little to no existing strain in the diamond. Strain can cause a diamond to bust on the wheel.
- Ensure that the re-cutting will not result in surface breaching inclusions on the crown thus compromising structural integrity.
- Ensure that the proportions and precision of the diamond's cut will not result in too much weight loss as to decrease the value of the gem upon the loss of weight. Decreasing weight to increase cut quality does balance value but there are many diamonds on the market which would result in the loss of too much weight. When we hand pick the diamond we only source those that will yield the best results for our clients.
All of this criteria must be met and as knowledgeable as you may be you still do not have the proper gemological tools and/or training to select such things . ;) To move forward with custom cutting a diamond from an existing diamond on the market here is the process.
- The acquisition process. As we will be transporting in multiple diamonds to analyze to cut for you there is going to be some up front expenses involved. The costs associated depends on the value of the diamond. As we will generally be inspecting up to 5-6 diamonds to consider for cutting we'll be transporting these here to the lab for inspection. Here is an example of what it costs to transport diamonds of various values.
- To begin the acquisition process, as well as demonstrate your equal commitment to the project we will require a non-refundable deposit to help us with the costs of transporting diamonds for inspection. While we will be inspecting multiple diamonds we only require your deposit to cover round trip shipping of 2. Your deposit however is not wasted as it will be applied to the final purchase.
- Once the diamonds are here in our lab we will run them through the necessary testing to vet and ensure they meet our qualifications of our QA for recutting. If none of the diamonds qualify we will proceed to acquire a 2nd batch of diamonds at our expense and continue to do so until we have found a suitable candidate.
- Once we do locate a suitable diamond we will need you to be prepared to wire the amount so we can procure the diamond for cutting. Payment needs to be made the same week as we can only secure diamonds off of the market for no longer than a week.
- Once payment is made we will proceed to ship the diamond to our cutters. Once there it takes approximately 2-3 weeks for the cutting process until they ship it back to us.
- Upon arrival we will inspect the diamond to ensure it has been cut to spec and once confirmed we then proceed to ship the diamond to GIA or AGS for final grading. Note: If you requested a GIA graded diamond the diamond will go back to GIA. If you requested an AGS graded diamond the diamond will go to AGS. We do not send the diamond to a different lab from whence it originated. And on a positive note if the diamond comes back as a higher grade than what we acquired it at you do not pay for the added value. :) It is also at this time when it is good to work with our settings specialists on the setting you would like to put the diamond in.
- Once the diamond arrives from GIA or AGS we then proceed to set the diamond in the setting you choose and ship the diamond to you fully insured overnight.
Now let's talk about custom cutting from rough.
In the cases with diamonds that must be cut from rough, you are in essence partaking in the same risks that diamond cutters and jewelers who have diamonds cut from rough do. To explain the process …
Rough diamonds that have been mined from the earth are not purchased the same way that finished polished diamonds are. Finished polished diamonds have already been sent to GIA or AGS and the carat weight, clarity & color & cut quality have already been established by that lab.
When it comes to purchasing rough, these diamonds are grouped into “lots” or “businesses” and clarity, color and to a degree carat weight are estimated. Sometimes the rough comes out as estimated and sometimes it doesn’t. Thankfully the estimates by our buyers (who have been doing this their whole lives) are close if not spot on in their appraisal of the rough material otherwise we’d never cut diamonds from the rough to begin with. When you choose to have a custom cut diamond you are also partaking in that risk. It is important for you to understand this up front. In most instances the appraisal is right on, in some cases it may be off in your favor or not. To date we haven't had any cases were it wasn't accurate or to your favor.
If you would like to get the process started here is the procedure.
First we need to know what cut you would like.
Next we need to know...
- Your desired carat weight range.
- Your desired clarity range.
- Your desired color range.
- Your budget for the diamond (preferred and ceiling).
- Any other gemological features you desire or not such as length to width ratio, fluorescence level, etc.
Once we have this criteria and only if you are prepared to leave a deposit of 10% for us to hunt down the rough we will then put our buyers in Antwerp to work hunting down the proper rough diamond to cut for you.
- Once the rough is located we will need you to be on standby to wire the funds to acquire the rough diamond for cutting.
- The cutting process takes about 2-3 weeks. After the diamond is completed it is sent to our labs for QA and analysis. It is at this time we can also forward you images and our testing on the diamond.
- We then forward the diamond to AGS for grading. This generally takes about two weeks.
- Once it arrives we publish the final details and lab Report and it is also at that time we can set your diamond if you have been working with your setting specialists during the wait.
- We then ship to you overnight and fully insured!
If you'd like to inquire with us about custom cutting please fill out the form below.
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