OUR CUTTING
PHILOSOPHY
A Cutting Comparison
Let’s consider the cutting of diamonds and colored
stones. Why are diamonds so consistently well cut? Diamonds are generally
colorless,
and a colorless
gem is very dependent on cut for its beauty. A diamond, poorly fashioned, would
look like so much glass. The optical attributes of dispersion and scintillation
borne naturally within the diamond crystal would not be released with a poor
cut, or at least not displayed to fullest potential. Diamonds have to be cut
well to be attractive, impressive and desirable.
Colored gemstones have historically been sold on the quality of their color
with little attention to the quality of the cut. However, many colored gemstones
possess optical attributes - phenomena, pleochroism, zoning, saturation - that
demand proper consideration. Yet, how often have you seen colored gemstones
cut with the same degree of integrity as diamonds? Quite infrequently! Look
carefully at the gems of Concavegems.com and you will notice that our stones
are more diamond-like in their proportions and our attention to detail results
in ultimate beauty worthy of the finest colored gem materials.
A Value Metaphor
Buying a gemstone is like buying a fine sports car.
In the real world, we don’t buy cars by the pound like we buy
gems by the carat. But to make an appropriate comparison, let
us say that we do! Imagine going to your local dealership, finding
and buying the sports model of your choice and driving it home to
find that the trunk was full of bricks! How would you feel? Clearly,
the
added weight did absolutely nothing for the value of the vehicle;
it only added to the price that you, the unsuspecting consumer,
paid.
Far too often this is exactly what happens in the gem industry.
The price of the roadster might have been quoted at a very
reasonable ‘dollar
per pound’ rate to the comparison shopper, much like gems
are quoted at a dollar per carat rate. However, the price the consumer
paid was artificially increased by adding unnecessary weight. What
is the fine sports car worth? It is worth whatever someone will pay
for it, foolishly or not; "worth" not being the issue.
The VALUE of the vehicle, like a fine gemstone, is properly
based on many criteria with weight being but one of many considerations
appropriate to the product.
Unfortunately, the buying public has been skillfully brainwashed
into accepting poorly fashioned, typically “bulging” weight-retentive
stones. So much so, that native cut stones very often look more like
crudely faceted mineral samples than true GEMstones. The prevailing
thought has become “less weight equals less value”. Nothing,
absolutely nothing, could be farther from the truth! More weight
does not mean more value… hence our admonition that "There
is more to a gem than a name and a carat weight."
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